APKWS III.

This is coolbert:

Sounds way too to be true. 

A SIMPLE WEAPON [FIN STABILIZED ROCKET] FIRST DESIGNED SEVENTY YEARS AGO WITH A BASIC UPGRADE RESULTING IN A MODERN PERFORMANCE LIGHT-YEARS BEYOND MAGNITUDE IN LETHALITY.

Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System.

"The AGR-20A Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions. APKWS is approximately one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload.

AN EXISTING WEAPON [HYDRA 70 ROCKET] THE USE OF A SIMPLE CONVERSION KIT CREATING A WEAPON THIRTY-SIX TIMES MORE EFFECTIVE THAN ALREADY IN THE INVENTORY LASER-GUIDED WEAPONRY!! WHAT IS THERE NOT TO LIKE?

Granted "yield" is less. The "bang-stuff" per round much less but that is not a concern because of the much improved accuracy?

Consider also the variety of "Launch platform" from which  the APKWS can be used from:

* North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco, * AH-64 Apache, * AH-1Z Viper, * Bell AH-1W * Supercobra AH-1 Cobra, * OH-58 Kiowa, * T-129, Eurocopter Tiger, * A-10 Thunderbolt II, * UH-60 Black Hawk, * P-3 Orion, * MH-6 Little Bird, * F-16 Fighting Falcon, * F/A-18 Hornet, * AV-8B Harrier II.

AC-130 gunship could mount from pylons a dozen or more of the rocket pods? You can have voila' flying artillery.

coolbert.