The United States government has authorized the potential sale of new APKWS II guided rockets to equip the Saudi Arabian Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. This was revealed in one of the most recent notifications from the U.S. State Department to Congress regarding approval of the transaction through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
According to the March 20 notification published by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia requested to purchase up to 2,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guided rockets from the United States. The operation, with BAE Systems as the principal contractor, is valued at US$100 million.
Although the released documentation does not specify which platform will receive this new batch of guided rockets, it is presumed they will be used by the AH-64 Apache helicopters in service with the Royal Saudi Army. It should also be noted that the Saudi Arabian National Guard is equipped with AH-6 Little Bird light reconnaissance and attack helicopters, acquired through an agreement with Boeing in August 2017.
As previously described in past publications regarding similar sales, the APKWS II “… is a low-cost, precision-guided 2.75-inch rocket that integrates a low-cost semi-active laser seeker (DASALS) in its guidance section with existing Hydra 70 rocket motors and warheads. Designed as a ‘plug and play’ kit, the DASALS unit is installed between the Hydra 70’s warhead and rocket motor. The seeker is divided into four elements, with one mounted on each of the four wings in the guidance section, providing an integrated solution for weapon navigation.”
Finally, the State Department stated: “The proposed sale will enhance the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capability to meet current and future threats, and it will provide the ability to engage targets with precision and significantly reduced risk of collateral damage compared to other guided missile systems. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”
Cover photo used for illustrative purposes only: U.S. Army AH-64D Apache.
