London, May 17 (SANA) The British government announced Sunday the deployment of a new low-cost missile system designed to counter drones as part of Royal Air Force operations in the Middle East.
In a statement published on its official website, the government said the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) will be mounted on RAF Typhoon fighter jets to help protect British forces and regional partners against drone attacks at a lower cost than the missiles currently in use.
The statement said cooperation between the Ministry of Defence and defense companies BAE Systems and QinetiQ enabled the system to move from testing to operational deployment in less than two months following successful air-to-air and air-to-ground trials conducted in March and April.
According to the ministry, the system uses laser-guidance technology to convert standard unguided rockets into precision-guided weapons capable of intercepting drones.
UK Minister for the Armed Forces and Defence Procurement Luke Pollard said the system would help British forces destroy more drones at a lower cost, noting that the Typhoon fleet remains a key pillar of Britain’s air defense capabilities and those of the NATO alliance.
Air Commodore Donal McGurk, deputy director of operations at 11 Group, said the missiles would provide an additional layer to Britain’s air defense systems deployed in the region.
R.A/R.K
