British jets to get new anti-drone missile systems
Summary
The British Royal Air Force will add new missile systems to their jets in the Middle East to better and more cheaply shoot down Iranian drones. These missile systems, called Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), use laser targeting to destroy drones at a lower cost than traditional missiles.Key Facts
- British Typhoon jets will be equipped with APKWS to intercept drones more cheaply and precisely.
- Iranian Shahed drones are low-cost, hard-to-detect drones causing damage in the Middle East.
- Current missiles used to shoot down drones cost about £200,000 each, while APKWS rockets cost around $30,000 (£22,377).
- The Shahed 136 drone costs between $20,000 and $50,000 to produce.
- APKWS uses laser guidance to make regular rockets precise, turning them into affordable anti-drone weapons.
- The UK tested APKWS with companies BAE Systems and QinetiQ to deploy the system quickly.
- Qatar is also buying 10,000 APKWS units from the US to improve its defenses.
- Since the war began, Iran has launched missiles and drones targeting several countries and US allies in the region.
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