Ukraine Mounts Laser Guided Rockets On Humvees

Another Ukrainian  innovation which enhances lethality by combining mobility and accuracy. JL

Defense Express reports:

Vampire is a launcher provided by the United States for Ukraine to utilize the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), a special type of laser-guided rocket designed to be versatile in defense and offense. The core of the weapon is a Hydra 70 unguided rocket, whose number refers to 70mm caliber. The effective range when fired from the ground is believed to be 3–4 kilometers.

Press service of the 37th Marine Brigade has published some very rare photos of Vampire rocket systems mounted on High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) in action. For a reminder, Vampire is a launcher provided by the United States for Ukraine to utilize the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), a special type of laser-guided rocket designed to be versatile in defense and offense.

The core of the weapon is a mass-produced Hydra 70 unguided rocket, where the number refers to the 70mm caliber. The name APKWS applies to an attachment kit comprising guidance systems and flight control surfaces, effectively turning the rocket into a high-precision missile.

 

APKWS design / Infographic credit: L3Harris

The Ukrainian forces have been previously seen using these weapon systems to repel russian Shahed-136 drone attacks or to launch fast shoot-and-scoot strikes on positions of the russian troops, as featured in photos published on social media. However, these might be the first official photos of Vampire systems with APKWS rockets during a combat mission.

A Ukrainian HMMWV fires an APKWS rocket during a combat mission, July 2024 / Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy, UA Marines

Originally designed as an air-to-ground weapon, APKWS has a range of up to 5 km when deployed by a helicopter, or 11 km from a fixed-wing aircraft. The effective range when fired from the ground is unknown yet believed to be about 3–4 kilometers.

 

Notably, in these photos, we can clearly see the square-shaped LAND-LGR4 launch pod but not the WESCAM MX™-10 RSTA stabilized sighting system, another crucial part of the Vampire.

Defense Express assumes that, being a modular system, Vampire can be used in partial configuration. The WESCAM sensors are involved in precision guidance of the rocket with a laser beam but are not necessary when APKWS are utilized in a simplified manner: like ordinary unguided rockets. On the site, we can see conventional artillery measurement devices for calculating the impact point:

Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy, UA Marines

Alternatively, the Ukrainian forces could be using a different type of laser target designator. After all, a major part of the Vampire system is hidden in the cabin, including fire control panels and displays, so the absence of WESCAM does not necessarily mean the Ukrainian soldiers disregarded the laser guidance function.

Illustrative photo: APKWS fire control systems inside a vehicle equipped with Vampire / Photo credit: L3Harris

APKWS launch / Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy, UA Marines

Having fired a salvo, the Humvee retreats into a hidden position for reloading / Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy, UA Marines

A four-pack of APKWS rockets / Photo credits: Ukrainian Navy, UA Marines