USMC’s Old F/A-18 Hornets To Get Drone Swatting Laser Guided Rockets
Summary
The U.S. Marine Corps is equipping its aging fleet of approximately 125 legacy F/A-18C/D Hornets with air-to-air versions of the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rocket, designated the AGR-20F or FALCO, to enhance their counter-drone and cruise missile capabilities. This development follows the U.S. Air Force's successful real-world use of the same weapon system on F-16s, F-15Es, and A-10s against Houthi drones in Yemen, proving the rockets' effectiveness as anti-air weapons in actual combat. The APKWS II offers significant cost and magazine depth advantages over traditional air-to-air missiles, with each guidance section costing between $15,000–$20,000 compared to approximately $450,000 for an AIM-9X Sidewinder or $1 million for an AIM-120 AMRAAM. The seven-shot rocket pods dramatically increase a jet's engagement capacity per sortie, addressing a critical vulnerability exposed during Iran's April 2024 strikes on Israel, when American fighters exhausted their missile supplies while threats were still airborne. These upgrades are part of a broader effort to maintain the relevance and lethality of the legacy Hornet fleet before its anticipated retirement at the end of the decade.
Key Takeaways
- 1. The Marine Corps has identified counter-drone and cruise missile capability as a top funding priority, integrating air-to-air APKWS II rockets onto its legacy F/A-18C/D fleet
- 2. The AGR-20F (FALCO) variant features a proximity fuze and modified guidance algorithms specifically optimized for air-to-air engagements against drones and low-cost threats
- 3. APKWS II provides a dramatically cheaper alternative to conventional missiles, costing roughly 20–30 times less than an AIM-9X Sidewinder per round
- 4. Seven-shot rocket pods significantly increase aircraft magazine depth, allowing fighters to engage far more targets per sortie compared to carrying traditional air-to-air missiles
- 5. Real-world combat experience against Houthi drones in Yemen and Iranian attacks on Israel has urgently highlighted the need for high-volume, lower-cost air-to-air engagement solutions