AGM-114 Hellfire

Last updated

AGM-114 Hellfire
Lockheed Martin Longbow Hellfire.jpg
A model of Longbow Hellfire's components
Type Air-to-surface, surface-to-surface missile, and surface-to-air missile
Place of origin United States
Service history
In service1984–present
Wars Gulf War
War on Terror
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Production history
Manufacturer Lockheed Martin, Boeing (prior second source), and Northrop Grumman (seeker only for AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire)
Unit cost US$150,000 [1] (FY 2021)
US$117,000 (FY2017) [2]
Produced1974–present
Specifications
Mass100–108 lb (45–49 kg) [3]
Length64 in (1.6 m)
Diameter7 in (180 mm)
Wingspan13 in (0.33 m)
Warhead
Engine Thiokol TX-657 [4] [5]
Solid-fuel rocket
PropellantAPC/HTPB
Operational
range
550 to 12,030 yd (0.5 to 11 km)
Maximum speed Mach 1.3 (995 mph; 1,601 km/h)
Guidance
system
Launch
platform
 Rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, tripods, ships, ground vehicles

The AGM-114 Hellfire is an American missile developed for anti-armor use, [6] later developed for precision [7] drone strikes against other target types, especially high-value targets. [8] It was originally developed under the name "Heliborne laser, fire-and-forget missile", which led to the colloquial name "Hellfire" ultimately becoming the missile's formal name. [9] It has a multi-mission, multi-target precision-strike ability and can be launched from multiple air, sea, and ground platforms, including the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. The Hellfire missile is the primary 100-pound (45 kg) class air-to-ground precision weapon for the armed forces of the United States and many other countries. It has also been fielded on surface platforms in the surface-to-surface and surface-to-air roles. [10]

Contents

Description

Most variants are laser-guided, with one variant, the AGM-114L "Longbow Hellfire", being radar-guided. [11] [12] Laser guidance can be provided either from the launcher, such as the nose-mounted opto-electronics of the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, other airborne target designators or from ground-based observers, [13] the latter two options allowing the launcher to break line of sight with the target and seek cover. [14]

Cockpit video showing a Hellfire missile being fired at two people in Afghanistan (at 1:42)

The development of the Hellfire Missile System began in 1974 with the United States Army requirement for a "tank-buster", launched from helicopters to defeat armored fighting vehicles. [15] [16]

The Hellfire II, developed in the early 1990s is a modular missile system with several variants, and entered service with the U.S. Army in 1996. [17] Hellfire II's semi-active laser variants—AGM-114K high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), AGM-114KII with external blast fragmentation sleeve, AGM-114M (blast fragmentation), and AGM-114N metal augmented charge (MAC)—achieve pinpoint accuracy by homing in on a reflected laser beam aimed at the target. The General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) carry the Hellfire II, but the most common platform is the helicopter gunship, such as the AH-64 Apache or AH-1 Cobra, which can carry up to 16 of them each. The AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, is a fire-and-forget weapon: equipped with millimeter-wave (MMW) active radar homing, it requires no further guidance after launch—even being able to lock on to its target after launch [18] —and can hit its target without the launcher or other friendly unit being in line of sight of the target. It also works in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants, such as smoke and fog, which can mask the position of a target or prevent a designating laser from forming a detectable reflection. Each Hellfire weighs 104 pounds (47 kg), including the 20-pound (9 kg) warhead, and has a range of 4.4–6.8 miles (7.1–11 km) depending on trajectory. [19] The Hellfire has a Circular Error Probable (CEP) of less than 3 feet (0.91 m). [20]

The AGM-114R "Romeo" Hellfire II entered service in late 2012. It uses a semi-active laser homing guidance system and a K-charge multipurpose warhead [21] [22] to engage targets that formerly needed multiple Hellfire variants. It will replace AGM-114K, M, N, and P variants in U.S. service. [23]

In October 2012, the U.S. ordered 24,000 Hellfire II missiles, for both the U.S. armed forces and foreign customers. [24]

A possible new JCM successor called the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM) is under consideration. Due to budget reductions, JAGM development was separated into increments, with increment 1 focusing on adding a millimeter-wave radar to the Hellfire-R to give it a dual-mode seeker, enabling it to track moving targets in bad weather. [25] [26]

Operational history

M1A1 Abrams main battle tank destroyed by friendly fire in 1991 Gulf War; one Abrams is thought to have been accidentally set on fire by a Hellfire missile fired from an Apache helicopter. Destroyed M1A1 Abrams.jpg
M1A1 Abrams main battle tank destroyed by friendly fire in 1991 Gulf War; one Abrams is thought to have been accidentally set on fire by a Hellfire missile fired from an Apache helicopter.

