{"id":28845300,"date":"2026-10-20T09:46:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T07:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/apkws-kits-pentagon-bae-framework-25000-a-year-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T09:46:56","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T07:46:56","slug":"apkws-kits-pentagon-bae-framework-25000-a-year-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/de\/apkws-kits-pentagon-bae-framework-25000-a-year-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"APKWS Kits: Pentagon Locks In Up to 25,000 a Year"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.et_pb_title_container h1.entry-title { padding-top: 40px !important; }<\/style>\r\n<!-- mfsh:top -->\r\n\r\n<style>\r\n.mfsh-trigger{display:inline-flex;align-items:center;gap:10px;height:44px;padding:0 18px;margin:0 0 26px;border:2px solid #0F1720;background:#fff;color:#0F1720;font-family:inherit;font-size:14px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;letter-spacing:0;text-transform:none;cursor:pointer;box-shadow:none;transition:background 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Now the Pentagon wants that seeker by the truckload.<\/p>\r\n<p>The Department of War, as the Pentagon now styles itself, announced on Monday 19 October that it has signed a framework agreement with BAE Systems to buy up to 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits a year, for as long as seven years. APKWS kits turn unguided 2.75-inch (70 mm) Hydra rockets into laser-guided munitions, and they have quietly become one of the most cost-effective counter-drone weapons in the American inventory.<\/p>\r\n<p>There is a catch, and it is the usual one: Congress still has to authorize and fund the buy. Neither side has said what it will cost.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f4f6f9;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:18px 22px;margin:22px 0 26px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:700;color:#0d1117\">Quick Facts<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-left:18px\"><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Deal:<\/strong> Framework agreement between the Department of War and BAE Systems, announced 19 October 2026<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Volume:<\/strong> Up to 25,000 APKWS guidance kits a year for up to seven years<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Allied ceiling:<\/strong> Path to 35,000 kits a year if partner nations file Foreign Military Sales Letters of Request<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Condition:<\/strong> Subject to congressional authorization and funding; no cost announced<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>What APKWS does:<\/strong> Converts unguided 2.75-inch (70 mm) rockets into laser-guided munitions<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Users:<\/strong> US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Factories:<\/strong> Hudson, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas<\/li><li style=\"margin:4px 0\"><strong>Milestone:<\/strong> 100,000th kit delivered, announced February 2026<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">What the Pentagon actually signed<\/h2>\r\n<p>A framework agreement is not a contract. It is a promise of steady demand that lets a manufacturer buy long-lead parts and hire people before the paperwork is finished. BAE says it will increase output now while the two sides negotiate a multiyear contract under the framework.<\/p>\r\n<p>The headline number is not new to anyone who has followed the program. According to Defense News, a BAE official said back in 2023 that APKWS was in full-rate production with room to grow to 25,000 units a year. The Pentagon has simply decided to fill that room.<\/p>\r\n<p>The bigger figure is reserved for allies. The framework lays out a path to 35,000 kits a year, but output above 25,000 only comes online once partner nations formalise their demand through Foreign Military Sales Letters of Request. In other words: the line expands when the orders are on paper, not before.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;margin:24px 0\"><iframe class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V092M25KeUA\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;font-style:italic\">BAE Systems' own overview of the APKWS laser-guided rocket and how the mid-body guidance kit turns a Hydra into a precision weapon.<\/p>\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Why an old rocket matters in 2026<\/h2>\r\n<p>The trick behind APKWS is modesty. Instead of a new missile, BAE slots a guidance section with folding wings and laser seekers between the rocket motor and the warhead. The result fits in the same launchers and is fielded by all four US services: the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-army-aviation-branch\/\">Army<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-naval-aviation\/\">Navy<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-air-force\/\">Air Force<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/air-forces\/united-states-marine-corps-aviation\/\">Marine Corps<\/a> all helped finalise the agreement.<\/p>\r\n<p>It started life as a helicopter weapon, and it still is one, carried by types such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/ah-64-apache\/\">AH-64 Apache<\/a>. But the reason the Pentagon wants it in industrial quantities is drones. In March 2025 US Central Command released footage of APKWS rockets destroying Houthi one-way attack drones, and an AFCENT spokesperson told The War Zone the video showed a US fighter employing the AGR-20F version of the weapon. <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-16-fighting-falcon\/\">F-16<\/a>s have been loading them in the Middle East, and in May 2025 CENTCOM released a photo of a deployed <a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/aircraft\/f-15e-strike-eagle\/\">F-15E Strike Eagle<\/a> carrying six rocket pods in a counter-drone loadout.