US Pentagon signs framework agreement to buy up to 25,000 APKWS annually — Defense News

In the United States, the Pentagon has signed a framework agreement with BAE Systems to purchase up to 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) guidance kits per year for up to seven years. As Defense News reports, the purchase still requires approval and funding from the US Congress, while the parties did not disclose the value of the agreement.

Kits for unguided rockets

APKWS kits convert unguided 2.75-inch rockets into laser-guided munitions. They are in service with all four branches of the US armed forces and have become a cheaper alternative to air-to-air missiles for downing drones.

BAE Systems said it would ramp up production while the parties negotiate a multiyear contract. The company manufactures the kits in Hudson, New Hampshire, and Austin, Texas. In February, it reported delivering its 100,000th APKWS kit.

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Capacity for allies

The framework agreement also provides for the possibility of increasing output to 35,000 kits annually for US allies. According to the Pentagon, additional production capacity will be brought online after partner countries formally request the kits through the Foreign Military Sales program.

US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffy said that multiyear demand would help keep production lines operating and ensure troops have stocks of interceptors. BAE Systems Inc. CEO Tom Arseneau called APKWS a proven and affordable precision-strike capability.

The current five-year US Navy contract with BAE, concluded in August 2025, provides for the delivery of up to 55,000 kits for the Navy, Army, and foreign customers, worth up to $1.74 billion. The work is scheduled to be completed by December 2031.