In 2009, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) acknowledged that Army Air Corps (AAC) AgustaWestland Apaches had used AGM-114N Hellfire missiles against Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The MoD stated that 20 missiles were used in 2008 and a further 20 in 2009. In the British Parliament, Liberal Democrat politician Nick Harvey argued that the "Parliament must be reassured these are a weapon of last resort." [28]

AGM-114 Hellfire missiles were used to kill Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin by the Israeli Air Force (IAF) in 2004, [29] [30] and by the US military to kill American-born Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in Yemen in 2011, [31] Al-Qaeda operative Abu Yahya al-Libi in Pakistan in 2012, al-Shabaab militant Mukhtar Abu Zubair in Somalia in 2014, [32] and British ISIL executioner Mohammed Emwazi (also known as "Jihadi John") in Syria in 2015. [33] They were also used in the assassination of Qasem Soleimani as well as the killing of Ayman al-Zawahiri. [34]

The AGM-114 has occasionally been used as an air-to-air missile. The first operational air-to-air kill with a Hellfire took place on 24 May 2001, after a civilian Cessna 152 aircraft entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon, with unknown intentions and refusing to answer or comply with ATC repeated warnings to turn back. An Israeli Air Force AH-64A Apache helicopter fired on the Cessna, resulting in its complete disintegration. [35] [36] The second operational air-to-air kill with a Hellfire occurred on 10 February 2018, after an Iranian UAV entered Israeli airspace from Syria. An Israeli Air Force AH-64 launched a Hellfire missile at the UAV, successfully destroying it. [37] [ third-party source needed ]

In January 2016 The Wall Street Journal reported that one training missile without a warhead was accidentally shipped to Cuba in 2014 after a training mission in Europe; [38] it was later returned. [39] A US official said that this was an inert "dummy" version of the Lockheed system stripped of its warhead, fuse, guidance equipment and motor, known as a "Captive Air Training Missile". [40] [41]