<\/p>\r\n<p>The maths is the whole point. Published estimates put a complete APKWS round in the tens of thousands of dollars, while a Sidewinder or AMRAAM costs many times that. Firing a missile that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars at a cheap drone is a strategy that runs out of money and missiles at roughly the same time.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;By securing multi-year demand, this agreement keeps production lines running at capacity, provides our forces with interceptor inventory, and flips the cost calculus in the taxpayer&rsquo;s favor.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Michael P. Duffey<\/strong> &mdash; Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, Department statement, 19 October 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/f-16c-apkws-rocket-loading-centcom-2025.jpg\" alt=\"US Air Force weapons loader handling an APKWS laser-guided rocket next to an F-16C Fighting Falcon in the Middle East\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">A US Air Force weapons loader of the 555th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron loads APKWS rockets onto an F-16C in the US Central Command area of responsibility, June 2025. Photo: U.S. Air Force \/ Staff Sgt. Kevin Dunkleberger \/ Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">A factory that already runs hot<\/h2>\r\n<p>BAE builds the kits in Hudson, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas, and announced in February that it had delivered its 100,000th. The Navy awarded BAE a five-year contract in August 2025 worth up to $1.74 billion for up to 55,000 kits for the Navy, the Army and foreign customers, with work running to December 2031.<\/p>\r\n<p>Foreign demand is the reason the 35,000 figure exists at all. Saudi Arabia won State Department approval in July for a possible $1.96 billion package that includes up to 20,000 APKWS kits, split evenly between air-to-air and air-to-ground versions. Italy is weighing a buy of 5,031 kits for counter-drone defence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"background:#f8f9fa;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:20px 22px;margin:18px 0 24px;font-size:16px;line-height:1.7\"><div><em>&ldquo;APKWS delivers proven, reliable and affordable precision at scale to counter evolving threats and ensure our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage.&rdquo;<\/em><div style=\"margin-top:10px;font-size:14px;color:#555\"><strong>Tom Arseneault<\/strong> &mdash; President and CEO of BAE Systems Inc., company statement, 19 October 2026<\/div><\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<p>BAE says it is also developing upgrades and mission-specific variants alongside the capacity expansion, so the 25,000 kits a year may not all look the same by the end of the deal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\" style=\"margin:0 0 24px;width:100%\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"skip-lazy\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/10\/ah-64d-apache-apkws-rockets-grafenwoehr.jpg\" alt=\"US Army AH-64D Apache helicopter on a range in Germany with containers of APKWS rockets waiting to be loaded\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;max-width:100%;display:block\"><figcaption style=\"font-size:13px;color:#777;text-align:center;margin-top:6px;font-style:italic\">APKWS started as a helicopter weapon and remains one: a 12th Combat Aviation Brigade AH-64D Apache waits for APKWS rockets, stacked in their containers, to be loaded before a live-fire exercise at Grafenwoehr, Germany, September 2021. Photo: U.S. Army \/ Pfc. Jesus Menchaca \/ Public domain<\/figcaption><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<h2 style=\"padding-top:22px\">Part of a bigger munitions push<\/h2>\r\n<p>APKWS is the latest in a run of framework deals the Pentagon has signed this year to get munitions lines moving. In January, Lockheed Martin agreed to more than triple production of the PAC-3 MSE Patriot interceptor. In March, BAE and Lockheed agreed to quadruple production of seekers for the THAAD interceptor, and a separate THAAD framework signed in January led to a June contract worth more than $35 billion for the interceptors themselves.<\/p>\r\n<p>The APKWS deal is the cheap end of that shopping list, and arguably the most telling. The war-fighting lesson of the past few years is not that the US lacks exquisite missiles. It is that it lacks enough affordable ones to shoot at everything that flies. A laser-guided rocket by the tens of thousands is the Pentagon admitting the drone problem is a volume problem.<\/p>\r\n<p>Now Congress has to pay for the answer.<\/p>\r\n<p><em>Sources: Defense News, Defence Industry Europe, U.S. Department of War statement (via Defence Industry Europe), BAE Systems, The War Zone, The Defense Post, Wikimedia Commons<\/em><\/p>\r\n<!-- mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n<button type=\"button\" class=\"mfsh-trigger mfsh-bottom\" data-mfsh-placement=\"bottom\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><svg><use href=\"#mfsh-i-share\"\/><\/svg>Share this story<\/button>\r\n\r\n<!