Canada eyes cost-effective missiles to counter drone threats
Low-cost countermeasures against simple drones have become crucial for military forces worldwide. Canada is no exception and could find interest in a solution already implemented by the Americans. Here's the solution.
American ships and aircraft ensuring security in the Red Sea have already used weapons worth over a billion dollars to shoot down ballistic missiles, anti-ship missiles, and drones launched by the Yemeni Houthis.
Drones pose a challenge, as shooting them down with missiles costing hundreds of thousands or even a few million dollars isn't cost-effective. Like the Ukrainians, the Americans needed something cheaper than the relatively inexpensive AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles and safer than cannons.
While cannons are the cheapest option, they require a range of several hundred metres and pose a shrapnel risk to aircraft, leading to the standard use of AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles priced at about $570,000 each, which is considered a bargain compared to AIM-120 AMRAAMs costing over $1.3 million each.
APKWS missiles — air-to-ground missiles as drone killers
According to The Warzone, the solution is laser-guided APKWS missiles, originally designed for ground targets. The article cites a conversation with a U.S. Air Force representative. Ukrainians demonstrated that these missiles could effectively shoot down Shahed drones, prompting the USAF to adapt them for use on F-16s.
This development significantly reduces costs and allows the engagement of more targets than with standard armament. APKWS missiles are based on unguided Hydra 70 mm rockets, which can be loaded into LAU32 or LAU51 pods holding seven or 19 rockets, respectively. Note that one pod occupies only one aircraft armament pylon.
APKWS missiles — nearly cost-free
BAE Systems developed APKWS missiles, which involve adding a section with a laser-reflecting guidance head and foldable control surfaces to the Hydra 70 mm rocket. This component and installation cost around $20,000, while the Hydra rockets are almost free. The US and other NATO countries have stockpiles numbering hundreds of thousands or even millions of these rockets.
When launched from helicopters or aircraft, they have a range of about 6 kilometres. Their main drawback as anti-aircraft weapons is their simple impact fuse; a proximity fuse would be preferable.
However, due to demand, such a variant might be produced within a few years. Given Russian tactics in Ukraine, acquiring such weapons could benefit the Canadian Armed Forces.
