The U.S. Marine Corps is moving to significantly expand the air-to-air arsenal of its aging F/A-18C/D Hornet fleet by integrating air-to-air optimized versions of the 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II), a step that reflects the rapidly evolving nature of aerial threats and the growing urgency of counter-drone and cruise missile defense.
The decision, outlined in the Marine Corps’ 2026 Aviation Plan, underscores the service’s intent to extract maximum combat relevance from its legacy Hornets before their expected retirement later this decade. With approximately 125 F/A-18C/D aircraft still in service, the Marines are pursuing what officials describe as a “high-density low-cost counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS)/cruise missile capability” as a top funding priority.
At the center of this push is the air-to-air variant of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II, known in its optimized configuration as the AGR-20F, or Fixed Wing, Air Launched, Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Ordnance (FALCO).
Originally designed as a laser-guided air-to-ground rocket, APKWS II has rapidly evolved into one of the most important counter-drone weapons in the U.S. arsenal. The U.S. Air Force began operationally employing air-to-air APKWS II rockets from F-16 Fighting Falcon jets in 2024. Since then, the capability has expanded to the F-15E Strike Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.
Now, the Marines are poised to bring that same capability to their legacy Hornets.
The move comes as U.S. forces have repeatedly confronted mass drone and missile attacks in recent years, particularly during operations against Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen and in support of Israel’s defense against Iranian drone and cruise missile strikes in April 2024. Those engagements revealed a critical vulnerability: even advanced fighter aircraft can rapidly exhaust their expensive air-to-air missile inventories when faced with large swarms of relatively cheap threats.
Traditional air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9X Sidewinder and the AIM-120 AMRAAM remain the backbone of U.S. aerial combat capability. However, their cost—approximately $450,000 per AIM-9X and around $1 million for newer AIM-120 variants—makes them inefficient tools for shooting down small drones or subsonic cruise missiles that may cost a fraction of that amount.
By contrast, the APKWS II offers a dramatically cheaper solution. The guidance section alone has historically cost between $15,000 and $20,000, with rocket motors priced between $1,000 and $2,000. Even factoring in warhead costs, the total price per round is a small fraction of a traditional air-to-air missile.
For the Marine Corps’ F/A-18C Hornet and F/A-18D Hornet aircraft, this cost advantage is matched by a substantial increase in “magazine depth”—the number of engagement opportunities a jet can carry on a single sortie.
APKWS II rockets are typically loaded into seven-shot pods. An F/A-18C/D can carry up to 12 conventional air-to-air missiles across its wingtip and underwing stations, though in practice this number is often reduced by the need to carry external fuel tanks or sensor pods. Replacing even one missile with a seven-round APKWS pod yields six additional engagement opportunities.
Multiple pods can be mounted on certain pylons, dramatically expanding the number of targets a single aircraft can engage before needing to return to base to rearm. In scenarios involving drone swarms or layered cruise missile attacks, this expanded capacity could prove decisive.
The importance of increased magazine depth was starkly illustrated during Iran’s April 2024 strikes on Israel. U.S. fighters were forced to land and rearm while drones and missiles were still inbound, highlighting how even advanced platforms can be overwhelmed by volume alone.
During those engagements, crews flying F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft reportedly attempted to intercept Iranian drones using unconventional methods, including Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) bombs and the aircraft’s internal 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon, underscoring the urgent need for more flexible and abundant air-to-air options.
Similarly, U.S. Navy and Air Force operations against Houthi forces in and around the Red Sea exposed the growing prevalence of low-cost drones and cruise missiles as tools of asymmetric warfare. These threats are often slow, steady, and non-maneuvering—precisely the type of targets well-suited for engagement by laser-guided rockets rather than high-end dogfighting missiles.
The APKWS II was originally conceived as a cost-effective way to convert unguided 70mm rockets into precision air-to-surface weapons. The system consists of three primary components: a standard rocket motor at the rear, a laser guidance section in the middle, and a modular warhead at the front.
