美国空军也爱打火箭弹？F-15E 被发现装载大量激光制导火箭，以对抗无人机
正文翻译
A picture has emerged showing a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle loaded with at least three seven-shot 70mm rocket pods under its left wing. If the jet had three more pods on the right side, this would amount to a whopping 42 rockets, which could be carried together with eight traditional air-to-air missiles. Such a loadout would turn the F-15E into a flying counter-drone and cruise missile arsenal ship capable of an incredible 50 engagement opportunities, minus the gun.
一张图片显示了一架美国空军F-15E"打击鹰"战斗机在左翼下方挂载了至少三个七联装70 毫米火箭弹舱。如果这架飞机右翼还有三个弹舱，则总数将高达42枚火箭，同时还能携带8枚传统空对空导弹。这样的载弹量将使F-15E变成一架反无人机和巡航导弹的空中武器平台，在不使用机炮的情况下，拥有高达50次的交战机会。
The Air Force has already proven the extreme value of laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets in the air-to-air role in combat on the F-16, news TWZ first broke earlier this year and has continued to follow very closely. Integrating APKWS II into the F-15E’s arsenal isn’t surprising, especially considering how active these aircraft have been in countering lower-performing aerial threats.
美国空军已经证明，F-16战斗机执行空对空作战任务时，激光制导的70毫米"先进精确杀伤武器系统 II"(APKWS II)火箭具有极高的价值，相关消息由TWZ在今年早些时候首次披露，并持续密切关注。将APKWS II整合到F-15E的武器库中并不令人意外，尤其考虑到这些飞机在反制性能较低空中威胁方面表现活跃。
The picture of the rocket-armed F-15E, seen below, first appeared on social media accounts for The Merge, a military aviation podcast and associated newsletter, yesterday. “An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle testing laser-guided rockets was spotted with a 6-pod 42-rocket loadout in flight test,” The Merge wrote in an accompanying post on Instagram.
装备火箭弹的F-15E的照片，如下所示，昨天首次出现在军事航空播客The Merge及其相关简报的社交媒体账号上。The Merge在 Instagram 的帖子中写道：“一架空军F-15E“打击鹰”正在测试激光制导火箭，在飞行测试中发现了配备6个挂架共42枚火箭的载荷。”
Though The Merge says the aircraft was carrying six rocket pods at the time, only three are clearly visible in the image on the jet’s left underwing pylon, but a symmetric load makes perfect sense. Pods full of laser-guided APKWS II rockets are relatively easy to spot since the weapons are longer than unguided 70mm types and their noses protrude noticeably from the front as a result. As it exists now, APKWS II consists primarily of a laser guidance section sandwiched between one of a variety of warhead types and a standard 70mm rocket motor.
尽管The Merge表示该飞机当时携带了六个火箭挂架，但在喷气机左侧翼下挂架上的图像中只有三个清晰可见，但对称载荷是完全合理的。装满激光制导APKWS II火箭的挂架相对容易识别，因为该武器比无制导的70毫米类型更长，并且由于它们的鼻子明显从前面突出，因此很容易识别。目前，APKWS II主要由一个激光制导段夹在多任务弹头和标准70 毫米火箭发动机之间组成。
In addition to the rocket pods, the Strike Eagle has an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) without control fins and a flight test data pod under its left wing. An AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and an AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod (which incorporates a forward-looking infrared sensor and a terrain-following radar) are seen loaded on the stations under the jet’s left and right air intakes, respectively.
除了火箭弹舱，F-15E"打击鹰"还携带了一枚无控制舵面的AIM-120先进中程空空导弹（AMRAAM）测试弹，其左翼下方还挂载了一个飞行测试数据舱。在飞机左、右进气口下方的位置上，可以看到AN/AAQ-33"狙击手"先进目标指示舱（ATP）和AN/AAQ-1导航吊舱（该舱集成了前视红外传感器和地形跟踪雷达）。
The F-15E seen in the picture also has an “ET” tail code, reflecting an aircraft assigned to the 96th Test Wing headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
图片中的 F-15E 也带有“ET”尾号，这表明该飞机被分配给了位于佛罗里达州爱格林空军基地的96测试联队。
“I can confirm the pic was taken here at Eglin AFB,” Gabriel Myers, a spokesperson for the 96th Test Wing, told TWZ when asked for more information about the image of the rocket-toting F-15E. “The Eglin AFB test community through strong partnerships have aggressively conducted integrated test of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System. By working at speed to ensure advanced capabilities have the intended effects, we increase warfighter readiness and lethality to meet the global demands of the joint force.”
当被问及更多有关携带火箭的F-15E图片的信息时，96测试联队发言人加布里埃尔·迈尔斯告诉TWZ：“我可以确认这张照片是在爱格林空军基地拍摄的。” “通过强大的合作伙伴关系，爱格林空军基地的测试部门积极开展了先进精确杀伤武器系统的综合测试。通过快速工作以确保先进能力产生预期效果，我们提高了作战人员的战备状态和杀伤力，以满足联合部队的全球需求。”
When the F-15E might be cleared to operationally employ APKWS II rockets is unclear.
F-15E何时被批准运作APKWS II火箭尚不清楚。
“Unfortunately, we can’t speak to specific timelines [for the test work], but we can say it was done rapidly,” Myers continued.
迈尔斯继续说：“不幸的是，我们不能谈论具体的时间表[用于测试工作]，但我们可以说它完成得很迅速。”
In U.S. service, on the fixed-wing side, the precision-guided rockets have been integrated onto Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets and U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs. Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches, can also employ APKWS II.
在美国军队中，在固定翼飞机方面，精确制导火箭已集成到海军陆战队AV-8B“鹞”式攻击机和F/A-18C/D“大黄蜂”战斗机、美国空军 F-16C/D“毒蛇”战斗机和 A-10“战猪”攻击机上。海军陆战队的 AH-1Z“毒蛇”直升机和 UH-1Y“毒液”直升机，美国海军的 MH-60R/S“海鹰”直升机和美国陆军 AH-64D/E“阿帕奇”直升机，也可以使用 APKWS II。
A full air-to-air loadout for the F-15E currently consists of eight missiles. Four missiles – either short-range AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) – can be loaded on launch rails on either side of the Strike Eagle’s two underwing pylons. Two more AIM-120s can be carried on pylons on each of the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) attached to the sides of the fuselage. The jets can also carry a wide array of air-to-ground munitions and other stores on the pylons under their wings, on the CFTs, and on their ventral centerline hardpoint.
F-15E当前的全空对空武器配置包括8枚导弹。其中4枚导弹——无论是短程AIM-9响尾蛇导弹还是AIM-120先进中程空对空导弹（AMRAAM）——可以装载在攻击之鹰两侧机翼下的挂架上。另外两枚AIM-120可以挂载在每个与机身两侧连接的保型油箱（CFT）的吊舱上。F-15E还可以在机翼下挂架、保型油箱以及它们腹部的中心线的硬挂载点各种空对地弹药和其他挂载物。
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s already very expansive arsenal would give the jet an additional lower-cost tool for precisely engaging a variety of ground targets, as well. These can include light armored vehicles. As the newly-emerged picture highlights in showing 21 engagement opportunities on a single pylon, the laser-guided rockets offer significant benefits when it comes to magazine depth.
为F-15E战机已非常庞大的武器库增添APKWS II，将为其提供一种额外的低成本精确打击工具，可针对多种地面目标，包括轻型装甲车辆。正如新曝光的照片所示，单个挂架提供的21个打击机会凸显了激光制导火箭在弹仓深度方面的显著优势。
But it’s the Strike Eagle and APKWS II combo’s potential in the air-to-air role that is perhaps most exciting. As we noted earlier, Air Force F-16s first began employing the laser-guided rockets in an anti-air optimized configuration to shoot down Houthi drones during operations over and around the Red Sea last year, which TWZ was first to report. The Air Force had announced back in 2019 that it had demonstrated APKWS II’s ability to be used as an air-to-air weapon in a test wherein an F-16 downed a surrogate for a subsonic cruise missile, something we were also first to report on. APKWS II is also combat-proven in the surface-to-air role against drones, as well as in air-ground modes and surface-to-surface modes.
但最令人兴奋的是F-15E“打击鹰”和APKWS II组合在空对空作战中的潜力。正如我们之前提到的，美国空军F-16战机首次在空优配置下使用激光制导火箭，以击落胡塞武装无人机，这一行动发生在去年红海及周边地区的作战中，TWZ率先报道了此事。美国空军早在2019年就宣布，在测试中证明了APKWS II作为空对空武器的能力，当时F-16击落了一枚亚音速巡航导弹靶弹，我们也是率先报道此事的。APKWS II在对无人机防空、空对地模式以及地对地模式中也都经受了实战检验。
Since January, F-16s have been observed flying the Middle East carrying air-to-air loadouts that include one or two seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles and LITENING targeting pods. This had already underscored the magazine depth benefits of APKWS II. A typical air-to-air for the Viper consists of six air-to-air missiles. Just having a pair of rocket pods on one pylon effectively triples the number of anti-air engagement opportunities per sortie. The F-15E with six seven-shot rocket pods, along with eight air-to-air missiles, goes far beyond that capacity.
