The US Air Force is testing the F-15E Strike Eagle with a new configuration of low-cost precision-guided missiles designed to intercept drones and cruise missiles, The War Zone reports.
An F-15E from the 96th Test Wing was seen equipped with six seven-tube launchers for 70mm APKWS II missiles, enabling it to carry up to 42 guided munitions.
In addition to its air-to-air missile loadout, this significantly boosts the fighter’s capacity to engage aerial threats, including unmanned systems and low-flying cruise missiles.
The aviation podcast The Merge shared the loadout photo. The aircraft took off from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, where new weapons are routinely tested.
In 2025, BAE Systems introduced an upgraded APKWS II version featuring an added infrared seeker.
This sensor allows the missile to home in on a target’s heat signature following initial laser designation, improving effectiveness against agile or high-speed targets such as loitering munitions.
APKWS II has already seen combat. In March 2025, US Central Command released video footage capturing F-16 fighter jets using missiles to shoot down Houthi drones in Yemen.
Equipping the F-15E, a platform with greater payload and range than the F-16, with APKWS II effectively turns it into a flying missile battery, capable of staying aloft longer and engaging more targets per sortie.
Militarnyi previously reported that Saudi Arabia plans to acquire APKWS kits to convert 70mm Hydra rockets into precision-guided weapons, offering a lower-cost alternative to traditional air-to-air missiles for drone interception.
The Saudi government has requested 2,000 APKWS II guidance kits in a deal worth up to $100 million, including related equipment and services. The modified Hydra rockets are expected to be integrated with Saudi F-15s, a move the US State Department said would require no significant changes.
