An artist’s conception of an APKWS strike against an unmanned aircraft. BAE SYSTEMS
The Navy League’s on line magazine, Seapower, report the successful test of a new alternative for countering Unmanned Air Systems.
BAE Systems Inc. has successfully tested APKWS laser-guided rockets in precision strike tests against Class 2 unmanned aircraft systems at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, the company said Oct. 11.
The 2.75-inch test rockets combined standard M151 warheads and Mk66 motors with APKWS precision guidance kits and a newly developed proximity fuze, enabling them to engage and destroy airborne drones at a fraction of the cost of traditional counter-UAS strike capabilities.
(A Class 2 UAS is 21 to 55 pounds, operates at 3500 ft or lower, and has a maximum speed of 250 knots, so its pretty small. ScanEagle is an example.)
As important as this cUAS capability may be, adding this capability to Coast Guard Units would also have the bonus of providing both a capability against a range of surface targets from small, fast, highly maneuverable craft to small ships, and at least a basic anti-aircraft capability.
Adding a launcher and the required laser designator to vessels with Mk 38 mod2/3 gun mounts should not be too difficult. The PATFORSWASIA Webber class FRCs would a good place to prototype an installation.
More on APKWS here:
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
Might make a good pairing with the MASS (Multi Ammunition Softkill System) launcher, which is being proposed Rheinmetall’s AUSA OMFV and can also be used on smaller sea-going vessels…S
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