自1月以来，人们观察到F-16战斗机在中东地区飞行，携带的空对空武器配置包括一个或两个七发装70毫米火箭弹舱，以及传统的空对空导弹和LITENING目标指示吊舱。这已经凸显了APKWS II的弹药深度优势。对于毒蛇战斗机来说，典型的空对空配置包括六枚空对空导弹。仅在一个挂架上挂载两个火箭弹舱就能使每次出击的反空袭机会增加两倍。而装备了六个七联装火箭弹舱和八枚空对空导弹的F-15E，其能力远超这一水平。
（后方的F16挂载了双联装火箭弹发射舱）
APKWS II is also a significantly lower-cost anti-air weapon than traditional air-to-air missiles in U.S. military inventory today. The APKWS II guidance kit, which is the most expensive part of the munition, has a unit cost of around $15,000 to $20,000. The warhead and motor add a few thousand dollars more to the total unit price. Current generation AIM-9X Sidewinders each cost in the region of $450,000, while the latest AIM-120 variants are $1 million or more apiece.
APKWS II也是美国军方目前库存中成本相对于传统空对空导弹显著低廉的对空武器。APKWS II制导套件是弹药中最昂贵的部分，单价约为15,000至20,000美元。战斗部和发动机使总单价再增加几千美元。目前AIM-9X响尾蛇导弹每枚成本约45万美元，而最新型的AIM-120变体单价则高达100万美元或更高。
Even with the air-to-air specific upgrades developed for APKWS II, it does still has limitations when employed against aerial threats, as TWZ has noted in the past in the context of F-16 counter-drone missions:
即使APKWS II配备了针对空对空作战开发的升级，在应对空中威胁时它仍然存在局限性，正如TWZ在过去F-16反无人机任务中指出的那样：
“In an air-to-air engagement, the laser designator in the LITENING pod could be used to ‘laze’ or designate the target. LITENING’s sensor turret can be slaved to the radar on the aircraft carrying it, or vice versa. So-called buddy lasing, where one aircraft designates the target for another, could also be useful in this case, especially given the speed differential between typical Houthi drones and F-16s. One jet could keep the target steadily lazed while the other makes its attack run.”
“在空对空交战中，LITENING吊舱中的激光指示器可以用来‘激光照射’或锁定目标。LITENING的传感器塔可以与携带它的飞机雷达同步，反之亦然。所谓僚机激光照射，即一架飞机锁定目标供另一架飞机攻击，在这种情况下也非常有用，特别是考虑到典型胡塞无人机与F-16之间的速度差异。一架飞机可以持续锁定目标，而另一架飞机进行攻击。”
“APKWS IIs are usable against drones, as well as subsonic cruise missiles, in the first place because those are relatively steady, non-reactionary, low-performance targets. The rockets are not dogfighting weapons.”
“APKWS II首先可用于打击无人机，以及亚音速巡航导弹，因为这些目标是相对稳定、非反应性的低性能目标。这些火箭并非狗斗武器。”
BAE Systems, the prime contractor for the APKWS II, is now developing a dual-mode guidance package that adds a passive infrared seeker to give the rocket a quasi-fire-and-forget capability. A laser designator would still be needed to provide initial cueing, but the launch platform would be able to move much more rapidly from engaging one target to the next with the addition of the infrared guidance mode, as you can read more about here.
APKWS II的主要承包商BAE目前正在开发一种双模式制导套件，该套件增加了一个被动红外导引头，使火箭具备准发射后不管的能力。尽管仍然需要激光指示器提供初始引导，但红外制导模式的加入将使发射平台能够更快地从攻击一个目标切换到下一个目标。
Pairing F-15E with APKWS II, even just with the guided rocket’s existing capabilities, would offer additional advantages in the air-to-air role given the range and endurance of the Strike Eagle, as well as its substantial overall payload capacity. The F-15E is also a two-seat aircraft, which allows the pilot to remain fully focused on flying the aircraft while the back-seater handles targeting duties.
将F-15E与APKWS II搭配使用，即使仅利用制导火箭的现有能力，也能在空对空作战中提供额外优势，这得益于"打击鹰"的射程和续航能力，以及更大的整体载弹量。F-15E还是一种双座飞机，允许飞行员全神贯注于驾驶飞机，而副驾驶则负责目标锁定任务。
Together with aerial refueling support, an F-15E armed with APKWS II rockets and traditional air-to-air missiles could provide a far more persistent counter-air screen with a huge magazine depth against drones and some cruise missile types. This kind of general scenario is what Air Force Strike Eagle crews found themselves in on multiple occasions while defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, during which, running out of missiles became the limiting factor.
结合空中加油支援，装备APKWS II火箭和传统空对空导弹的F-15E能够提供更持久的反空防御屏障，并拥有巨大的弹药深度来对抗无人机和某些巡航导弹。这种场景正是空军"打击鹰"机组人员在去年多次防御伊朗对以色列的袭击时所处的境地，其中导弹耗尽成为主要限制因素。
Specifically, while responding to Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel in April 2024, F-15Es had to land to rearm while threats were still flying overhead. At least one Strike Eagle crew switched to their aircraft’s 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to shoot anything down.
具体来说，在2024年4月应对伊朗对以色列的无人机和导弹袭击时，F-15E战斗机不得不在威胁仍在空中时降落以重新装弹。至少有一架"打击鹰"机组人员在耗尽导弹后使用飞机的20毫米M61火神机炮，但未能击落任何目标。
“The drone war is kind of like a video game. You just gotta get the jets up in the air and position them correctly for an intercept. The radar will easily see them after they’re launched and then it’s just how many missiles you have versus how many drones are launched. The technical aspect of detecting them and downing them is easy,” Daren “Shotgun” Sorenson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew F-15Es, told TWZ in an interview last summer. “It’s easy work. You can do it all day long until you run out of missiles.”
“无人机战有点像电子游戏。你只需要让战斗机升空并正确部署以进行拦截。它们起飞后雷达很容易发现它们，然后就是你的导弹数量与敌方无人机数量的对比。探测它们并击落它们在技术方面很简单，”去年夏天接受TWZ采访的退役空军上校达伦“霰弹枪”索伦森，曾驾驶F-15E战斗机，“这是轻松的工作。你可以一直做，直到耗尽导弹。”
The Air Force also recently sent a detachment of F-15Es to the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, explicitly to provide force protection for forces currently there, including B-52 bombers, a deployment TWZ was first to report. This only further underscores the key role Strike Eagles are already playing in shielding high-value assets, especially from drones and cruise missiles.
空军最近还派遣了一支F-15E部队前往印度洋中的战略要地迪戈加西亚岛，目的是为目前驻扎在那里的部队（包括B-52轰炸机）提供力量保护，这是TWZ首次报道的部署。这进一步强调了F-15E战斗机已经在保护高价值资产中发挥关键作用，尤其针对无人机和巡航导弹的威胁。
All of this also applies at least equally, if not more so, to the Air Force’s incoming F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The F-15EX is the latest and most capable variant to emerge in the extended Strike Eagle family, and is expected to be used primarily in the homeland air defense role in U.S. service, at least initially. Last year, TWZ laid out in detail how the Strike Eagle’s performance in the anti-air role in the Middle East had bolstered the case for the EX in U.S. and Israeli service. Indonesia also plans to buy F-15s derived from the EX variant, and other foreign customers, including Poland.
所有这些至少同样适用于空军即将到来的F-15EX鹰II型飞机。F-15EX是打击鹰家族中最新的、能力最强的变体，预计将主要用于美国本土防空任务，至少在初期是这样。去年TWZ详细阐述了F-15E在中东地区反空袭的表现如何支持了F-15EX在美国和以色列服役的案例。印度尼西亚以及其他外国客户，包括波兰，也计划购买基于F-15EX变体的F-15，。
“The proliferation of one-way attack drones is driving a massive demand signal for counter-UAS capabilities,” The Merge also told TWZ directly when asked about the picture of the rocket-armed Strike Eagle. “The cost exchange afforded by APKWS rockets–and the flexibility and magazine depth by putting them on the F-15E/X–should make a meaningful difference.”
“自杀式攻击无人机的扩散正引发对反无人机能力的巨大需求，”The Merge在被问及挂载火箭的打击鹰战机图片时直接告诉TWZ。“APKWS火箭带来的成本交换，以及将它们装在 F-15E/X上的灵活性和弹舱深度，应该会产生显著影响。”
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s arsenal, especially for air-to-air use, could be a factor in ongoing debates about the future of the Air Force’s Strike Eagles, as well. Congress recently blocked the service, at least until 2027, from pursuing plans to retire more than half of the heavily in-demand Strike Eagle fleet.
为F-15E配备APKWS II武器系统，尤其是将其用于空对空作战，也可能成为空军打击鹰战机未来发展方向辩论中的一个因素。国会最近阻止了美国空军，使其无法在2027年前实施退役超过一半打击鹰战机机队的计划。
It would also not be surprising at all to see APKWS II join already growing air-to-air loadouts available to U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. A year ago, Houthi drone threats in and around the Red Sea had already prompted that service to launch a crash program to increase the number of AIM-9Xs a Super Hornet could carry on a single sortie. The Navy has since officially dubbed F/A-18E/Fs armed with five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs as “Murder Hornets.”
APKWS II加入美国海军F/A-18E/F超级大黄蜂的空对空武器配置也绝不令人意外。一年前，红海及周边地区的胡塞武装无人机威胁已促使该军种启动紧急计划，增加超级大黄蜂在一次出击中可携带的AIM-9X导弹数量。海军此后正式将装备五枚AIM-120和四枚AIM-9X导弹的F/A-18E/F称为“谋杀大黄蜂”。
Regardless of the threat of partial retirement, many F-15Es remain in Air Force service in the coming years, there are clear signs the jets are now in line to get an important firepower boost, including when it comes to shooting down drones, in the form of APKWS II.
