WarMonitor on Nostr: New footage shows a Ukrainian laser-guided APKWS rocket striking a Russian Shahed-136 ...
New footage shows a Ukrainian laser-guided APKWS rocket striking a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone, sending it spiraling out of control and crashing. The low-cost precision munition was launched and guided by an L3Harris VAMPIRE surface-to-air missile system.
The VAMPIRE is a low-cost, palletized surface-to-air missile system that employs the AGR-20 APKWS—a laser-guided variant of the Hydra 70 rocket. Each interceptor costs around $20,000, approximately half the estimated price of a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone, making it a cost-effective solution for countering loitering munitions.
Interestingly, the strike appears to be a purely kinetic kill, as the APKWS rocket did not detonate on impact—either due to a malfunction or because it was not fused to explode. Despite the lack of an explosion, the direct hit was enough to bring down the Shahed-136 drone.
The VAMPIRE is a low-cost, palletized surface-to-air missile system that employs the AGR-20 APKWS—a laser-guided variant of the Hydra 70 rocket. Each interceptor costs around $20,000, approximately half the estimated price of a Russian Shahed-136 attack drone, making it a cost-effective solution for countering loitering munitions.
Interestingly, the strike appears to be a purely kinetic kill, as the APKWS rocket did not detonate on impact—either due to a malfunction or because it was not fused to explode. Despite the lack of an explosion, the direct hit was enough to bring down the Shahed-136 drone.