LONDON, May 17, 2026, 08:40 BST
Britain said on Sunday it had deployed a new low-cost anti-drone weapon on Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets in the Middle East, moving the system from trials to operational flights in less than two months. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, or APKWS, is meant to give pilots a cheaper way to destroy drones than the larger missiles now used for some interceptions.
The move matters because small attack drones have turned air defence into a cost problem as well as a tactical one. Iran has launched strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases since U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, and Washington this month cleared APKWS sales to Qatar, Israel and the United Arab Emirates under an emergency process.
Britain is also putting more military kit into the Gulf. It said last week it would contribute autonomous mine-hunting equipment, Typhoon jets and HMS Dragon to a multinational mission aimed at securing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, where about a fifth of the world’s oil passes.
APKWS is a BAE Systems-made laser-guidance kit that turns an unguided 70 mm rocket into a precision weapon. In simple terms, the target is lit by a laser, and the rocket follows the reflected light.
The Ministry of Defence said the system hit a ground target in March, followed by air-to-air firings in April by 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron. It has now been carried on Middle East sorties by 9 Squadron Typhoons.
Luke Pollard, minister for defence readiness and industry, said the work would help the RAF shoot down “many more drones at a much lower cost.” Air Commodore Donal McGurk, 11 Group’s deputy director of operations, called it a “valuable addition” to the air-defence package being used across the Middle East. Gov
QinetiQ, which supported the integration work, said the trials used the MOD Aberporth range in west Wales and involved creating safety zones and providing realistic targets. Chief Executive Steve Wadey said the company was helping deliver “urgent capabilities” for UK and allied forces. ADS Advance
BAE Systems Air sector managing director Simon Barnes said Typhoon’s role remained central “across Europe and the Middle East” as threats evolve. In April, Richard Hamilton, BAE’s managing director for air operations, had described the first Typhoon APKWS firing as a cost-effective addition to the aircraft’s weapons set. BAE Systems
The Typhoon is not first. BAE says APKWS is already used on F-16 and A-10 fixed-wing aircraft and on rotary-wing platforms, putting Britain’s fighter into a broader move toward cheaper counter-drone weapons. Typhoon remains armed with higher-end weapons including Meteor, Storm Shadow and Brimstone for other air and strike roles.
The uncertainty is what has happened in combat. Janes reported that no details were given on operational use and that there was no confirmation the system had been fired at hostile unmanned aircraft; the MOD also did not disclose how many APKWS rounds have been sent to the region.
Britain still frames the weapon as one layer, not a cure-all. The MOD said UK ground-based and helicopter-based air defence assets are on high readiness with Gulf partners, including Sky Sabre in Saudi Arabia, Lightweight Multirole Missile in Bahrain, and Rapid Sentry and ORCUS systems in Kuwait.
For industry, the shift keeps BAE and QinetiQ in a live demand cycle. Reuters reported the State Department named BAE as principal contractor for APKWS sales to Qatar, Israel and the UAE, while RTX and Lockheed Martin were tied to separate air-defence replenishment deals in the region.