-- \/mfsh:bottom -->\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<style>.mfq{margin:34px 0 8px}.mfq h2{font:26px\/1.3 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117;padding-top:22px;margin:0 0 6px}.mfq .qa details{border-top:1px solid #5C91FF;margin:0;padding:0}.mfq .qa details:last-of-type{border-bottom:1px solid #e2e7ee}.mfq .qa summary{cursor:pointer;list-style:none;display:flex;justify-content:space-between;align-items:center;gap:16px;padding:22px 26px;font:18px\/1.7 \"Gilroy semiBold\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#0d1117}.mfq .qa summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}.mfq .qa summary::after{content:\"+\";font:24px Helvetica,sans-serif;color:#3568e0;flex:0 0 auto}.mfq .qa details[open] summary::after{content:\"\\2013\"}.mfq .qa details:hover summary{color:#3568e0}.mfq .qa .a{font:16px\/1.7 \"Gilroy regular\",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color:#454e5e;padding:0 26px 24px}.mfq .qa .a a{color:#3568e0}@media(max-width:680px){.mfq .qa summary{padding:18px 14px;font-size:17px}.mfq .qa .a{padding:0 14px 20px}}<\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n<section class=\"mfq\"><h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2><div class=\"qa\"><details open><summary>What did the Pentagon and BAE Systems agree on APKWS in October 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">On 19 October 2026 the Department of War announced a framework agreement with BAE Systems to buy up to 25,000 APKWS laser-guidance kits a year for up to seven years. The buy is subject to congressional authorization and funding, no cost was announced, and BAE will raise output while a multiyear contract is negotiated.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>What is the APKWS guidance kit?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">APKWS, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, is a BAE Systems guidance section that converts unguided 2.75-inch (70 mm) Hydra rockets into laser-guided munitions. It fits existing rocket launchers and is fielded by the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps for air-to-surface, surface-to-surface, surface-to-air and air-to-air use.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Why is APKWS used against drones?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">APKWS is used against drones because it is far cheaper than air-to-air missiles such as the Sidewinder or AMRAAM. US fighters including F-16s have fired APKWS at Houthi one-way attack drones, and US Central Command released footage of such shootdowns in March 2025. Published estimates put a round in the tens of thousands of dollars.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Can APKWS production go above 25,000 kits a year?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Yes. The framework outlines a path to 35,000 APKWS kits a year, but output above 25,000 depends on allied nations formally requesting kits through Foreign Military Sales Letters of Request. Saudi Arabia won approval in July 2026 for up to 20,000 kits, and Italy is weighing a buy of 5,031 kits.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Where are APKWS kits made?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">BAE Systems builds APKWS guidance kits in Hudson, New Hampshire and Austin, Texas. The company announced in February 2026 that it had delivered its 100,000th kit. The US Navy's current five-year APKWS contract, awarded in August 2025, is worth up to $1.74 billion for up to 55,000 kits.<\/div><\/details><details><summary>Which other munitions framework deals has the Pentagon signed in 2026?<\/summary><div class=\"a\">Before APKWS, the Pentagon signed a January 2026 framework with Lockheed Martin to more than triple PAC-3 MSE Patriot interceptor production, and in March BAE and Lockheed agreed to quadruple THAAD seeker production. A separate January THAAD framework led to a June contract worth more than $35 billion for the interceptors.<\/div><\/details><\/div><\/section>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What did the Pentagon and BAE Systems agree on APKWS in October 2026?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"On 19 October 2026 the Department of War announced a framework agreement with BAE Systems to buy up to 25,000 APKWS laser-guidance kits a year for up to seven years. 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A separate January THAAD framework led to a June contract worth more than $35 billion for the interceptors.\"}}]}<\/script><div style=\"background:#f0f4ff;border-left:4px solid #5C91FF;padding:16px 20px;margin:32px 0 8px\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-weight:600;color:#333\">Related Posts<\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/italy-apkws-ii-air-to-air-counter-drone-fms-approval-2026\/\">Italy Buys 5,031 APKWS II Rockets as Counter-Drone Weapons<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/apkws-laser-guided-rocket-saudi-arabia-counter-drone-2026\/\">The $20,000 Rocket That Kills Drones<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/how-fighter-jets-shoot-down-drones-gun-sidewinder-amraam-apkws-cost\/\">How Fighter Jets Shoot Down Drones: Guns, Sidewinders and Cost<\/a><\/p><p style=\"margin:4px 0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/migflug.com\/afterburner\/boeing-pac-3-seeker-production-triple-huntsville-2026\/\">PAC-3 Seekers: Boeing Has to Triple Output of the Patriot\u2019s Eyes<\/a><\/p><\/div>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pentagon and BAE Systems agree a framework to buy up to 25,000 APKWS kits a year for seven years, the cheap laser-guided rocket now hunting drones.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":28845291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[664,670],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28845300","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-aviation","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>APKWS Kits: Pentagon Locks In Up to 25,000 a Year | MiGFlug<\/title>\n<meta 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