无论面临部分退役的威胁，未来几年仍有许多F-15E将留在空军服役，有明确迹象表明这些战机现在有望获得重要的火力提升，包括在击落无人机的火力方面，以APKWS II的形式得到展现。
一张图片显示了一架美国空军F-15E"打击鹰"战斗机在左翼下方挂载了至少三个七联装70 毫米火箭弹舱。如果这架飞机右翼还有三个弹舱，则总数将高达42枚火箭，同时还能携带8枚传统空对空导弹。这样的载弹量将使F-15E变成一架反无人机和巡航导弹的空中武器平台，在不使用机炮的情况下，拥有高达50次的交战机会。
The Air Force has already proven the extreme value of laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets in the air-to-air role in combat on the F-16, news TWZ first broke earlier this year and has continued to follow very closely. Integrating APKWS II into the F-15E’s arsenal isn’t surprising, especially considering how active these aircraft have been in countering lower-performing aerial threats.
美国空军已经证明，F-16战斗机执行空对空作战任务时，激光制导的70毫米"先进精确杀伤武器系统 II"(APKWS II)火箭具有极高的价值，相关消息由TWZ在今年早些时候首次披露，并持续密切关注。将APKWS II整合到F-15E的武器库中并不令人意外，尤其考虑到这些飞机在反制性能较低空中威胁方面表现活跃。
The picture of the rocket-armed F-15E, seen below, first appeared on social media accounts for The Merge, a military aviation podcast and associated newsletter, yesterday. “An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle testing laser-guided rockets was spotted with a 6-pod 42-rocket loadout in flight test,” The Merge wrote in an accompanying post on Instagram.
装备火箭弹的F-15E的照片，如下所示，昨天首次出现在军事航空播客The Merge及其相关简报的社交媒体账号上。The Merge在 Instagram 的帖子中写道：“一架空军F-15E“打击鹰”正在测试激光制导火箭，在飞行测试中发现了配备6个挂架共42枚火箭的载荷。”
Though The Merge says the aircraft was carrying six rocket pods at the time, only three are clearly visible in the image on the jet’s left underwing pylon, but a symmetric load makes perfect sense. Pods full of laser-guided APKWS II rockets are relatively easy to spot since the weapons are longer than unguided 70mm types and their noses protrude noticeably from the front as a result. As it exists now, APKWS II consists primarily of a laser guidance section sandwiched between one of a variety of warhead types and a standard 70mm rocket motor.
尽管The Merge表示该飞机当时携带了六个火箭挂架，但在喷气机左侧翼下挂架上的图像中只有三个清晰可见，但对称载荷是完全合理的。装满激光制导APKWS II火箭的挂架相对容易识别，因为该武器比无制导的70毫米类型更长，并且由于它们的鼻子明显从前面突出，因此很容易识别。目前，APKWS II主要由一个激光制导段夹在多任务弹头和标准70 毫米火箭发动机之间组成。
In addition to the rocket pods, the Strike Eagle has an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) without control fins and a flight test data pod under its left wing. An AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and an AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod (which incorporates a forward-looking infrared sensor and a terrain-following radar) are seen loaded on the stations under the jet’s left and right air intakes, respectively.
除了火箭弹舱，F-15E"打击鹰"还携带了一枚无控制舵面的AIM-120先进中程空空导弹（AMRAAM）测试弹，其左翼下方还挂载了一个飞行测试数据舱。在飞机左、右进气口下方的位置上，可以看到AN/AAQ-33"狙击手"先进目标指示舱（ATP）和AN/AAQ-1导航吊舱（该舱集成了前视红外传感器和地形跟踪雷达）。
The F-15E seen in the picture also has an “ET” tail code, reflecting an aircraft assigned to the 96th Test Wing headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
图片中的 F-15E 也带有“ET”尾号，这表明该飞机被分配给了位于佛罗里达州爱格林空军基地的96测试联队。
“I can confirm the pic was taken here at Eglin AFB,” Gabriel Myers, a spokesperson for the 96th Test Wing, told TWZ when asked for more information about the image of the rocket-toting F-15E. “The Eglin AFB test community through strong partnerships have aggressively conducted integrated test of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System. By working at speed to ensure advanced capabilities have the intended effects, we increase warfighter readiness and lethality to meet the global demands of the joint force.”
当被问及更多有关携带火箭的F-15E图片的信息时，96测试联队发言人加布里埃尔·迈尔斯告诉TWZ：“我可以确认这张照片是在爱格林空军基地拍摄的。” “通过强大的合作伙伴关系，爱格林空军基地的测试部门积极开展了先进精确杀伤武器系统的综合测试。通过快速工作以确保先进能力产生预期效果，我们提高了作战人员的战备状态和杀伤力，以满足联合部队的全球需求。”
When the F-15E might be cleared to operationally employ APKWS II rockets is unclear.
F-15E何时被批准运作APKWS II火箭尚不清楚。
“Unfortunately, we can’t speak to specific timelines [for the test work], but we can say it was done rapidly,” Myers continued.
迈尔斯继续说：“不幸的是，我们不能谈论具体的时间表[用于测试工作]，但我们可以说它完成得很迅速。”
In U.S. service, on the fixed-wing side, the precision-guided rockets have been integrated onto Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets and U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs. Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches, can also employ APKWS II.
在美国军队中，在固定翼飞机方面，精确制导火箭已集成到海军陆战队AV-8B“鹞”式攻击机和F/A-18C/D“大黄蜂”战斗机、美国空军 F-16C/D“毒蛇”战斗机和 A-10“战猪”攻击机上。海军陆战队的 AH-1Z“毒蛇”直升机和 UH-1Y“毒液”直升机，美国海军的 MH-60R/S“海鹰”直升机和美国陆军 AH-64D/E“阿帕奇”直升机，也可以使用 APKWS II。
A full air-to-air loadout for the F-15E currently consists of eight missiles. Four missiles – either short-range AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) – can be loaded on launch rails on either side of the Strike Eagle’s two underwing pylons. Two more AIM-120s can be carried on pylons on each of the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) attached to the sides of the fuselage. The jets can also carry a wide array of air-to-ground munitions and other stores on the pylons under their wings, on the CFTs, and on their ventral centerline hardpoint.
F-15E当前的全空对空武器配置包括8枚导弹。其中4枚导弹——无论是短程AIM-9响尾蛇导弹还是AIM-120先进中程空对空导弹（AMRAAM）——可以装载在攻击之鹰两侧机翼下的挂架上。另外两枚AIM-120可以挂载在每个与机身两侧连接的保型油箱（CFT）的吊舱上。F-15E还可以在机翼下挂架、保型油箱以及它们腹部的中心线的硬挂载点各种空对地弹药和其他挂载物。
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s already very expansive arsenal would give the jet an additional lower-cost tool for precisely engaging a variety of ground targets, as well. These can include light armored vehicles. As the newly-emerged picture highlights in showing 21 engagement opportunities on a single pylon, the laser-guided rockets offer significant benefits when it comes to magazine depth.
为F-15E战机已非常庞大的武器库增添APKWS II，将为其提供一种额外的低成本精确打击工具，可针对多种地面目标，包括轻型装甲车辆。正如新曝光的照片所示，单个挂架提供的21个打击机会凸显了激光制导火箭在弹仓深度方面的显著优势。
But it’s the Strike Eagle and APKWS II combo’s potential in the air-to-air role that is perhaps most exciting. As we noted earlier, Air Force F-16s first began employing the laser-guided rockets in an anti-air optimized configuration to shoot down Houthi drones during operations over and around the Red Sea last year, which TWZ was first to report. The Air Force had announced back in 2019 that it had demonstrated APKWS II’s ability to be used as an air-to-air weapon in a test wherein an F-16 downed a surrogate for a subsonic cruise missile, something we were also first to report on. APKWS II is also combat-proven in the surface-to-air role against drones, as well as in air-ground modes and surface-to-surface modes.
但最令人兴奋的是F-15E“打击鹰”和APKWS II组合在空对空作战中的潜力。正如我们之前提到的，美国空军F-16战机首次在空优配置下使用激光制导火箭，以击落胡塞武装无人机，这一行动发生在去年红海及周边地区的作战中，TWZ率先报道了此事。美国空军早在2019年就宣布，在测试中证明了APKWS II作为空对空武器的能力，当时F-16击落了一枚亚音速巡航导弹靶弹，我们也是率先报道此事的。APKWS II在对无人机防空、空对地模式以及地对地模式中也都经受了实战检验。
Since January, F-16s have been observed flying the Middle East carrying air-to-air loadouts that include one or two seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles and LITENING targeting pods. This had already underscored the magazine depth benefits of APKWS II. A typical air-to-air for the Viper consists of six air-to-air missiles. Just having a pair of rocket pods on one pylon effectively triples the number of anti-air engagement opportunities per sortie. The F-15E with six seven-shot rocket pods, along with eight air-to-air missiles, goes far beyond that capacity.
自1月以来，人们观察到F-16战斗机在中东地区飞行，携带的空对空武器配置包括一个或两个七发装70毫米火箭弹舱，以及传统的空对空导弹和LITENING目标指示吊舱。这已经凸显了APKWS II的弹药深度优势。对于毒蛇战斗机来说，典型的空对空配置包括六枚空对空导弹。仅在一个挂架上挂载两个火箭弹舱就能使每次出击的反空袭机会增加两倍。而装备了六个七联装火箭弹舱和八枚空对空导弹的F-15E，其能力远超这一水平。
（后方的F16挂载了双联装火箭弹发射舱）
APKWS II is also a significantly lower-cost anti-air weapon than traditional air-to-air missiles in U.S. military inventory today. The APKWS II guidance kit, which is the most expensive part of the munition, has a unit cost of around $15,000 to $20,000. The warhead and motor add a few thousand dollars more to the total unit price. Current generation AIM-9X Sidewinders each cost in the region of $450,000, while the latest AIM-120 variants are $1 million or more apiece.
