Aerospace Daily & Defense Report07/23/2004
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a family of guided and unguided 70-millimeter (2.75-inch) rockets designed to attack soft and lightly armored targets at ranges of up to six kilometers (3.7 miles).
The program began in 1999 as an advanced technology demonstration (ATD) focused on adding a guidance system to the Army's Hydra-70 2.75-inch rocket, which is in widespread use on a variety of rotorcraft. In 2002 the Army recognized that the Hydra-70 needed various other improvements that would benefit both the guided and unguided versions, and these upgrades were incorporated into the APKWS effort.
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP) of Charlotte, N.C., is the prime contractor and systems integrator for APKWS, which is managed by the Army's Project Manager for Aviation Rockets and Missiles.
10 configurations
The APKWS family of rockets includes up to 10 configurations for various tactical and training purposes. The guided variant includes a semi-active laser guidance section installed between the M151 High Explosive Point Detonating warhead and the Mk 66 MOD 4 motor (which is common to all variants).
The unguided rockets have a range of one to six kilometers (.62 to 3.7 miles), while the guided rocket offers precision engagements at 1.5 to five kilometers (.93 to 3.1 miles). The unguided rockets can provide area suppression or disperse flares, while the laser-seeking guided rocket is designed for soft to lightly armored point targets, including moving vehicles.
Short of tanks, almost anything typically found on a battlefield could be a target for APKWS, according to Frank Pope, senior director of rocket and missile systems for GDATP. While the unguided Hydra-70 previously has been used mostly for area suppression, the new guided variant will allow for new missions and targets, Pope told The DAILY. "It opens up other possibilities for MOUT [Military Operations in Urban Terrain] operations, because of the low collateral damage and high precision that's offered by the guided round," he said.
Cargo warheads
APKWS will be capable of dispensing both unitary and cargo warheads, according to Pope. "An example of a cargo warhead would be the Multipurpose Submunition round, which has nine bomblets, or shaped charges," Pope said. "Another potential cargo round would be the flechette round, where it carries spin-stabilized darts."
GDATP will deliver APKWS to all the military services. The Army will be receiving fully assembled "all-up" rounds, while the Navy and Air Force will receive motors and warheads separately, allowing them to assemble the rockets they need before a mission.
APKWS can be fired from existing seven- and 19-tube launchers and can be mounted on most rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the Cobra attack helicopter and the F-16. The Apache will be the first aircraft to be qualified for APKWS, Pope said. Northrop Grumman also is preparing its Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) to use APKWS. "The lightweight aspect of this weapon system, I think, makes it an excellent candidate for many of the UAVs that are out there," Pope said.
Testing at Eglin
GDATP is under contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the guided version of APKWS. System qualification and a limited user test will be completed next year, Pope said, with the majority of testing taking place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
A Milestone C decision to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) is scheduled for the fall of 2005. Production rates for the guided rocket have not yet been completed, GDATP said.
General Dynamics is operating under a multiple-year production contract for the unguided version awarded in 1999. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal has solicited GDATP for a multiple year production contract whose total value could exceed $1 billion over five years, according to the company. Future block enhancements will improve the lethality, range, and precision of the entire rocket family, as funds are made available, Pope said.
Several countries that already use the 70-millimeter unguided rocket have expressed interest in eventually purchasing the guided version, according to Pope.
GDATP manages the APKWS program and provides system integration out of its Burlington Technology Center in Vermont. Final rocket assembly, integration and testing take place at company facilities in Camden, Ark., and Stone County, Miss. Alliant TechSystems manufactures the Mk 90 propellant for the rocket motor at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford, Va. GDATP selected BAE Systems in Nashua, N.H., to develop the guidance section.
GDATP and its industry partners have produced roughly one million unguided Hydra-70 rockets since 1996, and have orders for deliveries through most of 2006 at a rate of more than 20,000 a month.
www.aviationnow.com/awin/awin_aeros...tory=xml/aerospacedaily_xml/2004/07/23/10.xml
The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a family of guided and unguided 70-millimeter (2.75-inch) rockets designed to attack soft and lightly armored targets at ranges of up to six kilometers (3.7 miles).
