The Army's Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is intended to fill the gap between the current unguided 2.75" Hydra-70 Rocket System and the HELLFIRE anti-tank missile. It is anticipated that APKWS will be comprised of a laser sensor and guidance package coupled with the Hydra-70 rocket. It is designed to use the current MK66 rocket motor, M151 10 pound high explosive fragmentation warhead, M423 point detonating fuse, and the M260 or M261 rocket launcher. The MK66 rocket motor and associated component parts (warhead, fuze, etc.) are those that are currently in the inventory, however, the APKWS is designed to be compatible with any 2.75 inch rocket system in the inventory at time of acquisition. The rocket warhead and fuze are integrated with a laser sensor and a highly accurate guidance assembly resulting in a precision guided weapon. The APKWS is programmed with the aircraft's compatible laser code and loaded into the aircraft rocket launcher(s). The APKWS is designed and intended to enhance the existing rocket system and to complement the Hellfire missile system; providing a significantly lower cost per kill against soft to lightly armored point targets. Precision guidance and warhead size of the APKWS will significantly reduce collateral damage. These features will make APKWS the weapon of choice during operations in urban terrain or for aerial fire support missions in close proximity to friendly forces. The APKWS will be employed from attack, armed reconnaissance, or other designated helicopters.

The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System is a variant of the Army's current 2.75 inch rocket system technology (also referred to as the Hydra 70 Rocket System). It is designed to use the current MK66 rocket motor, M151 10 pound high explosive fragmentation warhead, M423 point detonating fuse, and the M260 or M261 rocket launcher. The MK66 rocket motor and associated component parts (warhead, fuze, etc.) are those that are currently in the inventory, however, the APKWS is designed to be compatible with any 2.75 inch rocket system in the inventory at time of acquisition. The rocket warhead and fuze are integrated with a laser sensor and a highly accurate guidance assembly resulting in a precision guided weapon. The APKWS is programmed with the aircraft's compatible laser code and loaded into the aircraft rocket launcher(s). The APKWS is designed and intended to enhance the existing rocket system and to complement the Hellfire missile system; providing a significantly lower cost per kill against soft to lightly armored point targets. Precision guidance and warhead size of the APKWS will significantly reduce collateral damage. These features will make APKWS the weapon of choice during operations in urban terrain or for aerial fire support missions in close proximity to friendly forces. The APKWS will be employed from attack, armed reconnaissance, or other designated helicopters. Integration of the APKWS into identified aviation units will be dependent upon system acquisition and distribution plan.

While operation is expected to be much the same as with HELLFIRE (using laser designation of the target); the smaller warhead, less complex seeker, and utilization of the Hydra-70 rocket will allow precision engagement of soft to lightly-armored targets at significantly lower costs than with HELLFIRE. The APKWS study was an effort to evaluate the cost-benefit of modifying the 2.75-inch unguided rocket with a laser sensor to increase the number of "stored" kills per attack/scout helicopter. The methodology considers the type threat units likely to be encountered in various locations of the world, the number of candidate targets for the APKWS, the potential combat effectiveness of an Aviation Restructure Inititive (ARI) interim attack battalion, and the potential for cost savings to attrit the threat units to two different levels. The study also evaluates the impact of collateral damage control and logistics.

The Low Cost Precision Kill (LCPK) need was realized during investigations of Desert Storm which revealed that a large number of HELLFIRE firings were made against non-tank point targets that could have been killed by a smaller weapon. Recent Military Operations in Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) activities in Panama, Somalia, and Haiti dictated the need for an air-to-ground (ATG) LCPK weapon system, smaller and less costly than HELLFIRE, to increase stowed kills of non-tank targets such as selected personnel, air defenses, small watercraft, MOUT targets, and lightly armored vehicles with point target accuracy and with minimum collateral damage. Army Aviation has a requirement for a small, low cost Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) to fill the weapon gap between the current unguided 2.75 inch rocket system and the HELLFIRE anti-armor missile. This requirement is documented in a Mission Need Statement (MNS) for APKWS; approved by DA in February 1996. The APKWS Operational Requirements Document (ORD) was approved by TRADOC headquarters in March 2000.

The LCPK Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) performed jointly by the Missile Guidance Directorate (MGD) and Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) elements of the US Army Aviation and Missile Command?s (AMCOM) Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, AL will demonstrate a low cost (< $10K), accurate (~1m CEP) 2.75 inch guided rocket that provides a standoff range ( 6 km), surgical strike capability against specified soft point targets. Utilizing a small, strapdown laser seeker, off the shelf inertial devices and a low cost control mechanization, a high single shot probability of kill will be achieved, reducing cost/kill by 2x - 4x, minimizing collateral damage, and increasing the number of stowed kills by 4x - 20x. A stable airframe with 90% reduction in guidance section spin rates was demonstrated via wind tunnel and ballistic flights. By end of FY00, 10x reduction in 2.75 rocket dispersions will be demonstrated via control test vehicle (CTV) flights. By the end of FY01, ~1m CEP accuracy will be demonstrated via guided test vehicle (GTV) flights from ground launch, guided rocket performance specs documented, and AH-64D aircraft integration completed. By end of FY02, GTV flights from the AH-64D aircraft completed. By the end of FY03, user tests completed and aircraft performance specs documented.

