First use of APKWS against Russian Kh-59 missile reported

The incident occurred on Jan. 25, when Ukraine’s Naval Forces demonstrated how they destroyed the Kh-59 missile, launched by a Russian Su-57 aircraft targeting civilian infrastructure at the Pivdennyi commercial seaport.

According to Defense Express, this marks the first documented instance of APKWS being used against a missile. Previously, Ukrainian forces had employed the system primarily to take down Iranian-made Shahed drones.

What is APKWS?

APKWS is a precision-guided weapon that upgrades 70-mm Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a semi-active laser guidance kit. Information about Germany supplying these missiles to Ukraine first surfaced in 2023.

These rockets are integrated into the Vampire system, which was designed to counter drones. Fourteen Vampire systems have been ordered for Ukraine’s defense forces.

About the Vampire system

The Vampire system, developed by the U.S.-based technology company L3Harris Technologies, is designed to neutralize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with small, precision-guided missiles. The system features a four-barreled rocket launcher and a suite of sensors that can be easily mounted onto commercial vehicles, offering flexibility and mobility for defense operations.