The US Marine Corps has completed its first operational flights of F/A-18A-D ‘classic’ Hornets equipped with the new BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS).
The 2.75in precision-guided munitions add a new cost-effective weapon to the Hornet’s arsenal while also dramatically increasing the number of weapons the aircraft can employ against fast, moving targets on the ground or water.
APKWS is already fielded on USMC AV-8B Harriers and AH-1Z Vipers, and US Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks. The effort to integrate it with the Hornet was completed as a rapid program for operational deployment in Iraq and Syria.