War on terror

In Iraq and Syria, U.S. Aircraft Rely on a New Kind of Rocket

The Pentagon is fast-tracking new orders of laser-guided precision rockets needed to attack Islamic State as U.S. aircraft maintain an extremely high tempo of offensive operations in Iraq and Syria.

A-10 Warthog attack planes, and other aircraft, have been attacking Islamic State fighters with Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rockets—laser-guided Hydra 70 2.75-inch rockets fired from helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. The weapon, first developed more than a decade ago, attaches a guidance section to unguided rockets, giving them the ability to pinpoint targets on the move with laser precision.

In response to the fast-growing demand for weapons to attack Islamic State, the U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $180.5 million contract to continue producing the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System.  The Navy deal is part of a broader effort to, in many instances, arm U.S. allies with APKWS.