APKWS II也是美国军方目前库存中成本相对于传统空对空导弹显著低廉的对空武器。APKWS II制导套件是弹药中最昂贵的部分，单价约为15,000至20,000美元。战斗部和发动机使总单价再增加几千美元。目前AIM-9X响尾蛇导弹每枚成本约45万美元，而最新型的AIM-120变体单价则高达100万美元或更高。
Even with the air-to-air specific upgrades developed for APKWS II, it does still has limitations when employed against aerial threats, as TWZ has noted in the past in the context of F-16 counter-drone missions:
即使APKWS II配备了针对空对空作战开发的升级，在应对空中威胁时它仍然存在局限性，正如TWZ在过去F-16反无人机任务中指出的那样：
“In an air-to-air engagement, the laser designator in the LITENING pod could be used to ‘laze’ or designate the target. LITENING’s sensor turret can be slaved to the radar on the aircraft carrying it, or vice versa. So-called buddy lasing, where one aircraft designates the target for another, could also be useful in this case, especially given the speed differential between typical Houthi drones and F-16s. One jet could keep the target steadily lazed while the other makes its attack run.”
“在空对空交战中，LITENING吊舱中的激光指示器可以用来‘激光照射’或锁定目标。LITENING的传感器塔可以与携带它的飞机雷达同步，反之亦然。所谓僚机激光照射，即一架飞机锁定目标供另一架飞机攻击，在这种情况下也非常有用，特别是考虑到典型胡塞无人机与F-16之间的速度差异。一架飞机可以持续锁定目标，而另一架飞机进行攻击。”
“APKWS IIs are usable against drones, as well as subsonic cruise missiles, in the first place because those are relatively steady, non-reactionary, low-performance targets. The rockets are not dogfighting weapons.”
“APKWS II首先可用于打击无人机，以及亚音速巡航导弹，因为这些目标是相对稳定、非反应性的低性能目标。这些火箭并非狗斗武器。”
BAE Systems, the prime contractor for the APKWS II, is now developing a dual-mode guidance package that adds a passive infrared seeker to give the rocket a quasi-fire-and-forget capability. A laser designator would still be needed to provide initial cueing, but the launch platform would be able to move much more rapidly from engaging one target to the next with the addition of the infrared guidance mode, as you can read more about here.
APKWS II的主要承包商BAE目前正在开发一种双模式制导套件，该套件增加了一个被动红外导引头，使火箭具备准发射后不管的能力。尽管仍然需要激光指示器提供初始引导，但红外制导模式的加入将使发射平台能够更快地从攻击一个目标切换到下一个目标。
Pairing F-15E with APKWS II, even just with the guided rocket’s existing capabilities, would offer additional advantages in the air-to-air role given the range and endurance of the Strike Eagle, as well as its substantial overall payload capacity. The F-15E is also a two-seat aircraft, which allows the pilot to remain fully focused on flying the aircraft while the back-seater handles targeting duties.
将F-15E与APKWS II搭配使用，即使仅利用制导火箭的现有能力，也能在空对空作战中提供额外优势，这得益于"打击鹰"的射程和续航能力，以及更大的整体载弹量。F-15E还是一种双座飞机，允许飞行员全神贯注于驾驶飞机，而副驾驶则负责目标锁定任务。
Together with aerial refueling support, an F-15E armed with APKWS II rockets and traditional air-to-air missiles could provide a far more persistent counter-air screen with a huge magazine depth against drones and some cruise missile types. This kind of general scenario is what Air Force Strike Eagle crews found themselves in on multiple occasions while defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, during which, running out of missiles became the limiting factor.
结合空中加油支援，装备APKWS II火箭和传统空对空导弹的F-15E能够提供更持久的反空防御屏障，并拥有巨大的弹药深度来对抗无人机和某些巡航导弹。这种场景正是空军"打击鹰"机组人员在去年多次防御伊朗对以色列的袭击时所处的境地，其中导弹耗尽成为主要限制因素。
Specifically, while responding to Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel in April 2024, F-15Es had to land to rearm while threats were still flying overhead. At least one Strike Eagle crew switched to their aircraft’s 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to shoot anything down.
具体来说，在2024年4月应对伊朗对以色列的无人机和导弹袭击时，F-15E战斗机不得不在威胁仍在空中时降落以重新装弹。至少有一架"打击鹰"机组人员在耗尽导弹后使用飞机的20毫米M61火神机炮，但未能击落任何目标。
“The drone war is kind of like a video game. You just gotta get the jets up in the air and position them correctly for an intercept. The radar will easily see them after they’re launched and then it’s just how many missiles you have versus how many drones are launched. The technical aspect of detecting them and downing them is easy,” Daren “Shotgun” Sorenson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew F-15Es, told TWZ in an interview last summer. “It’s easy work. You can do it all day long until you run out of missiles.”
“无人机战有点像电子游戏。你只需要让战斗机升空并正确部署以进行拦截。它们起飞后雷达很容易发现它们，然后就是你的导弹数量与敌方无人机数量的对比。探测它们并击落它们在技术方面很简单，”去年夏天接受TWZ采访的退役空军上校达伦“霰弹枪”索伦森，曾驾驶F-15E战斗机，“这是轻松的工作。你可以一直做，直到耗尽导弹。”
The Air Force also recently sent a detachment of F-15Es to the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, explicitly to provide force protection for forces currently there, including B-52 bombers, a deployment TWZ was first to report. This only further underscores the key role Strike Eagles are already playing in shielding high-value assets, especially from drones and cruise missiles.
空军最近还派遣了一支F-15E部队前往印度洋中的战略要地迪戈加西亚岛，目的是为目前驻扎在那里的部队（包括B-52轰炸机）提供力量保护，这是TWZ首次报道的部署。这进一步强调了F-15E战斗机已经在保护高价值资产中发挥关键作用，尤其针对无人机和巡航导弹的威胁。
All of this also applies at least equally, if not more so, to the Air Force’s incoming F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The F-15EX is the latest and most capable variant to emerge in the extended Strike Eagle family, and is expected to be used primarily in the homeland air defense role in U.S. service, at least initially. Last year, TWZ laid out in detail how the Strike Eagle’s performance in the anti-air role in the Middle East had bolstered the case for the EX in U.S. and Israeli service. Indonesia also plans to buy F-15s derived from the EX variant, and other foreign customers, including Poland.
所有这些至少同样适用于空军即将到来的F-15EX鹰II型飞机。F-15EX是打击鹰家族中最新的、能力最强的变体，预计将主要用于美国本土防空任务，至少在初期是这样。去年TWZ详细阐述了F-15E在中东地区反空袭的表现如何支持了F-15EX在美国和以色列服役的案例。印度尼西亚以及其他外国客户，包括波兰，也计划购买基于F-15EX变体的F-15，。
“The proliferation of one-way attack drones is driving a massive demand signal for counter-UAS capabilities,” The Merge also told TWZ directly when asked about the picture of the rocket-armed Strike Eagle. “The cost exchange afforded by APKWS rockets–and the flexibility and magazine depth by putting them on the F-15E/X–should make a meaningful difference.”
“自杀式攻击无人机的扩散正引发对反无人机能力的巨大需求，”The Merge在被问及挂载火箭的打击鹰战机图片时直接告诉TWZ。“APKWS火箭带来的成本交换，以及将它们装在 F-15E/X上的灵活性和弹舱深度，应该会产生显著影响。”
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s arsenal, especially for air-to-air use, could be a factor in ongoing debates about the future of the Air Force’s Strike Eagles, as well. Congress recently blocked the service, at least until 2027, from pursuing plans to retire more than half of the heavily in-demand Strike Eagle fleet.
为F-15E配备APKWS II武器系统，尤其是将其用于空对空作战，也可能成为空军打击鹰战机未来发展方向辩论中的一个因素。国会最近阻止了美国空军，使其无法在2027年前实施退役超过一半打击鹰战机机队的计划。
It would also not be surprising at all to see APKWS II join already growing air-to-air loadouts available to U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. A year ago, Houthi drone threats in and around the Red Sea had already prompted that service to launch a crash program to increase the number of AIM-9Xs a Super Hornet could carry on a single sortie. The Navy has since officially dubbed F/A-18E/Fs armed with five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs as “Murder Hornets.”
APKWS II加入美国海军F/A-18E/F超级大黄蜂的空对空武器配置也绝不令人意外。一年前，红海及周边地区的胡塞武装无人机威胁已促使该军种启动紧急计划，增加超级大黄蜂在一次出击中可携带的AIM-9X导弹数量。海军此后正式将装备五枚AIM-120和四枚AIM-9X导弹的F/A-18E/F称为“谋杀大黄蜂”。
Regardless of the threat of partial retirement, many F-15Es remain in Air Force service in the coming years, there are clear signs the jets are now in line to get an important firepower boost, including when it comes to shooting down drones, in the form of APKWS II.
无论面临部分退役的威胁，未来几年仍有许多F-15E将留在空军服役，有明确迹象表明这些战机现在有望获得重要的火力提升，包括在击落无人机的火力方面，以APKWS II的形式得到展现。
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A picture has emerged showing a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle loaded with at least three seven-shot 70mm rocket pods under its left wing. If the jet had three more pods on the right side, this would amount to a whopping 42 rockets, which could be carried together with eight traditional air-to-air missiles. Such a loadout would turn the F-15E into a flying counter-drone and cruise missile arsenal ship capable of an incredible 50 engagement opportunities, minus the gun.