Variants

AGM-114 Ground Launched Hellfire-Light (GLH-L) missile system on a modified HMMWV chassis AGM-114HellfireHMMWV.jpg
AGM-114 Ground Launched Hellfire-Light (GLH-L) missile system on a modified HMMWV chassis
Israeli Air Force Squadron 190 AH-64A Peten Launched Hellfire missile, Gaza-Israel clashes (November 2018) AH-64A (Israeli Air Force).jpg
Israeli Air Force Squadron 190 AH-64A Peten Launched Hellfire missile, Gaza–Israel clashes (November 2018)
AGM-114A [42]
  • Produced: 1982–1992
  • Target: Armored vehicles
  • Range: 8,700 yd (8,000 m)
  • Guidance:
  • Warhead: 18 lb (8 kg) shaped charge HEAT. Unable to penetrate reactive armor. [43]
  • Length: 64 in (163 cm)
  • Weight: 100 lb (45 kg)
AGM-114B/C
  • Produced: 1982–1992
  • Target: Armored vehicles, ship-borne targets
  • Range: 8,700 yd (8,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing (SALH)
    • Non-programmable
    • Analog autopilot
  • Warhead: 18 lb (8 kg) shaped charge HEAT. Unable to penetrate reactive armor. [43]
  • Length: 64 in (163 cm)
  • Weight: 100 lb (45 kg)
AGM-114F/FA Interim Hellfire
  • Produced: 1991 [44] –1994 [13]
  • Target: Armored vehicles
  • Range: 8,700 yd (8,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing (SALH)
    • Non-programmable
    • Analog autopilot
  • Warhead: 18 lb (8 kg) shaped charge HEAT. Tandem-charge, can penetrate reactive armor. [43]
  • Length: 64 in (163 cm)
  • Weight: 100 lb (45 kg)
AGM-114K/K2/K2A Hellfire II
  • Produced: since 1993–2018 [45]
  • Target: All armored targets
  • Range: 12,000 yd (11,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing with electro-optical countermeasures hardening
    • Digital autopilot & electronics improvements allow target reacquisition after lost laser lock
  • Warhead: 20 lb (9 kg) tandem shaped charge HEAT
  • Length: 64 in (163 cm)
  • Weight: 100 lb (45 kg)
  • K-2 adds insensitive munitions (IM)
  • K-2A adds blast-fragmentation sleeve
AGM-114L Hellfire LongBow
  • Produced: 1995–2005, 2016– [45] [46]
  • Target: All armored targets
  • Range: 8,700 yd (8,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Fire and forget millimeter-wave (MMW) radar seeker coupled with inertial guidance
    • Homing capability in adverse weather and the presence of battlefield obscurants
    • Programmable fuzing and guidance
  • Warhead: 20 lb (9 kg) tandem shaped charge high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) insensitive munitions (IM) warhead
  • Length: 71 in (180 cm)
  • Weight: 108 lb (49 kg)
  • L-7/8A Counter-UAS/counter-littoral variants with proximity fuze and blast-fragmentation sleeve [46]
AGM-114M Hellfire II (Blast Frag)
  • Produced: 1998–2010
  • Target: Bunkers, light vehicles, urban (soft) targets and caves
  • Range: 12,000 yd (11,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
    • Delayed and programmable fuzing in for hardened targets
  • Warhead: Blast fragmentation/incendiary
  • Weight: 108 lb (49 kg)
  • Length: 71 in (180 cm)
AGM-114N Hellfire (MAC) [47]
Hellfire II missile exposed through a transparent casing, showing laser homing guidance system in front, copper cone shaped charge explosive in middle, propulsion in the rear Lockheed Martin Hellfire II.jpg
Hellfire II missile exposed through a transparent casing, showing laser homing guidance system in front, copper cone shaped charge explosive in middle, propulsion in the rear
  • Produced: 2003–2018 [45]
  • Target: Buildings, soft-skinned targets, ship-borne targets
  • Range: 12,000 yd (11,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
    • Millimeter-wave radar seeker
  • Warhead: Metal augmented charge (thermobaric), sustained pressure wave with delayed fuze capability
  • Weight: 106 lb (48 kg)
  • Speed: Mach 1.3 (1,600 km/h)
  • Diameter: 7.1 in (180 mm)
  • Wingspan: 13 in (0.33 m)
  • Length: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
AGM-114P/P+ Hellfire II (For UAS)
  • Produced: 2003–2012
  • Target: All surface targets
  • Range: 12,000 yd (11,000 m)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
    • Delayed and programmable fuzing in for hardened targets
  • Warhead: Shaped Charge or Blast Fragmentation
  • Weight: 108 lb (49 kg)
  • Length: 71 in (180 cm)
  • Designed for UAV altitudes
  • P-2A adds steel fragmentation sleeve
  • P-2B adds tantalum fragmentation sleeve
  • P+ Adds enhanced inertial measurement unit (IMU) and software support, many customizations for varying battlefields.
AGM-114R Hellfire II (Hellfire Romeo) [48]
  • Produced: since 2012
  • Target: All targets
  • Range: 8,700 yd (8,000 m) [45]
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
  • Warhead: Multi-function warhead, reduced net explosive weight for low collateral damage (R-9E and R-9H).
  • Weight: 108 lb (49 kg)
  • Speed: Mach 1.3
  • Length: 71 in (180 cm) [42]
  • Unit Cost: $99,600 (all-up round, 2015 USD) [49]
M36 Captive Flight Training Missile
The M36 is an inert device used for training in the handling of the Hellfire. It includes an operational laser seeker. [50]
AGM-114R-9X
The Hellfire R-9X is a Hellfire variant with a kinetic warhead with pop-out blades instead of explosives, used against specific human targets. Its lethality is due to 100 lb (45 kg) of dense material with six blades flying at high speed, to crush and cut the targeted person [51] —the R-9X has also been referred to as the 'Ninja Missile' [52] and 'Flying Ginsu'. [51] It is intended to reduce collateral damage when targeting specific people. [53] Deployed in secret in 2017, its existence has been public since 2019. This variant was used in the killing in 2017 of Abu Khayr al-Masri, a member of Al-Qaeda's leadership, and in 2019 of Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Al Badawi, accused mastermind of the 2000 USS Cole bombing. [54] [55] The weapon has also been used in Syria, [56] and in Afghanistan against a Taliban commander. [57] [58] It was used twice in 2020 against senior al-Qaeda leaders in Syria; in September 2020 US officials estimated that it had been used in combat around six times. [59] [60] [61] [62] [63]
Hellfire missiles fired by a Reaper drone [64] were used on 31 July 2022 to kill Ayman al-Zawahiri, [7] the leader of Al-Qaeda, who had formerly been involved in planning the 9/11 and other attacks on US targets. It was reported that the missile hit him on a balcony, causing minimal collateral damage. Reports stress that avoiding other casualties was a priority for the mission, following drone attacks that killed several uninvolved people, attracting much criticism. It is widely thought that the Hellfires were the R-9X variant, but a United States Special Operations Command spokesman declined to comment, while confirming that the R9X was "in US Special Operations Command's munitions inventory". [65] [66]
Images of the aftermath of a US attack on a member of Kata'ib Hezbollah (claimed to be Abu Baqir al-Saadi by Hezbollah affiliated reports) suggests an R-9X was used. [67] The nature and announcement of the attack has led Howard Altman to suggest the weapon system is made more widely available to US forces. [67]

