US redirects 20,000 anti-drone missiles with APKWS from Ukraine to the Middle East
The United States has rerouted 20,000 missiles fitted with APKWS laser guidance systems—originally designated for Ukraine—to its Air Force units stationed in the Middle East, according to the portal Militarnyi. The decision was confirmed by President Zelensky in ABC interview.
"As you’ve seen, we have serious problems with the Shaheds. We are fighting them and will find ways to destroy them. We had agreed on one project — with Secretary of Defense Austin under the previous administration. We were counting on 20,000 missiles — missiles to counter the Shaheds. It wasn’t expensive, but it was specialized technology. This morning, my defense minister informed me that the United States has transferred them to the Middle East," admitted President Zelensky in the interview on June 8th.
The decision was made by Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth and reported by The Wall Street Journal on June 4th. According to the sources, the United States has decided to redirect proximity fuzes equipped with radio-frequency sensors for rockets, specifically those equipped with the APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System). Ukrainians use them to shoot down Russian drones.
As WSJ notes, the move to divert the component highlights a shortage of vital military supplies, as Ukraine braces for intensified Russian drone and missile strikes, and U.S. Air Force units in the Middle East gear up for potential clashes with Iran or a resurgence of hostilities involving Houthi forces in Yemen.
APKWS in Ukraine
Portal Militarnyi reports that the systems were initially acquired through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), a President Biden administration program that channels billions in U.S. government funding to buy arms and equipment from American defense manufacturers. Militarnyi also notes that the system was designed particularly for Ukraine. However, American law permits the redirection of American equipment in cases of "urgent need."
While USAI funds have been assigned, the weapons are set to be delivered to Ukraine over 2025 and 2026. The situation has sparked concerns about setting a precedent, especially over whether a future Trump administration might redirect already contracted arms to other missions under the same "urgent need" clause, as Militarnyi reports.
Militarnyi provides the characteristics of the system. It upgrades standard 70 mm Hydra rockets with a semi-active laser guidance kit, transforming them into cost-effective precision weapons. When used against aircraft, it incorporates a proximity fuse, enabling the warhead to explode close to the target even without a direct hit, significantly enhancing its effectiveness against drones.
Source: Militarnyi, Wall Street Journal
