The Belgian Air Power has been testing the FZ275 laser-guided rocket and APKWS II on its F-16s to successfully counter the evolving risk of low-cost assault drones.
A Belgian Air Power F-16AM was noticed whereas flying with six seven-round LAU-131A/A rocket pods put in on Triple Ejector Racks (TER). The plane is getting used to check domestically-made 2.75 inch/70 mm FZ275 Laser-Guided Rockets (LGR) as a part of trials, underway because the starting of this yr, for the employment in opposition to low-cost assault drones.
The FZ275 was collectively developed by Forges de Zeebrugge (FZ) and Thales, and is taken into account a counterpart to the U.S.-made APKWS II. The picture was revealed on Mar. 8, 2026, by aviation photographer ‘Tim VdB Images’, who informed us he captured it at Kleine Brogel Air Base, house to the tenth Tactical Air Wing, on Feb. 27, 2026.
That is additionally presumably the primary time that an F-16 was seen airborne with the six LAU-131A/A pods for laser-guided rockets, which give the plane a 42-round capability. A earlier occasion wherein this loadout was noticed was on the bottom in June 2025 at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, when a U.S. Air Power F-16CM was photographed throughout a munitions load occasion for a bigger APKWS II payload.
Belgium’s Directorate Common of Materials Assets (DGMR) later shared the picture on X on Mar. 11, 2026, touching upon the present have to develop cost-effective weapons techniques and ways in opposition to low-cost assault drones, as a substitute of pricy surface-to-air missile techniques. The company mentioned that the FZ275 is being examined alongside BAE Methods’ AGR-20F FALCO (Mounted Wing, Air Launched, Counter-Unmanned Plane Methods Ordnance) for the C-UAS function.
Tijdens recente conflicten hebben we gezien dat goedkope assault‑drones immense schade kunnen aanrichten. Klassieke luchtafweermiddelen inzetten tegen dit soort dreiging is vaak extreem duur.
— Materials Assets (@DGMR_News) March 11, 2026
Belgian F-16s with six LAU-131s
Tim informed The Aviationist that the F-16 within the picture was a part of a two-ship formation that he photographed within the afternoon of Feb. 27, whereas they have been coming back from a coaching sortie. Within the picture, we will see ten rockets nonetheless in two of the LAU-131A/A pods of the starboard (right-side) wing – the pod on the highest proper has its full load of seven FZ275 LGRs, whereas the pod within the center has three.
The F-16 can be carrying inert AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles (lacking the entrance fins) and AIM-120 Superior Medium Vary Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). A photograph of the 2 F-16s flying overhead reveals the second F-16 equally outfitted with AIM-9s and AIM-120s, in addition to a Sniper concentrating on pod.
It’s unclear if the F-16 expended a number of the LGRs, whereas the opposite F-16 lased the targets with the Sniper pod throughout the check mission. “The opposite F-16 was carrying the Sniper pod, in all probability for designating/lasing the goal,” Tim informed The Aviationist.
As we now have defined earlier than, APKWS II rockets costing round $30,000 apiece are less expensive and value efficient in destroying Shahed/Geran-type One-Means Assault (OWA) drones value greater than $20,000, as a substitute of AIM-9s and AIM-120s value round $450,000 and over $1 million, respectively.
The problem was additionally talked about as a motive for these assessments by the DGMR in its X submit:
“Assault-drones pose a significant and cost-effective risk in latest conflicts. Our Belgian Air Power is subsequently testing laser-guided 70mm rockets, together with the Belgian FZ275 LGR from Thales, to effectively neutralize attack-drones.
Belgian Defence is making ready for the long run.
Throughout latest conflicts, we now have seen that cheap assault drones could cause immense harm. Deploying conventional air protection techniques in opposition to the sort of risk is usually extraordinarily costly.
To evolve with the risk, our air power is engaged on integrating laser-guided rockets that may effectively neutralize drones. This entails not solely the American AGR-20F, but additionally options from our personal Belgian business.
For the reason that starting of this yr, the Belgian Air Power has been conducting check campaigns with the 70mm FZ275 LGR from Thales Belgium, with a view to integration on our F-16s. With these steps, we’re engaged on an efficient, reasonably priced, and future-oriented weapon in opposition to attack-drones.
Menace evolves, we evolve alongside.”
C-UAS loadouts on F-16s
In keeping with FZ, the FZ275 LGR has a Semi-Lively Laser (SAL) seeker, and the guided rocket “closes the hole between the long-range high-value missiles and the shorter vary weapons/cannon and unguided rockets, thus affording a full vary of precision results from a platform to defeat comfortable and lightweight armoured targets.”
U.S.-based Arnold Protection, the producer of the LAU-131 sequence of rocket launchers, had introduced in January 2022 that the two.75-inch/70mm FZ275 rockets have been licensed to be fired from its LAND-LGR4 launcher. There’s nevertheless no data on when the FZ275 was licensed on the LAU-131A/A particularly.
Ukraine too is poised to make use of the FZ275 LGR because it signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November 2024 with Thales Belgium to collectively produce the rocket, and develop a brand new warhead below a transfer-of-technology (ToT) association, Militarnyi reported. The rocket’s present warhead is designated because the FZ123, and contains a small explosive cost and 1000’s of small metal ball bearings for space results.
What’s believed to be the primary recognized footage displaying an F-16 fighter jet operated by the Ukrainian Air Power intercepting a Russian Shahed/Geran-type long-range OWA-UAV with the APKWS II low-cost, laser-guided anti-aircraft rockets.
Such rockets are carried in LAU-131 rocket… pic.twitter.com/JTsCsgQ7NP
— Standing-6 (Warfare & Navy Information) (@Archer83Able) February 17, 2026
Ukraine, which makes use of the Superior Kill Precision Weapon System II (APKWS II) from each its vehicle-mounted Vampire system and its F-16s for the C-UAS function, will even have the ability to use the FZ275 LGR from the previous, Militarnyi added. Thus, it may be safely assumed that the Ukrainian Air Power would sooner or later use the FZ275 LGRs from the LAU-131A/A pods on its F-16s instead of the two.75 inch Hydra rockets, given the latters’ restricted numbers.
A video of an AGR-20 FALCO intercept. pic.twitter.com/Oee0UDEpcm
— Shahryar Pasandideh (@shahpas) April 9, 2025
Footage from a UKrAF F-16’s Sniper concentrating on pod captured the plane utilizing its APKWS IIs in opposition to a Russian unmanned system in a Feb. 17, 2026, video. Previous to that, a December 2025 picture confirmed a UKrAF F-16 carrying one LAU-131A/As rocket pod below every wing.