Launch vehicles and systems

Manned helicopters

Hellfire missiles on a United States Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra Balad AH1 Cobra 1.jpg
Hellfire missiles on a United States Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra

Fixed-wing aircraft

Iraqi Air Force AC-208 Caravan launches a Hellfire missile An AC-208 fires a Hellfire at practice target.jpg
Iraqi Air Force AC-208 Caravan launches a Hellfire missile

Vessels

AGM-114L launch from USS Montgomery AGM-114L Longbow missile launch from USS Montgomery (LCS-8).jpg
AGM-114L launch from USS Montgomery

Experimental platforms

IFPC Longbow vs MQM-170 Outlaw 25 March 2016

The system has been tested for use on the Humvee and the Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV). Test shots have also been fired from a C-130 Hercules. Sweden and Norway use the Hellfire for coastal defense and have conducted tests with Hellfire launchers mounted on the Combat Boat 90 coastal assault boat. [76]

The US Navy evaluated the missile for use on the Freedom-class littoral combat ship and Independence-class littoral combat ship from 2014. [77] The missile was successfully fired from a LCS in early 2017. [78] This system is set to deploy by late 2019. [79]

In 2016 the Longbow Hellfire was tested by the US Army using a 15-tube Multi-Mission Launcher mounted on a Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) truck. The MML is an Army-developed weapon system capable of deploying both surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. [80]

The Longbow Hellfire initially equipped the Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) version of the Stryker to serve as a surface-to-air counter-drone missile, [10] but in 2024 the U.S. Army prohibited its use on the platform after discovering that prolonged placement of the missiles on a ground vehicle created wear and tear that lead to potential safety concerns. [81]

Operators

Map with Hellfire operators in blue HellfireOperators.png
Map with Hellfire operators in blue

The following countries have used the Hellfire: [82]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-65 Maverick</span> American air-to-surface missile

The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile (AGM) designed for close air support. It is the most widely produced precision-guided missile in the Western world, and is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermobaric weapon</span> Device producing a high-temperature explosion

A thermobaric weapon, also called an aerosol bomb, or a vacuum bomb, is a type of explosive munition that works by dispersing an aerosol cloud of gas, liquid or powdered explosive. The fuel is usually a single compound, rather than a mixture of multiple substances. Many types of thermobaric weapons can be fitted to hand-held launchers, and can also be launched from airplanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon</span> Type of glide bomb

The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a glide bomb that resulted from a joint venture between the United States Navy and Air Force to deploy a standardized medium-range precision-guided weapon, especially for engagement of defended targets from outside the range of standard anti-aircraft defenses, thereby increasing aircraft survivability and minimizing friendly losses. It is intended to be used against soft targets such as parked aircraft, trucks, armored personnel carriers (APCs), and surface-to-air missile sites (SAMs). Prior to launch, it is given a destination through either a predesignated waypoint or a point marked through a targeting pod. It glides, using two wings that pop out for added lift, to the marked destination and dispenses submunitions in a short, roughly linear pattern. The designation of the Joint Standoff Weapon as an "air-to-ground missile" is a misnomer, as it is an unpowered bomb with guidance avionics, similar to the older GBU-15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brimstone (missile)</span> British air-to-surface missile

Brimstone is a ground or air-launched ground attack missile developed by MBDA UK for the UK's Royal Air Force. It was originally intended for "fire-and-forget" use against mass formations of enemy armour, using a millimetre wave (mmW) active radar homing seeker to ensure accuracy even against moving targets. Experience in Afghanistan led to the addition of laser guidance in the dual-mode Brimstone missile, allowing a "spotter" to pick out specific and the highest priority targets, particularly useful to minimise collateral damage when friendly forces or civilians were in the area. The tandem shaped-charge warhead is much more effective against modern tanks than older similar weapons such as the AGM-65G Maverick missile. Three Brimstones are carried on a launcher that occupies a single weapon station, allowing a single aircraft to carry many missiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire-and-forget</span> Type of missile guidance

Fire-and-forget is a type of missile guidance which does not require further external intervention after launch such as illumination of the target or wire guidance, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target. This is an important property for a guided weapon to have, since a person or vehicle that lingers near the target to guide the missile is vulnerable to attack and unable to carry out other tasks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIM-4 Falcon</span> American air-to-air missile

The Hughes AIM-4 Falcon was the first operational guided air-to-air missile of the United States Air Force. Development began in 1946; the weapon was first tested in 1949. The missile entered service with the USAF in 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AIM-26 Falcon</span> US air-to-air guided missile