The LCPK Advanced Technology Demonstration purpose and goal is to develop, flight demonstrate, and integrate onto the AH-64D Longbow APACHE a low cost, accurate 2.75 inch guided rocket that provides a standoff range surgical strike capability against specified soft point targets, addressing the APKWS needs. The technologies demonstrated for the LCPK 2.75 inch guided rocket will include small low cost solid state semi-active laser (SAL) seekers to acquire reflected laser energy, canard or thruster controllers to provide aerodynamic control authority, small low cost off the shelf inertial devices to provide inertial information for rocket control, and an innovative de-roll coupling device to provide some roll isolation from the highly rolling free rocket. The guidance package will be a direct screw-on to the current inventory HYDRA-70 rocket motor, warhead, and fuze. The operational characteristics to be demonstrated are as follows: The SAL guided 2.75 - inch rocket will be launched like a free rocket, the target would be tracked and lased like a HELLFIRE mission, the guided rocket would lock on after launch (LOAL) similar to a miniature COPPERHEAD, and a terminal homing phase utilizing proportional navigation would produce precision accuracy for a high single shot kill. A full-up 2.75 inch guided round for transition into Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) will be developed and demonstrated.

Army Aviation will reap great benefit in all operations by arming aircraft with the lightweight precision targeting capability offered by the LCPK 2.75 inch guided rocket solution to their APKWS requirement. The smaller warhead of the LCPK greatly reduces collateral damage while providing sufficient lethality to destroy non-tank point targets. Its lightweight allows aircraft to increase station time, maintain maneuverability, and decreases overall maintenance demand. The LCPK stand-off range and precision strike capability greatly increases platform combat effectiveness, lethality, and survivability. The LCPK eventually will be compatible, with minor system modifications, to the AH-64A/D, RAH-66, OH-58D, MH-60L, AH-1F/W/J, SH-60R, AH-6 and the AH-6 Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) aircraft as a threshold.

The APKWS will require no hardware upgrades to aircraft platforms. However, software upgrades to incorporate ballistic solutions in the weapons processors will be required. Key to the launcher will be the Power, Command, and Data Port (PCDP) allowing the following pre-launch tasks:

identifying the munitions type
transfer power to the warhead/missile
feed guidance and fuzing data to the munitions
command bit/byte checks
Additional improvements include:

M439 Digitalized Fuze for error reduction: 2.5% - 0.1%
low cost course correction technology (LC3T): 10m Accuracy/ MPSM
dual safe M230 Fuze to improve safety and survivability
self-neutralizing M230 Fuze to reduce hazardous duds
APKWS will provide Army aviation with a low cost, highly accurate weapon for engagement of light-armored and soft point targets. It offers high single shot probability of hit against medium to long range point targets (1 km to >6 kms). The weapon will enhance aviation?s capability and lethality in all roles, especially MOUT, early entry, and aerial fire support missions. Initial plans, funding permitting, called for fielding of APKWS in FY 02. As of 2001 the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System was not expected to be fielded until fiscal year 2006.

In late 2001, as part of the FY ?03-?07 Five Year Defense Program's Program Objective Memorandum [POM], the Army cancelled a total of 19 programs, including the Raytheon Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wireless Fire and Forget missile, the BAE Systems Advanced Tactical Infrared Countermeasures (ATIRCM), the General Dynamics Hydra rocket, the United Defense, L.P. M113 armored personnel carrier recapitalization, and the Tank Extended-Range Munition (TERM).

As of November 2001 the System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase was basically qualifying a M151 2.75 inch rocket wi th a guidance component under a performance specification with options for: acquiring long lead materials/initial production facilities, engineering services, Low Rate Initial Production, the first year of full production, and acquiring a Technical Data Package. A multi-step approach was being considered. A subsequent production contract would be awarded on a Firm Fixed Price and sole source basis to the successful system integration offeror of the SDD contract provided the required performance was achieved and maintained. It was anticipated that the production contract would be a five-year award term with a potential extension to another five years with successful performance against measured criteria. In addition to the g uided M151 2.75 inch rocket, the production contract would have been flexible to include a family of other precision rockets that may have included the current configuration M261, M264, M255A1, M229 M257, and M278 2.75 inch rockets, with or without a guida nce component, system integration functions, technology enhancements, inventory upgrades, block upgrades, and engineering services. Potential offerors timely responded to this announcement. Subsequent to this announcement, a thorough analysis was undertaken relative to the impacts this original acquisition approach had on the Government?s ability to preserve a critical industrial supplier capability for the family of 2.75 inch rockets.

In September 2002 APKWS was further defined as an umbrella program that initially includes the guided M151 2.75 inch rocket with future block upgrades and also includes a family of other precision and unguided rockets utilizing existing warheads (M151, M261, M264, M267, M255A1, M229, M257, M274, M278, and WTU-1/B), with or without a guidance component, system integration functions, technology enhancements, inventory upgrades, logistics support, initial production facilities, prod ucibility issues, investigation support, future block upgrades, enhancing digital capabilities to include an improved launcher, test equipment, packaging, and engineering services.

The Government intends to enter into a 5 year Award Term sole source contract with General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products (GDATP) for APKWS with the capability to extend the contract up to an additional five annual performance periods if actual contract performance meets or exceeds the standards established in the award term plan. Additionally, it is anticipated that GDATP will issue a competitive solicitation for the guidance component to cover a System Development and Demonstration phase, which is basically qualifying a M151 2.75 inch rocket with a guidance component u nder a performance specification with possible options for: acquiring long lead materials/initial production facilities, engineering services, low rate initial production, two years of full production, production representative samples, etc.