U.S. Army Selects BAE Systems for APKWS II Contract
27 Apr 2006 | Ref. 096/2006
NASHUA, New Hampshire -- The U.S. Army has selected BAE Systems as prime contractor for the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) program. The company received a $96.1 million contract for development, demonstration, qualification, and limited production of APKWS II laser-guided rockets.
APKWS II will provide a low-cost, lightweight guided weapon that is effective against soft and lightly armored targets and is well-suited to urban operations. The system will be used on all Army and Navy aircraft currently operating the Hydra 70 rocket. BAE Systems is partnered with Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics. Production will begin in 2008.
"The BAE Systems team has put together a solution that keeps the war fighter’s needs uppermost. Our design approach satisfies the need for a low-cost, low-collateral-damage precision rocket," said Frank Wilson, director of Precision Targeting for BAE Systems. "Our team looks forward to working with the Army to get this capability to the war fighter as quickly as possible.” BAE Systems is on track to provide the first production baseline units for evaluation prior to Critical Design Review, planned for July.
BAE Systems uses a mid-body guidance approach that employs its Distributed Aperture Semi-Active Laser Seeker (DASALS™), also used on the Army’s Precision Guided Mortar Munitions Program. This common product platform is one of the contributing factors in BAE Systems’ low-cost APKWS II solution, Wilson said.
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is the premier trans-Atlantic defense and aerospace company, delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. BAE Systems, with more than 100,000 employees worldwide, had 2005 sales that exceeded $28 billion.
For further information, please contact
Larry Stone, BAE Systems
Tel: +1-607-770-3944
lawrence.w.stone@baesystems.com
Greg Lowell, BAE Systems
Tel: + 1-603-885-4038 Mobile: + 1-603-315-1543
gregory.j.lowell@baesystems.com
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