The AIM-26 Falcon was a larger, more powerful version of the AIM-4 Falcon air-to-air missile built by Hughes. It is the only guided American air-to-air missile with a nuclear warhead to be produced; the unguided AIR-2 Genie rocket was also nuclear-armed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mokopa</span> South African air-to-surface missile

The ZT-6 Mokopa is a South African air-to-ground anti-tank guided missile. As of 2005, it is in its final stages of development, and is being integrated onto the South African Air Force's Rooivalk attack helicopters. The missile is produced by Denel Dynamics, formerly Kentron. The current version uses semi-active laser (SAL) guidance, requiring the target to be illuminated by a laser designator either on the launch platform or elsewhere; though there are alternative guidance packages available including a millimetre-wave radar (MMW) seeker and a two-colour imaging infrared (IIR) seeker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air-to-surface missile</span> Missile designed to be launched from aircraft

An air-to-surface missile (ASM) or air-to-ground missile (AGM) is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft at targets on land or sea. There are also unpowered guided glide bombs not considered missiles. The two most common propulsion systems for air-to-surface missiles are rocket motors, usually with shorter range, and slower, longer-range jet engines. Some Soviet-designed air-to-surface missiles are powered by ramjets, giving them both long range and high speed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popeye (missile)</span> Air-to-surface missile

The Popeye is a family of air-to-surface missiles developed and in use by Israel, of which several types have been developed for Israeli and export users. A long-range submarine-launched cruise missile variant of the Popeye Turbo has been speculated as being employed in Israel's submarine-based nuclear forces. The United States operated the Popeye under a different designation according to US naming conventions as the AGM-142 Have Nap.

The AGM-169 Joint Common Missile (JCM) was a tactical air-to-surface missile program (2002–2007) developed by the Lockheed Martin corporation for the United States military aircraft, such as attack and utility helicopters, strike fighters and fighter-bombers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kh-29</span> Air-to-surface missile

The Kh-29 is a Soviet air-to-surface missile with a range of 10–30 km. It has a large warhead of 320 kg, has a choice of laser, infrared, active radar or TV guidance, and is typically carried by tactical aircraft such as the Su-24, Su-30, MiG-29K as well as the Su-25, giving these aircraft an expanded standoff capability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kh-25</span> Tactical air-to-surface missile

The Kh-25/Kh-25M is a family of Soviet lightweight air-to-ground missiles with a modular range of guidance systems and a range of 10 km. The anti-radiation variant (Kh-25MP) is known to NATO as the AS-12 'Kegler' and has a range up to 40 km. Designed by Zvezda-Strela, the Kh-25 is derived from the laser-guided version of the Kh-23 Grom. The Kh-25 remains in widespread use despite the apparent development of a successor, the Kh-38.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kh-59</span> Russian cruise missile

The Kh-59 Ovod is a Russian cruise missile with a two-stage solid-fuel propulsion system and 200 km range. The Kh-59M Ovod-M is a variant with a bigger warhead and turbojet engine. It is primarily a land-attack missile; the Kh-59MK variant targets ships.

The GBU-44/B Viper Strike glide bomb was a GPS-aided laser-guided variant of the Northrop Grumman Brilliant Anti-Tank (BAT) munition which originally had a combination acoustic and infrared homing seeker. The system was initially intended for use from UAVs, and it was also integrated with the Lockheed AC-130 gunship, giving that aircraft a precision stand-off capability. The Viper Strike design is now owned by MBDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System</span> American 2.75-inch precision guided rocket

The AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) is a design conversion of Hydra 70 unguided rockets with a laser guidance kit to turn them into precision-guided munitions (PGMs). APKWS is approximately one-third the cost and one-third the weight of the current inventory of laser-guided weapons, has a lower yield more suitable for avoiding collateral damage, and takes one quarter of the time for ordnance personnel to load and unload.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nimrod (missile)</span> Israeli air-to-surface missile

The Nimrod is a long-range air-to-surface missile developed by Israel Aerospace Industries. While designed for mainly anti-tank warfare, it provides standoff strike ability against a variety of point targets such as armoured personnel carriers (APCs), ships, bunkers, personnel concentrations, and guerrillas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct Attack Guided Rocket</span> Weapons system developed by Lockheed Martin

The Direct Attack Guided Rocket (DAGR) is a weapons system under development by Lockheed Martin. The program goal is to provide a low cost 2.75 inch (70 mm) precision guided rocket which is compatible with existing Hellfire II systems and launchers in service. The system will use components from the existing Hydra 70 rocket, but differs from other upgrades to the Hydra 70 such as APKWS and LOGIR in that it is designed to be plug and play compatible with the Hellfire missile and use the M299 Hellfire launcher, increasing the load-out by up to four times. DAGR also offers a lock-on before launch capability that is not compatible with the electronics in existing Hydra 70 launchers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-176 Griffin</span> American-made air-to-surface and surface-to-surface guided missile