The air-to-air optimized AGR-20F variant incorporates a proximity fuze and modifications to its guidance and sensing algorithms, enabling it to detonate near aerial targets rather than requiring a direct hit.
Unlike traditional fire-and-forget missiles, current air-to-air APKWS II rockets require continuous laser designation of the target throughout the engagement. The launching aircraft—or another platform—must maintain the laser “paint” until impact, limiting how quickly a pilot can transition between targets.
BAE Systems, the prime contractor for APKWS II, is working on a dual-mode guidance upgrade that would incorporate an imaging infrared seeker. This would enable what has been described as a pseudo-fire-and-forget capability: the rocket would still require initial laser cueing but could then autonomously home in on the target using infrared tracking.
Such improvements would significantly enhance the system’s flexibility in high-threat environments.
The Marine Corps’ legacy Hornets are not relying solely on new weapons to remain relevant. In recent years, these aircraft have been receiving the AN/APG-79(V)4 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.
The AN/APG-79(V)4 offers improved detection range, faster scanning, and superior target tracking compared to the older APG-73 radar. Crucially, AESA radars are better suited to detecting and tracking small, low-observable targets such as drones.
The pairing of enhanced radar capability with a high-volume, low-cost air-to-air weapon like APKWS II creates a synergistic effect. The radar can identify and track multiple small targets at longer ranges, while the rockets provide an economical means of neutralizing them.
Despite its growing prominence, APKWS II is not intended to replace traditional air-to-air missiles in high-end aerial combat. It lacks the speed, range, and maneuverability required for dogfighting or engaging advanced enemy fighters.
Instead, its niche lies in countering relatively slow, non-maneuvering threats—Group 2 and 3 drones, loitering munitions, and subsonic cruise missiles. In this role, it serves as a complementary tool, preserving expensive AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles for higher-value or more capable targets.
The concept reflects a broader shift in air warfare, where massed, low-cost unmanned systems are increasingly shaping operational realities.
The success of APKWS II in the counter-drone role has drawn attention beyond the United States. Discussions have emerged about integrating the system onto platforms such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, reflecting global concern over the proliferation of unmanned aerial threats.
Yet questions remain about why the U.S. Navy has not formally announced the integration of air-to-air APKWS II onto its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet, particularly given the Navy’s extensive operational experience countering Houthi drones in the Red Sea.
In 2024, the Navy implemented rapid upgrades to expand the air-to-air missile capacity of its Super Hornets in response to urgent operational needs. The absence of a publicly confirmed APKWS II integration for these aircraft stands in contrast to the Marine Corps’ clear plans for its legacy Hornets.
Whether this reflects differences in operational priorities, budget allocations, or integration timelines remains unclear.
For the Marine Corps, the addition of air-to-air APKWS II capability is part of a broader strategy to maintain the lethality and survivability of the F/A-18C/D fleet during its final years of service.
“The Legacy Hornet continues to generate increased lethality, relevance, and survivability through its final fit,” a Marine Corps spokesperson noted, emphasizing the aircraft’s ongoing modernization.
As the Marines transition to newer platforms such as the F-35, ensuring that legacy Hornets can effectively counter emerging threats is essential. The drone revolution has transformed battlefields from Ukraine to the Middle East, demonstrating that air superiority is no longer solely about defeating enemy fighters—it is also about managing swarms of inexpensive, unmanned systems.
By equipping its F/A-18C/D fleet with air-to-air optimized APKWS II rockets, the Marine Corps is embracing a pragmatic solution: pairing advanced sensors with affordable, high-density munitions to meet the realities of modern warfare.
In an era defined by both technological sophistication and mass-produced drones, the humble 70mm rocket—refined, guided, and adapted—may prove to be one of the most strategically significant additions to the Marine Corps’ aging but still formidable Hornets.