一张图片显示了一架美国空军F-15E"打击鹰"战斗机在左翼下方挂载了至少三个七联装70 毫米火箭弹舱。如果这架飞机右翼还有三个弹舱，则总数将高达42枚火箭，同时还能携带8枚传统空对空导弹。这样的载弹量将使F-15E变成一架反无人机和巡航导弹的空中武器平台，在不使用机炮的情况下，拥有高达50次的交战机会。
The Air Force has already proven the extreme value of laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets in the air-to-air role in combat on the F-16, news TWZ first broke earlier this year and has continued to follow very closely. Integrating APKWS II into the F-15E’s arsenal isn’t surprising, especially considering how active these aircraft have been in countering lower-performing aerial threats.
美国空军已经证明，F-16战斗机执行空对空作战任务时，激光制导的70毫米"先进精确杀伤武器系统 II"(APKWS II)火箭具有极高的价值，相关消息由TWZ在今年早些时候首次披露，并持续密切关注。将APKWS II整合到F-15E的武器库中并不令人意外，尤其考虑到这些飞机在反制性能较低空中威胁方面表现活跃。
The picture of the rocket-armed F-15E, seen below, first appeared on social media accounts for The Merge, a military aviation podcast and associated newsletter, yesterday. “An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle testing laser-guided rockets was spotted with a 6-pod 42-rocket loadout in flight test,” The Merge wrote in an accompanying post on Instagram.
装备火箭弹的F-15E的照片，如下所示，昨天首次出现在军事航空播客The Merge及其相关简报的社交媒体账号上。The Merge在 Instagram 的帖子中写道：“一架空军F-15E“打击鹰”正在测试激光制导火箭，在飞行测试中发现了配备6个挂架共42枚火箭的载荷。”
Though The Merge says the aircraft was carrying six rocket pods at the time, only three are clearly visible in the image on the jet’s left underwing pylon, but a symmetric load makes perfect sense. Pods full of laser-guided APKWS II rockets are relatively easy to spot since the weapons are longer than unguided 70mm types and their noses protrude noticeably from the front as a result. As it exists now, APKWS II consists primarily of a laser guidance section sandwiched between one of a variety of warhead types and a standard 70mm rocket motor.
尽管The Merge表示该飞机当时携带了六个火箭挂架，但在喷气机左侧翼下挂架上的图像中只有三个清晰可见，但对称载荷是完全合理的。装满激光制导APKWS II火箭的挂架相对容易识别，因为该武器比无制导的70毫米类型更长，并且由于它们的鼻子明显从前面突出，因此很容易识别。目前，APKWS II主要由一个激光制导段夹在多任务弹头和标准70 毫米火箭发动机之间组成。
In addition to the rocket pods, the Strike Eagle has an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) without control fins and a flight test data pod under its left wing. An AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and an AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod (which incorporates a forward-looking infrared sensor and a terrain-following radar) are seen loaded on the stations under the jet’s left and right air intakes, respectively.
除了火箭弹舱，F-15E"打击鹰"还携带了一枚无控制舵面的AIM-120先进中程空空导弹（AMRAAM）测试弹，其左翼下方还挂载了一个飞行测试数据舱。在飞机左、右进气口下方的位置上，可以看到AN/AAQ-33"狙击手"先进目标指示舱（ATP）和AN/AAQ-1导航吊舱（该舱集成了前视红外传感器和地形跟踪雷达）。
The F-15E seen in the picture also has an “ET” tail code, reflecting an aircraft assigned to the 96th Test Wing headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
图片中的 F-15E 也带有“ET”尾号，这表明该飞机被分配给了位于佛罗里达州爱格林空军基地的96测试联队。
“I can confirm the pic was taken here at Eglin AFB,” Gabriel Myers, a spokesperson for the 96th Test Wing, told TWZ when asked for more information about the image of the rocket-toting F-15E. “The Eglin AFB test community through strong partnerships have aggressively conducted integrated test of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System. By working at speed to ensure advanced capabilities have the intended effects, we increase warfighter readiness and lethality to meet the global demands of the joint force.”
当被问及更多有关携带火箭的F-15E图片的信息时，96测试联队发言人加布里埃尔·迈尔斯告诉TWZ：“我可以确认这张照片是在爱格林空军基地拍摄的。” “通过强大的合作伙伴关系，爱格林空军基地的测试部门积极开展了先进精确杀伤武器系统的综合测试。通过快速工作以确保先进能力产生预期效果，我们提高了作战人员的战备状态和杀伤力，以满足联合部队的全球需求。”
When the F-15E might be cleared to operationally employ APKWS II rockets is unclear.
F-15E何时被批准运作APKWS II火箭尚不清楚。
“Unfortunately, we can’t speak to specific timelines [for the test work], but we can say it was done rapidly,” Myers continued.
迈尔斯继续说：“不幸的是，我们不能谈论具体的时间表[用于测试工作]，但我们可以说它完成得很迅速。”
In U.S. service, on the fixed-wing side, the precision-guided rockets have been integrated onto Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets and U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs. Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches, can also employ APKWS II.
在美国军队中，在固定翼飞机方面，精确制导火箭已集成到海军陆战队AV-8B“鹞”式攻击机和F/A-18C/D“大黄蜂”战斗机、美国空军 F-16C/D“毒蛇”战斗机和 A-10“战猪”攻击机上。海军陆战队的 AH-1Z“毒蛇”直升机和 UH-1Y“毒液”直升机，美国海军的 MH-60R/S“海鹰”直升机和美国陆军 AH-64D/E“阿帕奇”直升机，也可以使用 APKWS II。
A full air-to-air loadout for the F-15E currently consists of eight missiles. Four missiles – either short-range AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) – can be loaded on launch rails on either side of the Strike Eagle’s two underwing pylons. Two more AIM-120s can be carried on pylons on each of the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) attached to the sides of the fuselage. The jets can also carry a wide array of air-to-ground munitions and other stores on the pylons under their wings, on the CFTs, and on their ventral centerline hardpoint.
F-15E当前的全空对空武器配置包括8枚导弹。其中4枚导弹——无论是短程AIM-9响尾蛇导弹还是AIM-120先进中程空对空导弹（AMRAAM）——可以装载在攻击之鹰两侧机翼下的挂架上。另外两枚AIM-120可以挂载在每个与机身两侧连接的保型油箱（CFT）的吊舱上。F-15E还可以在机翼下挂架、保型油箱以及它们腹部的中心线的硬挂载点各种空对地弹药和其他挂载物。
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s already very expansive arsenal would give the jet an additional lower-cost tool for precisely engaging a variety of ground targets, as well. These can include light armored vehicles. As the newly-emerged picture highlights in showing 21 engagement opportunities on a single pylon, the laser-guided rockets offer significant benefits when it comes to magazine depth.
为F-15E战机已非常庞大的武器库增添APKWS II，将为其提供一种额外的低成本精确打击工具，可针对多种地面目标，包括轻型装甲车辆。正如新曝光的照片所示，单个挂架提供的21个打击机会凸显了激光制导火箭在弹仓深度方面的显著优势。
But it’s the Strike Eagle and APKWS II combo’s potential in the air-to-air role that is perhaps most exciting. As we noted earlier, Air Force F-16s first began employing the laser-guided rockets in an anti-air optimized configuration to shoot down Houthi drones during operations over and around the Red Sea last year, which TWZ was first to report. The Air Force had announced back in 2019 that it had demonstrated APKWS II’s ability to be used as an air-to-air weapon in a test wherein an F-16 downed a surrogate for a subsonic cruise missile, something we were also first to report on. APKWS II is also combat-proven in the surface-to-air role against drones, as well as in air-ground modes and surface-to-surface modes.
但最令人兴奋的是F-15E“打击鹰”和APKWS II组合在空对空作战中的潜力。正如我们之前提到的，美国空军F-16战机首次在空优配置下使用激光制导火箭，以击落胡塞武装无人机，这一行动发生在去年红海及周边地区的作战中，TWZ率先报道了此事。美国空军早在2019年就宣布，在测试中证明了APKWS II作为空对空武器的能力，当时F-16击落了一枚亚音速巡航导弹靶弹，我们也是率先报道此事的。APKWS II在对无人机防空、空对地模式以及地对地模式中也都经受了实战检验。
Since January, F-16s have been observed flying the Middle East carrying air-to-air loadouts that include one or two seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles and LITENING targeting pods. This had already underscored the magazine depth benefits of APKWS II. A typical air-to-air for the Viper consists of six air-to-air missiles. Just having a pair of rocket pods on one pylon effectively triples the number of anti-air engagement opportunities per sortie. The F-15E with six seven-shot rocket pods, along with eight air-to-air missiles, goes far beyond that capacity.
自1月以来，人们观察到F-16战斗机在中东地区飞行，携带的空对空武器配置包括一个或两个七发装70毫米火箭弹舱，以及传统的空对空导弹和LITENING目标指示吊舱。这已经凸显了APKWS II的弹药深度优势。对于毒蛇战斗机来说，典型的空对空配置包括六枚空对空导弹。仅在一个挂架上挂载两个火箭弹舱就能使每次出击的反空袭机会增加两倍。而装备了六个七联装火箭弹舱和八枚空对空导弹的F-15E，其能力远超这一水平。
（后方的F16挂载了双联装火箭弹发射舱）
APKWS II is also a significantly lower-cost anti-air weapon than traditional air-to-air missiles in U.S. military inventory today. The APKWS II guidance kit, which is the most expensive part of the munition, has a unit cost of around $15,000 to $20,000. The warhead and motor add a few thousand dollars more to the total unit price. Current generation AIM-9X Sidewinders each cost in the region of $450,000, while the latest AIM-120 variants are $1 million or more apiece.