The AGM-176 Griffin is a lightweight, precision-guided munition developed by Raytheon. It can be launched from the ground or air as a rocket-powered missile or dropped from the air as a guided bomb. It carries a relatively small warhead, and was designed to be a precision low-collateral damage weapon for irregular warfare. It has been used in combat by the United States military during the War in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Precision-guided munition</span> "Smart bombs", used to strike targets precisely

A precision-guided munition (PGM), also called a smart weapon, smart munition, or smart bomb, is a type of weapon system that integrates advanced guidance and control systems, such as GPS, laser guidance, or infrared sensors, with various types of munitions,typically missiles or artillery shells, to allow for high-accuracy strikes against designated targets. PGMs are designed to precisely hit a predetermined target, typically with a margin of error that is far smaller than conventional unguided munitions. Unlike unguided munitions, PGMs use active or passive control mechanisms capable of steering the weapon towards its intended target. PGMs are capable of mid-flight course corrections, allowing them to adjust and hit the intended target even if conditions change. PGMs can be deployed from various platforms, including aircraft, naval ships, ground vehicles, ground-based launchers, and UAVs. PGMs are primarily used in military operations to achieve greater accuracy, particularly in complex or sensitive environments, to reduce the risk to operators, lessen civilian harm, and minimize collateral damage. PGMs are considered an essential element in modern warfare to reduce unintended damage and civilian casualties. It is widely accepted that PGMs significantly outperform unguided weapons, particularly against fortified or mobile targets.

