USAF F-15E Strike Eagles armed with laser-guided rockets to counter drone swarms
September 5, 2025
The US Air Force has urgently equipped its F-15E Strike Eagles with laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets to help counter mass drone attacks. The measure was fast-tracked following the proliferation of one-way attack drones and repeated concerns over fighter jets running out of expensive munitions.
Hydra 70 legacy: 1970s rockets reborn as precision weapons
The weapon at the centre of this adaptation, the AGR-20, is a laser-guided version of the Hydra 70 rocket. The Hydra itself dates back to the 1970s, when it was developed as a simple, fin-stabilised rocket to arm helicopters such as the AH-1 Cobra and later the Apache. Designed for saturation fire rather than accuracy, the Hydra became a ubiquitous, low-cost munition across US and allied forces.
The APKWS II guidance kit, first tested in the early 2000s, screws between the rocket motor and the warhead, transforming the old Hydra into a precision-guided weapon. By upgrading an existing, mature design rather than starting from scratch, the Air Force could field the capability in weeks rather than years.
Multiple seven-round rocket pods can now be mounted on a single pylon that would once have carried only a single missile, giving the F-15E the ability to carry up to 42 guided rockets alongside its traditional air-to-air loadout.
The ingenuity of the APKWS II programme isn’t limited to the rocket itself. The Air Force has also revived legacy 1970s launch hardware – equipment that had been sitting in storage or slated for disposal.
These multi-tube rocket launchers, originally designed for helicopters and light attack aircraft, were never intended for use on front-line fighters like the F-15E. But by adapting the wiring and fire-control software, engineers were able to bolt them onto the Strike Eagle’s pylons and bring them back to life.
The Air Force quite literally raided its own attic to field a capability in record time. What could have been landfill is now frontline kit, enabling a 4th-generation fighter to carry dozens of precision-guided rockets at minimal cost.
Urgent fielding of APKWS II to counter mass drone attacks
The AGR-20F rockets were introduced with a sense of urgency. The US Air Force says the programme is an “expedited fielding push to get the capability to the warfighter immediately.” The Strike Eagles were able to fly to the combat command area with the new rockets within a week of the demonstrations.
The USAF called it a “sprint-like effort” in May to integrate the rockets by the 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing. Images of the F-15Es carrying the new rockets were all taken on 22 May, but were only posted on the DoD’s DVIDS website in early September.
https://x.com/John_A_Ridge/status/1756900346809507996
This means the F-15Es received their rocket pods just weeks before the 12 Day War between Israel and Iran erupted. That conflict saw the US Air Force work to protect Israel from drone and missile attacks and also drew the US to intervene directly in Operation Midnight Hammer.
4th-generation fighters show enduring battlefield relevance
According to The War Zone, the APKWS II’s laser guidance section costs between $15,000 and $20,000, with the rest of the rocket only a few thousand more. By comparison:
- Iran’s Shahed-136 drone: $20,000–$50,000 each
- AIM-9X Sidewinder: around $450,000
- AIM-120 AMRAAM: up to $1 million
In other words, a weapon based on 1970s rocketry offers a proportionate and sustainable answer to a modern problem. The Hydra’s original strength – being cheap, rugged, and plentiful – translates directly into an affordable counter to expendable drones.
The development underscores how non-stealthy 4th-generation fighters remain highly relevant. The F-35 excels at stealth and precision in contested airspace, but the F-15E, adapted as a counter-drone “truck,” can carry large numbers of affordable precision weapons to thin out massed drone or cruise-missile strikes.
The USAF’s F-16Cs have already used APKWS II rockets in combat, shooting down Iranian-backed Houthi drones in 2024. Meanwhile, F-16s bound for Ukraine are expected to take on air-defence roles, including drone interception, showing how a legacy Cold War weapon has found a new purpose in Europe’s most modern battles.