The program began in 1999 as an advanced technology demonstration (ATD) focused on adding a guidance system to the Army's Hydra-70 2.75-inch rocket, which is in widespread use on a variety of rotorcraft. In 2002 the Army recognized that the Hydra-70 needed various other improvements that would benefit both the guided and unguided versions, and these upgrades were incorporated into the APKWS effort.
General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP) of Charlotte, N.C., is the prime contractor and systems integrator for APKWS, which is managed by the Army's Project Manager for Aviation Rockets and Missiles.
10 configurations
The APKWS family of rockets includes up to 10 configurations for various tactical and training purposes. The guided variant includes a semi-active laser guidance section installed between the M151 High Explosive Point Detonating warhead and the Mk 66 MOD 4 motor (which is common to all variants).
The unguided rockets have a range of one to six kilometers (.62 to 3.7 miles), while the guided rocket offers precision engagements at 1.5 to five kilometers (.93 to 3.1 miles). The unguided rockets can provide area suppression or disperse flares, while the laser-seeking guided rocket is designed for soft to lightly armored point targets, including moving vehicles.
Short of tanks, almost anything typically found on a battlefield could be a target for APKWS, according to Frank Pope, senior director of rocket and missile systems for GDATP. While the unguided Hydra-70 previously has been used mostly for area suppression, the new guided variant will allow for new missions and targets, Pope told The DAILY. "It opens up other possibilities for MOUT [Military Operations in Urban Terrain] operations, because of the low collateral damage and high precision that's offered by the guided round," he said.
Cargo warheads
APKWS will be capable of dispensing both unitary and cargo warheads, according to Pope. "An example of a cargo warhead would be the Multipurpose Submunition round, which has nine bomblets, or shaped charges," Pope said. "Another potential cargo round would be the flechette round, where it carries spin-stabilized darts."
GDATP will deliver APKWS to all the military services. The Army will be receiving fully assembled "all-up" rounds, while the Navy and Air Force will receive motors and warheads separately, allowing them to assemble the rockets they need before a mission.
APKWS can be fired from existing seven- and 19-tube launchers and can be mounted on most rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, including the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, the Cobra attack helicopter and the F-16. The Apache will be the first aircraft to be qualified for APKWS, Pope said. Northrop Grumman also is preparing its Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV) to use APKWS. "The lightweight aspect of this weapon system, I think, makes it an excellent candidate for many of the UAVs that are out there," Pope said.
Testing at Eglin
GDATP is under contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) phase of the guided version of APKWS. System qualification and a limited user test will be completed next year, Pope said, with the majority of testing taking place at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
A Milestone C decision to begin low-rate initial production (LRIP) is scheduled for the fall of 2005. Production rates for the guided rocket have not yet been completed, GDATP said.
General Dynamics is operating under a multiple-year production contract for the unguided version awarded in 1999. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal has solicited GDATP for a multiple year production contract whose total value could exceed $1 billion over five years, according to the company. Future block enhancements will improve the lethality, range, and precision of the entire rocket family, as funds are made available, Pope said.
Several countries that already use the 70-millimeter unguided rocket have expressed interest in eventually purchasing the guided version, according to Pope.
GDATP manages the APKWS program and provides system integration out of its Burlington Technology Center in Vermont. Final rocket assembly, integration and testing take place at company facilities in Camden, Ark., and Stone County, Miss. Alliant TechSystems manufactures the Mk 90 propellant for the rocket motor at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford, Va. GDATP selected BAE Systems in Nashua, N.H., to develop the guidance section.
GDATP and its industry partners have produced roughly one million unguided Hydra-70 rockets since 1996, and have orders for deliveries through most of 2006 at a rate of more than 20,000 a month.
www.aviationnow.com/awin/awin_aeros...tory=xml/aerospacedaily_xml/2004/07/23/10.xml