The weapon has been fitted to Typhoon aircraft as part of efforts to protect British citizens, interests and regional partners from threats in the Middle East. The system has now entered operations with sorties flown by 9 Squadron RAF Typhoon fighters.
The Ministry of Defence said it worked with BAE Systems and QinetiQ to move the capability from testing to operational deployment in less than two months. A successful strike against a ground-based target took place in March, followed by successful air-to-air firing by RAF Typhoon pilots from 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron in April.
From trial to operations in under two months. Working in partnership with the @RoyalAirForce we have brought a game-changing new capability to the frontline at pace.
Typhoon pilots are now flying with APKWS, our precision, low-cost weapon helping to counter uncrewed air systems… pic.twitter.com/hM3b6a1Nm6
— BAE Systems (@BAESystemsplc) May 17, 2026
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard said: “This has been a superb effort working with industry to test and deploy this system in a matter of months, which will help the RAF shoot down many more drones at a much lower cost.”
“Our Typhoon fleet is the backbone of UK and NATO air defence, with the RAF protecting European’s Eastern flank from Russian drone incursions and defending our partners across the Middle East,” Pollard added.
The APKWS uses a laser targeting system that converts unguided 70 mm rockets into low-cost precision weapons able to engage enemy drones and other threats. The UK said the development of lower-cost systems is intended to provide a more sustainable response to the growing use of drones against UK forces and partners.
Images released by the Ministry of Defence showed 9 Squadron Typhoons operating from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus with mixed combat loads. The aircraft were shown carrying MBDA Meteor and AIM-132 ASRAAM air-to-air missiles as well as rocket pods for 70 mm APKWS-guided weapons.
Simon Barnes, group managing director of BAE Systems’ Air sector, said: “Our priority is to ensure the Royal Air Force and its allies have the advanced technologies they need today and into the future, to keep them ahead of evolving threats.”
“This capability demonstrates Typhoon’s exceptional versatility and underlines its continued role as the backbone of combat air across Europe and the Middle East,” Barnes added.
Steve Wadey, group chief executive officer of QinetiQ, said: “From engineering expertise to live trials, our teams are providing the fundamental support needed by our armed forces, to deliver the urgent capabilities that ensure the UK and its allies remain safe and warfighting ready.”
UK aircraft continue to operate across the Middle East, with pilots and aircrew recording more than 2,500 flying hours since the start of the regional conflict. The Ministry of Defence said this is equivalent to more than three months of continuous flying on defensive missions.
Air Commodore Donal McGurk, Air 11 Group Deputy Director Operations, said: “We welcome the speed of development and meticulous testing behind the deployment of these missile systems for use on our Typhoons.”
“They are a valuable addition to the air defence package we are already employing with agility across the Middle East,” McGurk added.
The Ministry of Defence said UK ground-based and helicopter-based air defence systems are also deployed at high readiness to support Gulf partners. These include Sky Sabre in Saudi Arabia, Lightweight Multirole Missile in Bahrain, and Rapid Sentry and ORCUS systems in Kuwait.
The deployment follows a recent multi-million-pound contract to buy Skyhammer interceptor missiles for the UK Armed Forces to counter Shahed-style attack drones. In January, the Ministry of Defence also committed more than £650 million to upgrade the RAF Typhoon fleet, securing more than 1,500 UK jobs and supporting operations until at least the 2040s.