References

  1. ↑ "Ultimate Guide on AGM-114 Hellfire Missile: Capabilities, Variants, and Cost". The Defense Post. 22 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "United States Department Of Defense Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Request Program Acquisition Cost By Weapon System" (PDF). Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. January 2016. p. 58. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  3. ↑ Weapon Systems. Department of the Army, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development, and Acquisition. 1998. pp. 125, 215. ISBN   978-0-16-049429-1 . Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  4. ↑ Parsch, Andreas. "Boeing/Lockheed Martin (Rockwell/Martin Marietta) AGM-114 Hellfire". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. The AGM-114B also introduced the Thiokol TX-657 (M120E1) reduced-smoke rocket motor.
  5. ↑ Spring 2014 Industry Study (PDF), National Defence University, Fort McNair, Washington, DC, p. 10, archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022, The component that ... propels the Hellfire is the Thiokol TX-657.
  6. ↑ "AGM-114 Hellfire". Military.com. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Ayman al-Zawahiri: Taking down a terrorist". The Times of India. India. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  8. ↑ Hallion, Richard P. (2018). "Chapter 4: Science, Technology and Air Warfare". In Olsen, John Andreas (ed.). Routledge Handbook of Air Power. Routledge. p. 52. ISBN   978-1-315-20813-8.
  9. ↑ "World Missile Yearbook". Archived from the original on 16 February 2017.Flight International, 14 March 1974.
  10. 1 2 J. FREEDBERG JR., SYDNEY (10 July 2018). "Army Anti-Aircraft Stryker Can Kill Tanks Too". breakingdefense.com. Breaking Defense. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  11. ↑ Maini, Anil K. (26 March 2018). Handbook of Defence Electronics and Optronics: Fundamentals, Technologies and Systems. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 266–267. ISBN   978-1-119-18471-3.
  12. ↑ "AGM-114L Longbow Missile". (shows that the L variant is called Longbow). Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  13. 1 2 Weapon Systems. Department of the Army, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development, and Acquisition. 1998. p. 215. ISBN   978-0-16-049429-1 . Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  14. ↑ United States Congressional Budget Office; Hughes, G. Philip (1978). U.S. Air and Ground Conventional Forces for NATO: Firepower Issues. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 28. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  15. ↑ United States Congress Senate Committee on Armed Services (1975). Hearings, Reports and Prints of the Senate Committee on Armed Services (Report). U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 4660–4662. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  16. ↑ "Introduction of the Hellfire – A Revolutionary Weapon to defeat the Soviet Armor Threat". Archived from the original on 31 January 2009.. Official US Army video at Real Military Flix.
  17. ↑ "Hellfire". Redstone Arsenal Historical Information.
  18. ↑ "AGM-114L Longbow Missile". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  19. ↑ "AGM-114 Hellfire II Missile". Army Technology. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Price, Brian (1998). "Surf Zone Obstacle Clearing by Use of Smart Weapons" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Multi-Purpose Shaped Charge Warheads". General Dynamics Ordinance and Tactical Systems. Archived from the original on 27 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  22. ↑ "K-charge—a multipurpose shaped charge warhead". Google patents. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  23. ↑ Army and Lockheed Martin prepare for production of advanced laser-guided Hellfire missile. Archived 24 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine - Militaryaerospace.com, 10 April 2012.
  24. ↑ Hella Lotta Hellfires. Archived 21 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine . Strategypage.com, 19 October 2012.
  25. ↑ Army Reduces Scope Of Tri-Mode JAGM. Archived 20 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine . Aviation Week, 27 August 2012.
  26. ↑ "Hellfire Replacement Step Closer With Draft JAGM RFP". Aviationweek.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2014.
  27. ↑ "Operation Desert Storm: Investigation of a U.S. Army Fratricide Incident" (PDF). Govinfo. GAO/OSI-95-10. U.S. Government Printing Office. General Accounting Office. 7 April 1995. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  28. ↑ Norton-Taylor, Richard (28 May 2009). "MoD admits use of controversial 'enhanced blast' weapons in Afghanistan". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  29. ↑ Whitaker, Brian (23 March 2004). "Assassination method: surveillance drone and a Hellfire missile". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
  30. ↑ "The Life And Death of Shaikh Yasin". Al Jazeera. 25 March 2004. Archived from the original on 16 August 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  31. ↑ Kasinoff, Laura; Mazzetti, Mark; Cowell, Alan (30 September 2011). "U.S.-Born Qaeda Leader Killed in Yemen". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  32. ↑ Martinez, Michael (5 September 2014). "Top Somali militant killed in U.S. operation, Pentagon says". CNN. Archived from the original on 5 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  33. ↑ "How the US and UK tracked down and killed Jihadi John". The Telegraph. 13 November 2015. Archived from the original on 13 February 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  34. ↑ "Killing Soleimani: How was the operation carried out?".
  35. ↑ "מטוס ססנה לבנוני הופל מעל מכמורת" [Lebanese Cessna shot down over Mikhmoret] (in Hebrew). Ynet. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  36. ↑ "Israel shoots down Lebanese civilian plane". CNN. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  37. ↑ "Iranian UAV Intercepted by an Israeli Helicopter". Israel Defense Forces. 10 February 2018. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  38. ↑ Devlin Barrett, Gordon Lubold. "Missing U.S. Missile Shows Up in Cuba". Archived 4 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine . The Wall Street Journal, 8 January 2016.
  39. ↑ Klapper, Bradley (13 February 2016). "Cuba Returns Dummy Hellfire Missile Mistakenly Received". ABC News. Archived from the original on 13 February 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  40. ↑ "Dummy US missile disappears, turns up in Cuba". Yahoo News. 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  41. ↑ "Hellfire Missile Wrongly Sent To Cuba Was Inert, U.S. Official Says". NPR. 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  42. 1 2 "Hellfire Family of Missiles" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2022.
