The Aviationist Blog

An RAF Typhoon was pictured at BAE Systems Warton carrying two seven round LAU-131 rocket pods, which can be used to fire APKWS guided munitions against surface and, importantly, air targets. 

The images, taken by Tech Digital Photography, mark the first time that we’ve seen a Typhoon outfitted with a rocket pod in the flesh. While rocket pods were integrated with many aircraft that the Typhoon has ended up replacing, until relatively recently these were largely for unguided rockets in an air to surface role and deploying such a non-precision weapon from a fast jet no longer aligned with the operating practices of many air forces.

Now, though, the introduction of the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) guidance kit for Hydra 70 rockets over the past decade has granted such munitions a new lease of life. Initially envisaged as a way to precisely strike softer targets, preserving larger munitions for more valuable, hardened targets, the APKWS kit has now been well proven in an anti-air capacity against the emerging threat of small, inexpensive uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). 

A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft assigned to the 20th Fighter Wing, sits at the hot cargo pad after being loaded with rockets at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., Jun. 11, 2025. (Image credit: USAF/ Airman 1st Class Nyanda Walker-Potts)

Recently integrated on mainline U.S. Air Force fighters like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15E Strike Eagle, APKWS rocket pods are now very commonly seen carried by these aircraft into combat – including during the ongoing U.S. war with Iran. As well as being less expensive than dedicated air to air munitions like the AIM-9X Sidewinder, these rockets can also be carried in far greater quantities. This allows each aircraft to engage many more targets before needing to return to an airfield to be reloaded, an important factor when being faced with dozens or even hundreds of incoming drones. 

BAE Systems has developed a dual mode laser/infrared seeker for APKWS for precisely this counter-UAS (C-UAS) purpose, which will eliminate the current need for continual lasing of the intended target. 

With the UK Defence Investment Plan (#DIP) due Monday (or so I have been led to believe), we’re all expecting to be put out of our collective misery re #NMH. Another announcement I’ve been told to maybe expect is related to #APKWS rockets on the #Eurofighter Typhoon for low-cost… pic.twitter.com/RmAdpTWCQk

— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) December 12, 2025

The acquisition of APKWS II by the Royal Air Force for deployment from its Typhoon force has been strongly rumored in recent months, with anticipations that such a decision is due to be announced in the still heavily delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP). The timely appearance of rocket pods on this Typhoon – marked with the insignia of the RAF’s 41 Test & Evaluation (TES) Squadron but thought to be in use directly by BAE Systems – should not be taken as a definitive confirmation of this plan, though, as BAE Systems already announced that integrating APKWS II was under consideration.

Any comment on the subject from the Royal Air Force itself has been tight-lipped. 

Both UK and Germany tell me there are no current plans to equip @eurofighter #Typhoon with rockets for the counter-#drone mission, but not to say it won’t happen. Waiting to hear from Italy and Spain. 1/3 https://t.co/OSOKTcLKBT pic.twitter.com/EnXWFOYItJ

— Gareth Jennings (@GarethJennings3) June 25, 2025

These trials, then, may be BAE Systems getting out ahead of time with their anticipation of potential future orders by the RAF as well as overseas Typhoon operators. When any procurement decisions are then made, the weapon will be available for use far more quickly. 

 

          View this post on Instagram                      

 

A post shared by Tech_Photog (@tech_photog)

Tech Digital Photography’s images do in fact appear to show that live firing trials of some form have begun, with the Typhoon pictured on the ground with a single round carried in the starboard pod. When the jet is pictured on approach to the airfield, the same pod is empty. 

 

          View this post on Instagram                      

 

A post shared by Tech_Photog (@tech_photog)

Timely Appearance

The debut of rocket pods for the Typhoon comes at a particularly coincidental time, given recent events in the Middle East. Of course, aircraft already integrated with APKWS II have been carrying these into combat amid the threat of Iranian drones, but RAF Typhoons flying from Qatar and RAF Akrotiri have instead had to rely solely on AIM-132 Advanced Short Range Air to Air Missiles (ASRAAMs) as their short-range infrared guided air to air missile. 

