Eglin A-10 fires APKW

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A light-weight, long-range precision rocket from BAE Systems has successfully been tested on an A-10 Thunderbolt II. The laser-guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II had previously been used in Afghanistan by U.S. Marine Corps helicopters. The 40th Flight Test Squadron performed three sorties to demonstrate the capability and ensure the rocket could be fired safely from a fixed wing aircraft, a test that had never been done before. The rockets were launched at altitudes 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet and hit within inches of the target. In tests next month at China Lake Test Range, Calif., 22 rockets will be fired from an A-10 and an F-16 at moving and stationary targets. The Navy is also testing the system on a fixed-wing aircraft. (Source: Team Eglin Public Affairs, 04/02/13)