The Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Saturday, January 25, released intriguing footage showing the crew of one of their boats destroying a Russian Kh-59 air-to-surface missile, which was reportedly launched by the occupying forces from a Su-57 aircraft of the so-called "VKS" of the Russian Federation and intended to target the civilian infrastructure of the southern maritime trade port.
The most interesting aspect of the released video is that, judging by the footage, the Kh-59 missile was successfully intercepted using the APKWS, marking what appears to be at least the first public instance of our military shooting down this missile specifically with APKWS. For instance, a year ago, in February 2024, the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine showcased a video of Vampire missile systems using APKWS intercepting "Shaheds".
It is worth recalling that APKWS (Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System) is a precision weapon that combines unguided 70mm Hydra 70 rockets with a semi-active laser guidance module. The first news about the transfer of such missiles from Germany emerged in 2023, and the first video in action against the Russians appeared in the summer of the same year.
Moreover, it is important to emphasize that APKWS missiles are utilized in Vampire missile systems. A total of 14 such systems were ordered for the Defense Forces as part of defense assistance, all of which have already been delivered to our military and, as observed, are effectively used against both Russian drones and missiles.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the Vampire systems were ordered for the Armed Forces of Ukraine directly from the manufacturer, L3Harris Technologies, and it took as long as six months to supply the first four systems.
In this context, an important remark was made by analyst Colby Badhwar, who emphasized that the USA has only procured 14 units for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, whereas "140 should have been ordered." This is explained by the fact that, firstly, there are significant stocks of Hydra 70 missiles worldwide, and the company BAE Systems, according to him, has the capacity to produce 25,000 APKWS kits annually, or about 2,080 per month.
Given that the Ukrainian Defense Forces currently face a shortage of means to counter enemy missiles and drones, supplying a larger number of Vampire missile systems and their missiles could significantly enhance our air defense capabilities.