APKWS II也是美国军方目前库存中成本相对于传统空对空导弹显著低廉的对空武器。APKWS II制导套件是弹药中最昂贵的部分，单价约为15,000至20,000美元。战斗部和发动机使总单价再增加几千美元。目前AIM-9X响尾蛇导弹每枚成本约45万美元，而最新型的AIM-120变体单价则高达100万美元或更高。
Even with the air-to-air specific upgrades developed for APKWS II, it does still has limitations when employed against aerial threats, as TWZ has noted in the past in the context of F-16 counter-drone missions:
即使APKWS II配备了针对空对空作战开发的升级，在应对空中威胁时它仍然存在局限性，正如TWZ在过去F-16反无人机任务中指出的那样：
“In an air-to-air engagement, the laser designator in the LITENING pod could be used to ‘laze’ or designate the target. LITENING’s sensor turret can be slaved to the radar on the aircraft carrying it, or vice versa. So-called buddy lasing, where one aircraft designates the target for another, could also be useful in this case, especially given the speed differential between typical Houthi drones and F-16s. One jet could keep the target steadily lazed while the other makes its attack run.”
“在空对空交战中，LITENING吊舱中的激光指示器可以用来‘激光照射’或锁定目标。LITENING的传感器塔可以与携带它的飞机雷达同步，反之亦然。所谓僚机激光照射，即一架飞机锁定目标供另一架飞机攻击，在这种情况下也非常有用，特别是考虑到典型胡塞无人机与F-16之间的速度差异。一架飞机可以持续锁定目标，而另一架飞机进行攻击。”
“APKWS IIs are usable against drones, as well as subsonic cruise missiles, in the first place because those are relatively steady, non-reactionary, low-performance targets. The rockets are not dogfighting weapons.”
“APKWS II首先可用于打击无人机，以及亚音速巡航导弹，因为这些目标是相对稳定、非反应性的低性能目标。这些火箭并非狗斗武器。”
BAE Systems, the prime contractor for the APKWS II, is now developing a dual-mode guidance package that adds a passive infrared seeker to give the rocket a quasi-fire-and-forget capability. A laser designator would still be needed to provide initial cueing, but the launch platform would be able to move much more rapidly from engaging one target to the next with the addition of the infrared guidance mode, as you can read more about here.
APKWS II的主要承包商BAE目前正在开发一种双模式制导套件，该套件增加了一个被动红外导引头，使火箭具备准发射后不管的能力。尽管仍然需要激光指示器提供初始引导，但红外制导模式的加入将使发射平台能够更快地从攻击一个目标切换到下一个目标。
Pairing F-15E with APKWS II, even just with the guided rocket’s existing capabilities, would offer additional advantages in the air-to-air role given the range and endurance of the Strike Eagle, as well as its substantial overall payload capacity. The F-15E is also a two-seat aircraft, which allows the pilot to remain fully focused on flying the aircraft while the back-seater handles targeting duties.
将F-15E与APKWS II搭配使用，即使仅利用制导火箭的现有能力，也能在空对空作战中提供额外优势，这得益于"打击鹰"的射程和续航能力，以及更大的整体载弹量。F-15E还是一种双座飞机，允许飞行员全神贯注于驾驶飞机，而副驾驶则负责目标锁定任务。
Together with aerial refueling support, an F-15E armed with APKWS II rockets and traditional air-to-air missiles could provide a far more persistent counter-air screen with a huge magazine depth against drones and some cruise missile types. This kind of general scenario is what Air Force Strike Eagle crews found themselves in on multiple occasions while defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, during which, running out of missiles became the limiting factor.
结合空中加油支援，装备APKWS II火箭和传统空对空导弹的F-15E能够提供更持久的反空防御屏障，并拥有巨大的弹药深度来对抗无人机和某些巡航导弹。这种场景正是空军"打击鹰"机组人员在去年多次防御伊朗对以色列的袭击时所处的境地，其中导弹耗尽成为主要限制因素。
Specifically, while responding to Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel in April 2024, F-15Es had to land to rearm while threats were still flying overhead. At least one Strike Eagle crew switched to their aircraft’s 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to shoot anything down.
具体来说，在2024年4月应对伊朗对以色列的无人机和导弹袭击时，F-15E战斗机不得不在威胁仍在空中时降落以重新装弹。至少有一架"打击鹰"机组人员在耗尽导弹后使用飞机的20毫米M61火神机炮，但未能击落任何目标。
“The drone war is kind of like a video game. You just gotta get the jets up in the air and position them correctly for an intercept. The radar will easily see them after they’re launched and then it’s just how many missiles you have versus how many drones are launched. The technical aspect of detecting them and downing them is easy,” Daren “Shotgun” Sorenson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew F-15Es, told TWZ in an interview last summer. “It’s easy work. You can do it all day long until you run out of missiles.”
“无人机战有点像电子游戏。你只需要让战斗机升空并正确部署以进行拦截。它们起飞后雷达很容易发现它们，然后就是你的导弹数量与敌方无人机数量的对比。探测它们并击落它们在技术方面很简单，”去年夏天接受TWZ采访的退役空军上校达伦“霰弹枪”索伦森，曾驾驶F-15E战斗机，“这是轻松的工作。你可以一直做，直到耗尽导弹。”
The Air Force also recently sent a detachment of F-15Es to the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, explicitly to provide force protection for forces currently there, including B-52 bombers, a deployment TWZ was first to report. This only further underscores the key role Strike Eagles are already playing in shielding high-value assets, especially from drones and cruise missiles.
空军最近还派遣了一支F-15E部队前往印度洋中的战略要地迪戈加西亚岛，目的是为目前驻扎在那里的部队（包括B-52轰炸机）提供力量保护，这是TWZ首次报道的部署。这进一步强调了F-15E战斗机已经在保护高价值资产中发挥关键作用，尤其针对无人机和巡航导弹的威胁。
All of this also applies at least equally, if not more so, to the Air Force’s incoming F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The F-15EX is the latest and most capable variant to emerge in the extended Strike Eagle family, and is expected to be used primarily in the homeland air defense role in U.S. service, at least initially. Last year, TWZ laid out in detail how the Strike Eagle’s performance in the anti-air role in the Middle East had bolstered the case for the EX in U.S. and Israeli service. Indonesia also plans to buy F-15s derived from the EX variant, and other foreign customers, including Poland.
所有这些至少同样适用于空军即将到来的F-15EX鹰II型飞机。F-15EX是打击鹰家族中最新的、能力最强的变体，预计将主要用于美国本土防空任务，至少在初期是这样。去年TWZ详细阐述了F-15E在中东地区反空袭的表现如何支持了F-15EX在美国和以色列服役的案例。印度尼西亚以及其他外国客户，包括波兰，也计划购买基于F-15EX变体的F-15，。
“The proliferation of one-way attack drones is driving a massive demand signal for counter-UAS capabilities,” The Merge also told TWZ directly when asked about the picture of the rocket-armed Strike Eagle. “The cost exchange afforded by APKWS rockets–and the flexibility and magazine depth by putting them on the F-15E/X–should make a meaningful difference.”
“自杀式攻击无人机的扩散正引发对反无人机能力的巨大需求，”The Merge在被问及挂载火箭的打击鹰战机图片时直接告诉TWZ。“APKWS火箭带来的成本交换，以及将它们装在 F-15E/X上的灵活性和弹舱深度，应该会产生显著影响。”
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s arsenal, especially for air-to-air use, could be a factor in ongoing debates about the future of the Air Force’s Strike Eagles, as well. Congress recently blocked the service, at least until 2027, from pursuing plans to retire more than half of the heavily in-demand Strike Eagle fleet.
为F-15E配备APKWS II武器系统，尤其是将其用于空对空作战，也可能成为空军打击鹰战机未来发展方向辩论中的一个因素。国会最近阻止了美国空军，使其无法在2027年前实施退役超过一半打击鹰战机机队的计划。
It would also not be surprising at all to see APKWS II join already growing air-to-air loadouts available to U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. A year ago, Houthi drone threats in and around the Red Sea had already prompted that service to launch a crash program to increase the number of AIM-9Xs a Super Hornet could carry on a single sortie. The Navy has since officially dubbed F/A-18E/Fs armed with five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs as “Murder Hornets.”
APKWS II加入美国海军F/A-18E/F超级大黄蜂的空对空武器配置也绝不令人意外。一年前，红海及周边地区的胡塞武装无人机威胁已促使该军种启动紧急计划，增加超级大黄蜂在一次出击中可携带的AIM-9X导弹数量。海军此后正式将装备五枚AIM-120和四枚AIM-9X导弹的F/A-18E/F称为“谋杀大黄蜂”。
Regardless of the threat of partial retirement, many F-15Es remain in Air Force service in the coming years, there are clear signs the jets are now in line to get an important firepower boost, including when it comes to shooting down drones, in the form of APKWS II.
