Old Marine Hornets get deadliest new $20k drone-slaying rockets

The U.S. Marine Corps is upgrading its aging F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet with air-to-air versions of the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets to counter the growing threat of enemy drones and cruise missiles. These laser-guided rockets, known as the AGR-20F or FALCO system, offer a cost-effective alternative to expensive traditional missiles like the AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM, costing roughly $15,000 to $20,000 per guidance unit plus $2,000 for the rocket motor, compared to hundreds of thousands or nearly a million dollars for missiles. This upgrade significantly increases the Hornet’s firepower by allowing seven-shot pods to replace single missiles, providing pilots with more shots to handle swarm attacks without frequent rearming. The APKWS II requires pilots to maintain laser guidance on targets until impact, which can limit engagement speed against multiple drones. To address this, BAE Systems