Arabic version: طائرات مقاتلة بريطانية ستتلقى أنظمة متقدمة لمكافحة الطائرات المسيرة
British fighter jets stationed in the Middle East are set to be equipped with new missile systems aimed at more effectively countering Iranian drones. The Royal Air Force Typhoon jets will be fitted with an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) to “destroy targets more precisely and at a fraction of the price of missiles currently in use”, according to BBC News.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) highlighted that Gulf countries and allied forces have been struggling to address the threat posed by Iran’s Shahed drones, which are relatively inexpensive to produce yet capable of inflicting substantial damage. During the 2024 conflict between Israel and Iran, the UK was reported to have shot down some drones with missiles worth around £200,000 each.
In contrast, the APKWS rockets, already in use by the US military, cost around $30,000 (£22,377) each. This pricing is comparable to the estimated cost of the Shahed 136 long-range drone, which is estimated to cost between $20,000 to $50,000. The Shahed drones, manufactured in Iran, have a slim profile which gives them the ability to fly at low altitude, making it harder to detect by radar and early warning systems that focus on the threat of missiles.
The UK government noted that the APKWS is engineered to convert unguided rockets into precision weapons through a laser-targeting system, enhancing their ability to neutralize enemy drones and other threats. Defence Minister Luke Pollard stated that the introduction of this system will enable the RAF to shoot down many more drones at a much lower cost.
In a related development, Qatar has sought to purchase 10,000 APKWS units from the US to strengthen its defences. Since the outbreak of the war, Iran has fired ballistic missiles and drones at US assets and allies across the region, targeting Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Jordan. The UAE has reported intercepting more than 2,000 drones, 438 ballistic missiles and 19 cruise missiles since the start of the conflict.
