BAE Systems advances APKWS counter-drone trials from TRV-150 UAS

A Malloy TRV-150 heavy-lift UAV carrying three APKWS laser-guided rockets at the Farnborough International Airshow 2026. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)

BAE Systems has advanced trialled the use of its Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) from a modified military version of the Malloy Aeronautics T-150 unmanned aircraft system (UAS), dubbed the TRV-150, employing a production-ready three-pod launcher for the first time.

Announced on 21 October 2026, the US-based tests in late September 2026 built on earlier trials where a single APKWS 70 mm laser-guided rocket was fired from a TRV-150 using a specially adapted container.

“These latest tests build on the first-ever single-shot firing of a precision munition from an adapted T-150 in July last year, extending that capability through the use of a production-ready three-pod launcher system to engage with air targets,” BAE Systems said.

Speaking to Janes and other defence media earlier in 2026, Malloy Aeronautics CEO Neil Appleton noted the success of the three-shot APWKS trials from the TRV-150 to date, saying, “We have now proven you can do three [firings] in quick succession. So you can do them off-centre [and] you can do them sort of pretty rapid fire, and therefore we are going to continue to just build that maturity through the summer [Q3 2026] trials period. By the end of this year we would expect to have essentially a [Technology Readiness Level] TRL9 [full operational status] rocket integrated with a TRL9 drone and a kit ready to go with customers.”