无论面临部分退役的威胁，未来几年仍有许多F-15E将留在空军服役，有明确迹象表明这些战机现在有望获得重要的火力提升，包括在击落无人机的火力方面，以APKWS II的形式得到展现。
一张图片显示了一架美国空军F-15E"打击鹰"战斗机在左翼下方挂载了至少三个七联装70 毫米火箭弹舱。如果这架飞机右翼还有三个弹舱，则总数将高达42枚火箭，同时还能携带8枚传统空对空导弹。这样的载弹量将使F-15E变成一架反无人机和巡航导弹的空中武器平台，在不使用机炮的情况下，拥有高达50次的交战机会。
The Air Force has already proven the extreme value of laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets in the air-to-air role in combat on the F-16, news TWZ first broke earlier this year and has continued to follow very closely. Integrating APKWS II into the F-15E’s arsenal isn’t surprising, especially considering how active these aircraft have been in countering lower-performing aerial threats.
美国空军已经证明，F-16战斗机执行空对空作战任务时，激光制导的70毫米"先进精确杀伤武器系统 II"(APKWS II)火箭具有极高的价值，相关消息由TWZ在今年早些时候首次披露，并持续密切关注。将APKWS II整合到F-15E的武器库中并不令人意外，尤其考虑到这些飞机在反制性能较低空中威胁方面表现活跃。
The picture of the rocket-armed F-15E, seen below, first appeared on social media accounts for The Merge, a military aviation podcast and associated newsletter, yesterday. “An Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle testing laser-guided rockets was spotted with a 6-pod 42-rocket loadout in flight test,” The Merge wrote in an accompanying post on Instagram.
装备火箭弹的F-15E的照片，如下所示，昨天首次出现在军事航空播客The Merge及其相关简报的社交媒体账号上。The Merge在 Instagram 的帖子中写道：“一架空军F-15E“打击鹰”正在测试激光制导火箭，在飞行测试中发现了配备6个挂架共42枚火箭的载荷。”
Though The Merge says the aircraft was carrying six rocket pods at the time, only three are clearly visible in the image on the jet’s left underwing pylon, but a symmetric load makes perfect sense. Pods full of laser-guided APKWS II rockets are relatively easy to spot since the weapons are longer than unguided 70mm types and their noses protrude noticeably from the front as a result. As it exists now, APKWS II consists primarily of a laser guidance section sandwiched between one of a variety of warhead types and a standard 70mm rocket motor.
尽管The Merge表示该飞机当时携带了六个火箭挂架，但在喷气机左侧翼下挂架上的图像中只有三个清晰可见，但对称载荷是完全合理的。装满激光制导APKWS II火箭的挂架相对容易识别，因为该武器比无制导的70毫米类型更长，并且由于它们的鼻子明显从前面突出，因此很容易识别。目前，APKWS II主要由一个激光制导段夹在多任务弹头和标准70 毫米火箭发动机之间组成。
In addition to the rocket pods, the Strike Eagle has an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) without control fins and a flight test data pod under its left wing. An AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and an AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod (which incorporates a forward-looking infrared sensor and a terrain-following radar) are seen loaded on the stations under the jet’s left and right air intakes, respectively.
除了火箭弹舱，F-15E"打击鹰"还携带了一枚无控制舵面的AIM-120先进中程空空导弹（AMRAAM）测试弹，其左翼下方还挂载了一个飞行测试数据舱。在飞机左、右进气口下方的位置上，可以看到AN/AAQ-33"狙击手"先进目标指示舱（ATP）和AN/AAQ-1导航吊舱（该舱集成了前视红外传感器和地形跟踪雷达）。
The F-15E seen in the picture also has an “ET” tail code, reflecting an aircraft assigned to the 96th Test Wing headquartered at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.
图片中的 F-15E 也带有“ET”尾号，这表明该飞机被分配给了位于佛罗里达州爱格林空军基地的96测试联队。
“I can confirm the pic was taken here at Eglin AFB,” Gabriel Myers, a spokesperson for the 96th Test Wing, told TWZ when asked for more information about the image of the rocket-toting F-15E. “The Eglin AFB test community through strong partnerships have aggressively conducted integrated test of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System. By working at speed to ensure advanced capabilities have the intended effects, we increase warfighter readiness and lethality to meet the global demands of the joint force.”
当被问及更多有关携带火箭的F-15E图片的信息时，96测试联队发言人加布里埃尔·迈尔斯告诉TWZ：“我可以确认这张照片是在爱格林空军基地拍摄的。” “通过强大的合作伙伴关系，爱格林空军基地的测试部门积极开展了先进精确杀伤武器系统的综合测试。通过快速工作以确保先进能力产生预期效果，我们提高了作战人员的战备状态和杀伤力，以满足联合部队的全球需求。”
When the F-15E might be cleared to operationally employ APKWS II rockets is unclear.
F-15E何时被批准运作APKWS II火箭尚不清楚。
“Unfortunately, we can’t speak to specific timelines [for the test work], but we can say it was done rapidly,” Myers continued.
迈尔斯继续说：“不幸的是，我们不能谈论具体的时间表[用于测试工作]，但我们可以说它完成得很迅速。”
In U.S. service, on the fixed-wing side, the precision-guided rockets have been integrated onto Marine Corps AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18C/D Hornets and U.S. Air Force F-16C/D Vipers and A-10 Warthogs. Marine AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom helicopters, as well as U.S. Navy MH-60R/S Seahawks and U.S. Army AH-64D/E Apaches, can also employ APKWS II.
在美国军队中，在固定翼飞机方面，精确制导火箭已集成到海军陆战队AV-8B“鹞”式攻击机和F/A-18C/D“大黄蜂”战斗机、美国空军 F-16C/D“毒蛇”战斗机和 A-10“战猪”攻击机上。海军陆战队的 AH-1Z“毒蛇”直升机和 UH-1Y“毒液”直升机，美国海军的 MH-60R/S“海鹰”直升机和美国陆军 AH-64D/E“阿帕奇”直升机，也可以使用 APKWS II。
A full air-to-air loadout for the F-15E currently consists of eight missiles. Four missiles – either short-range AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) – can be loaded on launch rails on either side of the Strike Eagle’s two underwing pylons. Two more AIM-120s can be carried on pylons on each of the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) attached to the sides of the fuselage. The jets can also carry a wide array of air-to-ground munitions and other stores on the pylons under their wings, on the CFTs, and on their ventral centerline hardpoint.
F-15E当前的全空对空武器配置包括8枚导弹。其中4枚导弹——无论是短程AIM-9响尾蛇导弹还是AIM-120先进中程空对空导弹（AMRAAM）——可以装载在攻击之鹰两侧机翼下的挂架上。另外两枚AIM-120可以挂载在每个与机身两侧连接的保型油箱（CFT）的吊舱上。F-15E还可以在机翼下挂架、保型油箱以及它们腹部的中心线的硬挂载点各种空对地弹药和其他挂载物。
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s already very expansive arsenal would give the jet an additional lower-cost tool for precisely engaging a variety of ground targets, as well. These can include light armored vehicles. As the newly-emerged picture highlights in showing 21 engagement opportunities on a single pylon, the laser-guided rockets offer significant benefits when it comes to magazine depth.
为F-15E战机已非常庞大的武器库增添APKWS II，将为其提供一种额外的低成本精确打击工具，可针对多种地面目标，包括轻型装甲车辆。正如新曝光的照片所示，单个挂架提供的21个打击机会凸显了激光制导火箭在弹仓深度方面的显著优势。
But it’s the Strike Eagle and APKWS II combo’s potential in the air-to-air role that is perhaps most exciting. As we noted earlier, Air Force F-16s first began employing the laser-guided rockets in an anti-air optimized configuration to shoot down Houthi drones during operations over and around the Red Sea last year, which TWZ was first to report. The Air Force had announced back in 2019 that it had demonstrated APKWS II’s ability to be used as an air-to-air weapon in a test wherein an F-16 downed a surrogate for a subsonic cruise missile, something we were also first to report on. APKWS II is also combat-proven in the surface-to-air role against drones, as well as in air-ground modes and surface-to-surface modes.
但最令人兴奋的是F-15E“打击鹰”和APKWS II组合在空对空作战中的潜力。正如我们之前提到的，美国空军F-16战机首次在空优配置下使用激光制导火箭，以击落胡塞武装无人机，这一行动发生在去年红海及周边地区的作战中，TWZ率先报道了此事。美国空军早在2019年就宣布，在测试中证明了APKWS II作为空对空武器的能力，当时F-16击落了一枚亚音速巡航导弹靶弹，我们也是率先报道此事的。APKWS II在对无人机防空、空对地模式以及地对地模式中也都经受了实战检验。
Since January, F-16s have been observed flying the Middle East carrying air-to-air loadouts that include one or two seven-shot 70mm rocket pods, as well as traditional air-to-air missiles and LITENING targeting pods. This had already underscored the magazine depth benefits of APKWS II. A typical air-to-air for the Viper consists of six air-to-air missiles. Just having a pair of rocket pods on one pylon effectively triples the number of anti-air engagement opportunities per sortie. The F-15E with six seven-shot rocket pods, along with eight air-to-air missiles, goes far beyond that capacity.
自1月以来，人们观察到F-16战斗机在中东地区飞行，携带的空对空武器配置包括一个或两个七发装70毫米火箭弹舱，以及传统的空对空导弹和LITENING目标指示吊舱。这已经凸显了APKWS II的弹药深度优势。对于毒蛇战斗机来说，典型的空对空配置包括六枚空对空导弹。仅在一个挂架上挂载两个火箭弹舱就能使每次出击的反空袭机会增加两倍。而装备了六个七联装火箭弹舱和八枚空对空导弹的F-15E，其能力远超这一水平。
（后方的F16挂载了双联装火箭弹发射舱）
APKWS II is also a significantly lower-cost anti-air weapon than traditional air-to-air missiles in U.S. military inventory today. The APKWS II guidance kit, which is the most expensive part of the munition, has a unit cost of around $15,000 to $20,000. The warhead and motor add a few thousand dollars more to the total unit price. Current generation AIM-9X Sidewinders each cost in the region of $450,000, while the latest AIM-120 variants are $1 million or more apiece.