USAF F-15E in full counter drone loadout for Epic Fury. 4 X AIM-120, 4X AIM-9, 28 FALCO APKWS laser-guided rockets + the 20mm. Jet is clean aside from that, so likely has nearby tanker support and can get to where it needs to go fast.

Image via CENTCOM screencap pic.twitter.com/kTvlQCNYBr

— Tyler Rogoway (@Aviation_Intel) March 4, 2026

Typhoons can carry only four ASRAAMs per sortie – the four partially recessed fuselage hardpoints being dedicated for larger radar-guided missiles like the AIM-120 AMRAAM or MBDA’s Meteor. With just two of the rocket pods, each Typhoon could carry 14 APKWS rockets into battle alongside two ASRAAM. 

The massive cost of using ASRAAM in a C-UAS role has already been a point of criticism in the British press. While the cost calculations are not wrong – and the highly capable ASRAAM is indeed a massive overmatch for these low tier targets – this line of thinking does fail to consider the cost of not intercepting an incoming drone of missile, which could be far higher than the expense of an ASRAAM. 

RAF Typhoon taxiing at RAF Akrotiri in recent days, loaded with four ASRAAM, plus Meteor missiles and a LITENING targeting pod. (Image credit: Crown Copyright)

UK F-35Bs, which recently scored their first ever destruction of a hostile target when a Fleet Air Arm pilot destroyed an Iranian drone with an ASRAAM, would still have to use these higher tier missiles as rocket pods have not been integrated on this type. Theoretically, at the expense of full stealth characteristics (even more so than the already external carry only ASRAAM), there is no apparent reason why this integation could not take place, but it would have to be scheduled through the U.S. managed Integrated Test Force (ITF).

If the U.S. decides to follow this path, we may see this option emerge relatively quickly, but the UK is already plagued by delays to the integration of its weapons to the F-35B to such a point that the fleet’s only available air to ground weapon is the Paveway IV guided bomb. 

On the Typhoon, as well as offering a new C-UAS option, integration of APKWS II adds another munition to its quiver for strike missions alongside the Paveway IV, Brimstone, and Storm Shadow cruise missile. Like with the earlier comparison to the AGM-114 Hellfire, softer targets like light-skinned vehicles, unprotected enemy emplacements, or even small boats can be targeted with APKWS without expending a valuable Brimestone or high-collateral Paveway IV. Many strikes of this nature have been carried out during Operation Shader in Iraq and Syria.

Many thanks to Tech Digital Photography for allowing the use of their images in this article. You can find them on Facebook and Instagram. 

 

Despite being posted on Feb. 18 after news broke about the reversal to Trump’s preferred VIP livery design, the rendering is in fact identical to one that has been used by Boeing for some time.   After a U.S. Air Force C-32A broke cover with a fresh paint scheme, replacing the traditional egg-blue and white livery, […]

Claims about modifying the F-35’s software raise legitimate sovereignty questions. But cybersecurity architecture, cryptography, and sustainment realities define strict limits on what can and cannot be done. As we reported in detail in a previous story, on Feb. 15, 2026, talking to the BNR Nieuwsradio Podcast, Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman suggested that […]

The Navy has launched a Programmed Structural Sustainment Repair program for the dozens of F-16s acquired from the Air Force, which will allow them to fly through 2035. The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced last week two major milestones with its ex-U.S. Air Force F-16 jets used in the Adversary role. The Adversary […]

The two new Kaan airframes are scheduled to begin testing in 2026, while Turkey is also developing its own engine to replace U.S.-made powerplants used by the prototypes. The second and third prototypes of Turkey’s Kaan fighter, named P1 and P2, have now been spotted in a recent official video covering the visit of Dr. […]

A freshly repainted C-32A shows off the livery redesign long favored by President Donald Trump, which is also due to appear on the next generation of Presidential aircraft.  Boeing C-32A 99-0003 was recently noted by aviation enthusiasts flying from Greenville Majors Airport (KGVT), where the fleet undergoes periodic maintenance overhauls and upgrades with L3Harris, in […]

