Weapons Against "Shahaneda": The US showed an F-16 with 42 the latest AGR-20 missiles on board (photo)

To spread: The US Air Force showed an F-16 fighter from the 20th fighter wing, equipped with six seven-charge launchers LAU-131/a. These blocks are used to run the AGR-20 (APKWS II) missiles-a weapon that has not fallen into Ukraine because of the Middle East situation. The photos were posted on July 14 by the DVIDS press service.

According to the US agency, "F-16 at a speed of more than 2 Mach and high maneuverability remains a key asset of the United States and allies, especially when using the AGR-20F platform". APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) is a 70-mm unmanaged Hydra missile, refined by BAE Systems by adding a semi-active laser coping system. In the air-air configuration, the rocket is equipped with a remote detonator, which allows you to hit the target even with a slight deviation.

Such opportunities were first demonstrated by the F-16 2024 during the reflection of the Drones of Hussites. The current configuration with six LAU-131/A blocks was previously used on the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter in May 2025. The F-16 equipment with such weapons sharply increases the number of available launches-up to 42 managed missiles on one fighter.

This is important in the fight against royal drones, where the use of expensive AIM-9X missiles (cost-about $ 420,000 per unit) is economically impractical. According to the Pentagon, APKWS II costs about $ 15,000 for a guidance system, making it a profitable solution for mass use. Recall that in June 2025 it became known that the US was redirected to the Middle East 20 thousand APKWS missiles, originally intended for Ukraine. It happened against the backdrop of threats to Iranian nuclear objects.