APKWS II也是美国军方目前库存中成本相对于传统空对空导弹显著低廉的对空武器。APKWS II制导套件是弹药中最昂贵的部分，单价约为15,000至20,000美元。战斗部和发动机使总单价再增加几千美元。目前AIM-9X响尾蛇导弹每枚成本约45万美元，而最新型的AIM-120变体单价则高达100万美元或更高。
Even with the air-to-air specific upgrades developed for APKWS II, it does still has limitations when employed against aerial threats, as TWZ has noted in the past in the context of F-16 counter-drone missions:
即使APKWS II配备了针对空对空作战开发的升级，在应对空中威胁时它仍然存在局限性，正如TWZ在过去F-16反无人机任务中指出的那样：
“In an air-to-air engagement, the laser designator in the LITENING pod could be used to ‘laze’ or designate the target. LITENING’s sensor turret can be slaved to the radar on the aircraft carrying it, or vice versa. So-called buddy lasing, where one aircraft designates the target for another, could also be useful in this case, especially given the speed differential between typical Houthi drones and F-16s. One jet could keep the target steadily lazed while the other makes its attack run.”
“在空对空交战中，LITENING吊舱中的激光指示器可以用来‘激光照射’或锁定目标。LITENING的传感器塔可以与携带它的飞机雷达同步，反之亦然。所谓僚机激光照射，即一架飞机锁定目标供另一架飞机攻击，在这种情况下也非常有用，特别是考虑到典型胡塞无人机与F-16之间的速度差异。一架飞机可以持续锁定目标，而另一架飞机进行攻击。”
“APKWS IIs are usable against drones, as well as subsonic cruise missiles, in the first place because those are relatively steady, non-reactionary, low-performance targets. The rockets are not dogfighting weapons.”
“APKWS II首先可用于打击无人机，以及亚音速巡航导弹，因为这些目标是相对稳定、非反应性的低性能目标。这些火箭并非狗斗武器。”
BAE Systems, the prime contractor for the APKWS II, is now developing a dual-mode guidance package that adds a passive infrared seeker to give the rocket a quasi-fire-and-forget capability. A laser designator would still be needed to provide initial cueing, but the launch platform would be able to move much more rapidly from engaging one target to the next with the addition of the infrared guidance mode, as you can read more about here.
APKWS II的主要承包商BAE目前正在开发一种双模式制导套件，该套件增加了一个被动红外导引头，使火箭具备准发射后不管的能力。尽管仍然需要激光指示器提供初始引导，但红外制导模式的加入将使发射平台能够更快地从攻击一个目标切换到下一个目标。
Pairing F-15E with APKWS II, even just with the guided rocket’s existing capabilities, would offer additional advantages in the air-to-air role given the range and endurance of the Strike Eagle, as well as its substantial overall payload capacity. The F-15E is also a two-seat aircraft, which allows the pilot to remain fully focused on flying the aircraft while the back-seater handles targeting duties.
将F-15E与APKWS II搭配使用，即使仅利用制导火箭的现有能力，也能在空对空作战中提供额外优势，这得益于"打击鹰"的射程和续航能力，以及更大的整体载弹量。F-15E还是一种双座飞机，允许飞行员全神贯注于驾驶飞机，而副驾驶则负责目标锁定任务。
Together with aerial refueling support, an F-15E armed with APKWS II rockets and traditional air-to-air missiles could provide a far more persistent counter-air screen with a huge magazine depth against drones and some cruise missile types. This kind of general scenario is what Air Force Strike Eagle crews found themselves in on multiple occasions while defending Israel from Iranian attacks last year, during which, running out of missiles became the limiting factor.
结合空中加油支援，装备APKWS II火箭和传统空对空导弹的F-15E能够提供更持久的反空防御屏障，并拥有巨大的弹药深度来对抗无人机和某些巡航导弹。这种场景正是空军"打击鹰"机组人员在去年多次防御伊朗对以色列的袭击时所处的境地，其中导弹耗尽成为主要限制因素。
Specifically, while responding to Iran’s drone and missile attacks on Israel in April 2024, F-15Es had to land to rearm while threats were still flying overhead. At least one Strike Eagle crew switched to their aircraft’s 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon after running out of missiles, but was unable to shoot anything down.
具体来说，在2024年4月应对伊朗对以色列的无人机和导弹袭击时，F-15E战斗机不得不在威胁仍在空中时降落以重新装弹。至少有一架"打击鹰"机组人员在耗尽导弹后使用飞机的20毫米M61火神机炮，但未能击落任何目标。
“The drone war is kind of like a video game. You just gotta get the jets up in the air and position them correctly for an intercept. The radar will easily see them after they’re launched and then it’s just how many missiles you have versus how many drones are launched. The technical aspect of detecting them and downing them is easy,” Daren “Shotgun” Sorenson, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew F-15Es, told TWZ in an interview last summer. “It’s easy work. You can do it all day long until you run out of missiles.”
“无人机战有点像电子游戏。你只需要让战斗机升空并正确部署以进行拦截。它们起飞后雷达很容易发现它们，然后就是你的导弹数量与敌方无人机数量的对比。探测它们并击落它们在技术方面很简单，”去年夏天接受TWZ采访的退役空军上校达伦“霰弹枪”索伦森，曾驾驶F-15E战斗机，“这是轻松的工作。你可以一直做，直到耗尽导弹。”
The Air Force also recently sent a detachment of F-15Es to the highly strategic island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, explicitly to provide force protection for forces currently there, including B-52 bombers, a deployment TWZ was first to report. This only further underscores the key role Strike Eagles are already playing in shielding high-value assets, especially from drones and cruise missiles.
空军最近还派遣了一支F-15E部队前往印度洋中的战略要地迪戈加西亚岛，目的是为目前驻扎在那里的部队（包括B-52轰炸机）提供力量保护，这是TWZ首次报道的部署。这进一步强调了F-15E战斗机已经在保护高价值资产中发挥关键作用，尤其针对无人机和巡航导弹的威胁。
All of this also applies at least equally, if not more so, to the Air Force’s incoming F-15EX Eagle II aircraft. The F-15EX is the latest and most capable variant to emerge in the extended Strike Eagle family, and is expected to be used primarily in the homeland air defense role in U.S. service, at least initially. Last year, TWZ laid out in detail how the Strike Eagle’s performance in the anti-air role in the Middle East had bolstered the case for the EX in U.S. and Israeli service. Indonesia also plans to buy F-15s derived from the EX variant, and other foreign customers, including Poland.
所有这些至少同样适用于空军即将到来的F-15EX鹰II型飞机。F-15EX是打击鹰家族中最新的、能力最强的变体，预计将主要用于美国本土防空任务，至少在初期是这样。去年TWZ详细阐述了F-15E在中东地区反空袭的表现如何支持了F-15EX在美国和以色列服役的案例。印度尼西亚以及其他外国客户，包括波兰，也计划购买基于F-15EX变体的F-15，。
“The proliferation of one-way attack drones is driving a massive demand signal for counter-UAS capabilities,” The Merge also told TWZ directly when asked about the picture of the rocket-armed Strike Eagle. “The cost exchange afforded by APKWS rockets–and the flexibility and magazine depth by putting them on the F-15E/X–should make a meaningful difference.”
“自杀式攻击无人机的扩散正引发对反无人机能力的巨大需求，”The Merge在被问及挂载火箭的打击鹰战机图片时直接告诉TWZ。“APKWS火箭带来的成本交换，以及将它们装在 F-15E/X上的灵活性和弹舱深度，应该会产生显著影响。”
Adding APKWS II to the F-15E’s arsenal, especially for air-to-air use, could be a factor in ongoing debates about the future of the Air Force’s Strike Eagles, as well. Congress recently blocked the service, at least until 2027, from pursuing plans to retire more than half of the heavily in-demand Strike Eagle fleet.
为F-15E配备APKWS II武器系统，尤其是将其用于空对空作战，也可能成为空军打击鹰战机未来发展方向辩论中的一个因素。国会最近阻止了美国空军，使其无法在2027年前实施退役超过一半打击鹰战机机队的计划。
It would also not be surprising at all to see APKWS II join already growing air-to-air loadouts available to U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. A year ago, Houthi drone threats in and around the Red Sea had already prompted that service to launch a crash program to increase the number of AIM-9Xs a Super Hornet could carry on a single sortie. The Navy has since officially dubbed F/A-18E/Fs armed with five AIM-120s and four AIM-9Xs as “Murder Hornets.”
APKWS II加入美国海军F/A-18E/F超级大黄蜂的空对空武器配置也绝不令人意外。一年前，红海及周边地区的胡塞武装无人机威胁已促使该军种启动紧急计划，增加超级大黄蜂在一次出击中可携带的AIM-9X导弹数量。海军此后正式将装备五枚AIM-120和四枚AIM-9X导弹的F/A-18E/F称为“谋杀大黄蜂”。
Regardless of the threat of partial retirement, many F-15Es remain in Air Force service in the coming years, there are clear signs the jets are now in line to get an important firepower boost, including when it comes to shooting down drones, in the form of APKWS II.
无论面临部分退役的威胁，未来几年仍有许多F-15E将留在空军服役，有明确迹象表明这些战机现在有望获得重要的火力提升，包括在击落无人机的火力方面，以APKWS II的形式得到展现。
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