BAE Systems demonstrates UAS-launched munitions

UK company BAE Systems has launched a precision munition from a multi-rotor Uncrewed Air System (UAS) and successfully destroyed both air and ground targets during trials in the US. This marks a major step forward in the development of a low-cost strike and counter-UAS option for frontline troops, the company says, though it has not disclosed the range and speed of the targets. 

The launch of munitions upgraded with BAE Systems’ 70mm Advanced Precision-Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guidance kit from a TRV-150, a modified version of the BAE Systems’ Malloy T-150 UAS, marks the first air-air engagement of an APKWS guidance kit from a UAS, building on its decades-long presence on combat aircraft including the F-16, F/A-18 and AH-64 Apache helicopter.

The successful trial demonstrates the multi-role capability of the platform and showcases how advances in drone technology can be harnessed to offer militaries highly effective and affordable tactical options to tackle both emerging UAS threats and more traditional targets, the company says.

“Uncrewed systems are an increasingly important part of our customers’ arsenals and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to show how UAS technology can further help them maintain an edge on the ever-evolving modern battlefield,” said Anthony Gregory, Business Development Director of BAE Systems’ FalconWorks.

“These trials have significantly advanced our ability to deliver this new tactical option at a fraction of the cost of conventional means, showcasing that we continue to address the challenges of tomorrow through innovation and collaboration.”

Australia’s Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator (ASCA) has issued a call for counter-UAS effectors in Mission Syracuse. It’s not known if BAE Systems submitted a response to the original Request for Proposals, which led to a Request for Tenders some time after 7 July, but ASCA and the ADF are known to be open to all sorts of C-SUAS methods, including direct fire, interceptors such as the APKWS, jammers and High Energy Lasers. Mission delivery is scheduled to commence on 30 September.

The trial took place at the US Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah using a modified version of BAE Systems’ Malloy T-150 adapted to meet the US Marine Corps logistics requirements known as the SURVICE TRV-150.

APKWS laser-guidance kits, a product of US subsidiary BAE Systems, Inc.’s Electronic Systems Sector, are the only US government program of record for precision-guided 70mm rockets which are used by all four US armed services.

BAE Systems, plc acquired fellow UK company Malloy Aeronautics, which specialises in innovative, heavy-lift drone and aeronautical technologies, in February 2024. The T-150 is designed and built for both civil and military customers for ‘last mile’ logistics.

BAE Systems engineers in the UK helped integrate the APKWS guidance kit which transforms unguided rockets into precision-guided munitions and provides a low-cost, highly effective solution with multi-role capabilities, says BAE Systems. With its integration onto the TRV-150 the tests exceeded expectations in all aspects, the company added, including platform performance and target engagements, with zero misses.

“While originally designed as a tactical edge logistics drone, adding strike packages to different variants of the TRV is a natural extension that leverages an already-fielded UAS as a multi-role offensive and defensive asset,” explained Greg Thompson, President at SURVICE Engineering. “Providing medium UAS-delivered air and ground target strike capability will be a force-multiplying game changer.”

The system demonstrated during the trials highlights the possibility of providing operators with a unique solution for engaging targets at greater range than ground-launched systems, and a system that can easily be deployed to the front line.