The deployment of F-22s towards the Middle East has been considered by many to be one of the final pieces of the puzzle regarding U.S. preparations for potential offensive action against Iran.  The Langley Air Force Base (AFB) jets landed at the UK base shortly before 1830 UTC, with their arrival well documented by local […]

The new EC-2 Stand-Off Jammer aircraft, based on the Kawasaki C-2 transport aircraft, will replace the unique EC-1 which has been in service since 1986. The latest in a number of Japanese aircraft with unusual modifications, the EC-2 Stand-Off Jammer (SOJ), just broke cover. The aircraft, which has been in development since 2021, has been […]

Newly emerged reports claim a mixed squadron with Ukrainian, U.S. and Dutch pilots is flying combat missions on Ukrainian F-16s. New reports which are quickly going viral claim that Ukraine has stood up a new mixed squadron with Ukrainian, U.S. and Dutch pilots flying combat missions together un the country’s F-16s. The reports, which we […]

India will acquire 114 additional Rafales as part of the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft program, with 96 possibly produced locally.      India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded on Feb. 12, 2026, an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for additional Dassault Rafale fighters as part of the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, the Ministry of Defence announced. The […]

The Royal Saudi Naval Force will receive four C-27Js in the new Maritime Patrol Variant, with deliveries expected to start in 2029. Leonardo has announced that it will supply four C-27Js in the new Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) variant to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense. The aircraft will be operated by the Royal Saudi Naval […]

Addressing the F-35’s operational independence from the U.S. amid tensions between Europe and the Trump administration, Secretary Gijs Tuinman made the claim to Dutch radio station BNR Nieuwsradio.  The bold claim, the veracity of which is unverifiable from an outside perspective, came as part of a wider dialogue over the operational independence of the F-35 […]

The Boeing 757 Excalibur Flight Test Aircraft began its latest series of test flights last week sporting a brand new radome grafted onto its nose, along with new fuselage fairings.  The Boeing 757-200, formerly a passenger aircraft for a number of airlines, completed its first modification phase in late 2024 and undertook a short program […]

Mission autonomy software by Collins and Shield AI was integrated on the YFQ-42 and YFQ-44 CCAs by using the government-owned A-GRA architecture. The U.S. Air Force has reached a new milestone in its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, demonstrating that government-owned Autonomy Government Reference Architecture (A-GRA) can be successfully integrated with mission autonomy software. As part […]

The U.S. Navy’s newest supercarrier is heading back towards the Middle East having already been recalled across the Atlantic to station off Venezuela. Already in its eighth month at sea, this new assignment – which will require the third Atlantic transit of its current deployment – in the midst of heightened tensions between the U.S. […]

Speaking at a geopolitics and aerospace conference in Rome, the Commander of the Italian Air Force’s Operational Forces said the service is evaluating the possibility of operating F-35s from highway strips if conventional airfields are threatened. Italy is assessing the possibility of landing and operating its F-35A Lightning II 5th generation aircraft from selected highway […]

A grainy video captured in Algeria appears to show an Su-57 flying overhead, following unconfirmed reports about the country becoming the type’s first export customer, while Russia recently received new upgraded jets. Visuals emerged on Feb. 7, 2026, are claimed to show an Su-57E Felon flying in Algeria, following unconfirmed reports about the country becoming […]

Six F-35A Lightning IIs from the Vermont ANG, previously forward deployed to Puerto Rico, have departed RAF Lakenheath on their way to the Middle East.  The six jets are part of a total of 12 F-35As from the Vermont unit that have been noted making a transit towards the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of […]

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems will integrate a U.S. Marine Corps mission kit into the YFQ-42A for the MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft program. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) announced it has been selected by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) […]

Saudi Arabia is attracting industry’s interest at the World Defense Show, with a continued push for the F-35, a proposed F-15 upgrade, and rumors about Kaan and JF-17. The modernization of Saudi Arabia’s military is in the spotlight at the ongoing World Defense Show, which is be held from Feb. 8 to 12, 2026, in […]