British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons have been equipped with new Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) to combat drones in the Middle East.
On May 17, 2026, the UK’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced that the low-cost missile system can destroy targets precisely and at a “fraction of the price” of other weaponry.
From testing to Middle East operations in two months
Developed by defense partners BAE Systems and QinetiQ, the APKWS moved from testing to deployment on operations in less than two months in response to the conflict in the Middle East.
In March 2026, a successful test strike was fired on a ground-based target, and RAF Typhoon pilots from 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted successful air-to-air firing the following month, demonstrating the system’s ability to defend against drone attacks.
“This has been a superb effort working with industry to test and deploy this system in a matter of months, which will help the RAF shoot down many more drones at a much lower cost,” said Minister for Defense Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard.
According to the MOD, the system has already been deployed on operations in the Middle East with sorties flown by 9 Squadron RAF Typhoons.
“We welcome the speed of development and meticulous testing behind the deployment of these missile systems for use on our Typhoons. They are a valuable addition to the air defense package we are already employing with agility across the Middle East,” said Air Commodore Donal McGurk, Air 11 Group Deputy Director Operations.
Low-cost precision option for counter-drone missions
The APKWS uses a laser targeting system which turns unguided missiles into low-cost precision weapons able to take down enemy drones and other threats.
Earlier in May 2026, the United States Air Force (USAF) together with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) conducted flight tests of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System using a MQ-9A Reaper.
UK aircraft continue to operate across the Middle East with pilots and aircrew surpassing 2,500 flying hours since the conflict in the region began – equivalent to over three months of continuous flying on defensive missions.
Other UK defense assets have also been deployed to support Gulf partners, including the Sky Sabre system in Saudi Arabia, the Lightweight Multirole Missile in Bahrain, and the Rapid Sentry and ORCUS systems in Kuwait.
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