A video surfaced online shows the first recorded use of 70mm laser guided missiles by Ukrainian forces. These are specifically the APKWS rockets, which are produced in the United States.
The footage shows an armored Humvee M1152A1, equipped with Arnold Defense's LAND-LGR4 four-barrel launchers. This launcher fires the APKWS rockets, the full name of which is Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II.
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The LAND-LGR4 launcher is primarily designed to fire 70mm laser guided missiles, however it can also be used with unguided versions.
These missiles are said to be fired from LAND-LGR4 launchers, which are mounted on M1152A1 vehicles. The M1152A1s in turn are armored versions of the well-known American Humvee.
On April 27, various Twitter users posted a video purported to show the 37th Separate Marine Brigade of the armed forces of Ukraine using one of these mobile launchers against Russian targets at an undisclosed location in the southern part of the Kherson region.
What Are America's APKWS Missiles?
Are APKWS rockets made up of three main pieces? the warhead, the rocket motor and the navigation system located on the other two components.
The modular design of the APKWS allows the rocket to accept a wide variety of warhead types, which is also true of similar 70mm unguided rockets.
Of course, it remains unknown which warhead Ukrainian forces are using on the rockets seen in the video. Judging by the material of the missiles hitting the target, they appear to be high-explosive cluster warheads.
The new video shows the system in action and by extension shows how it interacts with Russian targets. The explosion in the hardware demonstrates the capabilities of the US APKWS weapon.
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The missiles are based on an active laser targeting system, so that it hits the enemy target with precision. Another option is commercial drones equipped with laser devices, which can illuminate the target for the drone, guaranteeing accurate hits.
The APKWS is touted by the Americans as a versatile weapon system that can be deployed on a variety of different platforms, including fighter jets, helicopters and ground vehicles. In the case of Ukraine, they bought Humvees with APKWS and semi-trucks with APKWS from Germany.
Another advantage of APKWS is their effective use against drones, however the enemy UAV must somehow focus a laser beam.