  43. 1 2 3 2013 US Army Weapon Systems Handbook. United States Department of Defense. October 2012. p. 135. ISBN   9780160914072.
  44. ↑ "AGM-114 Hellfire". Weaponsystems.
  45. 1 2 3 4 "Hellfire Family of Missiles - USAASC" . Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  46. 1 2 Warnick, David. "Program Executive Office Missiles and Space" (PDF). PEO Missiles and Space, US Army. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 April 2021.
  47. ↑ "AGM-114N Hellfire". Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  48. ↑ "Lockheed Martin Distribution Statement" (PDF). US Army. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  49. ↑ "AGM-114 Hellfire Missile". AeroWeb. Archived from the original on 12 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  50. ↑ FM 1-140 Helicopter Gunnery. Washington, D.C.: Headquarters Department of the Army. 29 March 1996. p. 73. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  51. 1 2 Beaumont, Peter (25 September 2020). "US military increasingly using drone missile with flying blades in Syria". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020.
  52. ↑ "Six-bladed 'ninja missile' US used to kill Bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri". The Independent. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  53. ↑ Trevithick, Joseph (9 May 2019). "Secret Hellfire Missile With Sword-Like Blades Made Mysterious Strike On Terror Leader in Syria". The War Zone. The Drive.
  54. ↑ Lubold, Gordon; Strobel, Warren P. (9 May 2019). "Secret U.S. Missile Aims to Kill Only Terrorists, Not Nearby Civilians". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660. Archived from the original on 9 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  55. ↑ Gallagher, Sean (9 May 2019). "Drones used missiles with knife warhead to take out single terrorist targets". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  56. ↑ Schmitt, Eric (24 June 2020). "U.S. Used Missile With Long Blades to Kill Qaeda Leader in Syria" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  57. ↑ Trevithick, Joseph (3 December 2019). "Another Syrian Terrorist Seemingly Killed By Hellfire Missile With Pop-Out Sword Blades (Updated)". The War Zone. The Drive.
  58. ↑ Rogoway, Tyler (12 January 2020). "America's Shadowy Sword Wielding Hellfire Missile Has Migrated To The Afghan Battlefield". The War Zone. The Drive.
  59. ↑ Schmitt, Eric (24 September 2020). "U.S. Commandos Use Secretive Missiles to Kill Qaeda Leaders in Syria". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
  60. ↑ "M299/M310 Hellfire Longbow Missile Launcher for rotary wing aircraft".
  61. ↑ "AGM-114N Hellfire". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  62. ↑ "AGM-114 Hellfire Missile Ultimate Guide: Capabilities, Variants, and Cost". 22 March 2021.
  63. ↑ "US Hellfire Missile Orders, FY 2011-2020". Defense Industry Daily. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  64. ↑ Pilkington, Ed (3 August 2022). "How Ayman al-Zawahiri's 'pattern of life' allowed the US to kill al-Qaida leader". The Guardian.
  65. ↑ Stone, Mike; Ali, Idrees (3 August 2022). "Little-known modified Hellfire missiles likely killed al Qaeda's Zawahiri". Reuters.
  66. ↑ "Explained: All about Hellfire R9X – the drone missile with razor-sharp blades used to kill al-Zawahiri". The Indian Express. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  67. 1 2 Altman, Howard (7 February 2024). "Bladed Hellfire Missile Likely Killed Top Iran-Backed Militia Leader In Baghdad". The Warzone. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  68. ↑ Apache Guardian set to deploy on May Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine - Koreatimes.co.kr, 26 January 2016
  69. ↑ "US sends Hellfire missiles to Iraq". Belfast Telegraph. 27 December 2013. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
  70. ↑ "New Iraqi Airborne Strike Capability Spotted". Aviation Week & Space Technology . 14 October 2008. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
  71. ↑ KC-130J Harvest Hawk takes on new role in Afghanistan Archived 9 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine - DVIDS
  72. ↑ "The Archangel: Crop Duster to Tank Buster". Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  73. ↑ "Come, Gabriel, Blow Your Horn". Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  74. ↑ "The U.S. Air Force's New AC-130 Gunships Are Really Bomb Trucks". FoxTrot Alpha. 1 June 2014. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  75. ↑ Ahronheim, Anna (30 November 2016). "Israel Navy Debuts New Super Dvora Patrol Craft". The Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  76. ↑ Norwegian article about the experimental deployment of Hellfire missiles on coastal patrol boats (from the official web site of the Norwegian Armed Forces).
  77. ↑ Muñoz, Carlo (14 January 2014). "SNA 2014: Navy Won't Rule Out Army Longbow Hellfire for LCS". news.usni.org. U.S. Naval Institute. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  78. ↑ United States Naval Institute (13 January 2017). "USS Detroit fires hellfire missiles in first ever test of LCS mission package". USNI News Video. Archived from the original on 11 November 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  79. ↑ Eckstein, Megan (3 July 2019). "Navy Completed Hellfire Tests on Littoral Combat Ship, Will Likely Deploy Later This Year". USNI. U.S. Naval Institute. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  80. ↑ Munoz, Carlo. "New army launcher successfully fires Hellfire, Sidewinder missiles". upi.com. United Press International. Archived from the original on 13 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  81. ↑ Army ‘prohibited’ soldiers from using Hellfire with M-SHORAD on Strykers due to safety concerns. Breaking Defense. 18 June 2024.
  82. ↑ "AGM-114 Hellfire and Longbow Hellfire", Jane's Weapon Systems, Vol. 1: Air-Launched, 19 March 2013.
  83. ↑ "ЦАМТО / / Lockheed Martin поставит ПТУР AGM-114 "Хеллфайр" СВ США и инозаказчикам". armstrade.org.
  84. ↑ Newdick, Thomas (6 November 2023). "Israeli AH-64 Apache Appears With Mysterious Hellfire Missile". The War Zone. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  85. ↑ "Heavy U.S. Military Aid to Lebanon Arrives ahead of Elections". Naharnet Newsdesk. 9 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 November 2009. Retrieved 9 April 2009.
  86. ↑ "Robot 17". Försvarsmakten (in Swedish). Försvarsmakten . Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  87. ↑ "Proposed Foreign Military Sale to Tunisia". Archived from the original on 27 July 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  88. ↑ "Sweden sends anti-ship and anti-tank missiles to Ukraine". The Local. 22 June 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.