For the weapon of the fortnight, I will talk
about the AGM-114 Hellfire; it was the missile that was involved in the killing
of the terrorist, Awlaki. I hope that this weapon will be use more often to
wipe out terrorists, foreign invaders and the worst criminals.
I
got the information from Wikipedia:
The AGM-114 Hellfire is an air-to-surface missile (ASM) developed
primarily for anti-armor use. It has multi-mission, multi-target
precision-strike capability, and can be launched from multiple air, sea, and
ground platforms. The Hellfire missile is the primary 100 lb-class
air-to-ground precision weapon for the armed forces of the United States and
many other nations.
The AGM-114 Hellfire is a combat-proven tactical missile system; the
missile has been in combat use since the mid-1980s.
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A model of
a Hellfire's components
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Type Air-to-surface
and surface-to-surface missile
Place of
origin United States of America
Production history:
Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin
Unit cost US$68,000
Specifications:
Weight 100–108lb
(45.4–49kg)
Length 64 in (163
cm)
Diameter 7 in (17.8
cm)
Warhead High
Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT);
20 lb (9 kg) tandem anti-armor
Metal augmented charge (MAC);
18 lb (8 kg) shaped-charge
Blast Fragmentation
Engine Solid-fuel
rocket
Wingspan 13 in (33
cm)
Operational
range 546 yd – 5 mi (500 m – 8 km)
Speed Mach 1.3
(950 mph; 425 m/s)
Guidance system
Semi-active laser homing
millimeter wave radar seeker
Launch platform
Rotary- and fixed-wing platforms, Unmanned combat air vehicles, tripods,
ships, and ground vehicles
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Hellfire
loaded onto the rails of a United States Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra at
Balad Air Base in Iraq in 2005.
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Description:
The Hellfire today is a comprehensive weapon
system, one that can be deployed from rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft,
waterborne vessels and land-based systems against a variety of targets.
The development of the Hellfire Missile
System began in 1974 with the U.S. Army requirement for a "tank-buster",
launched from helicopters to defeat armored fighting vehicles. Production of
the AGM-114A started in 1982. The Development Test and Evaluation (DT&E)
launch phase of the AGM-114B took place in 1984. The DT&E on the AGM-114K
was completed in Fiscal Year (FY)93 and FY94. AGM-114M did not require a
DT&E because it is the same as the AGM-114K except for the warhead. Most
variants are laser guided with one, AGM-114L "Longbow Hellfire",
being radar guided. 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,
the latter two options allowing the launcher to break line of sight with the
target and seek cover.
The Hellfire II, developed in the early 1990s
is a modular missile system with several variants for maximum battlefield
flexibility. 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. Predator
and Reaper UCAVs carry the Hellfire II, but the most common platform is the AH-64
Apache helicopter gunship, which can carry up to 16 of the missiles at once.
The AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, is a fire-and-forget weapon: equipped with a
millimeter wave (MMW) radar seeker, it requires no further guidance after
launch—even being able to lock-on to its target after launch — and can hit its
target without the launcher or other friendly unit being in line of sight of
the target. It also provides capability in adverse weather and battlefield
obscurants (obscurants such as smoke and fog being able to mask the position of
the target or to prevent the designating laser from producing a detectable
reflection). Each Hellfire weighs 47 kg / 106 pounds, including the
9 kg / 20 pound warhead, and has a range of 8,000 meters. The AGM-114R or
"Romeo" is planned to enter service in late 2012. It uses a
semi-active laser homing guidance system and an integrated blast fragmentation
sleeve warhead to engage targets that previously needed multiple Hellfire
variants. It will replace AGM-114K, M, N, and P variants in U.S. service.
The Joint Common Missile (JCM) was to replace
Hellfire II (along with the AGM-65 Maverick) by around 2011. The JCM was
developed with a tri-mode seeker and a multi-purpose warhead that would combine
the capabilities of the several Hellfire variants. In the budget for FY2006,
the U.S. Department of Defense canceled a number of projects that they felt no
longer warranted continuation based on their cost effectiveness, including the
JCM. A possible new JCM successor called the Joint Air to Ground Missile (JAGM)
is under consideration.
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Predator
launching a Hellfire missile
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Combat history:
Since being fielded, Hellfire missiles have
proven their effectiveness in combat in Operation Just Cause in Panama, Operation
Desert Storm in Persian Gulf, Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia, Operation
Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, in Operation Iraqi Freedom, where they have
been fired successfully from Apache and Super Cobra attack helicopters, Kiowa
scout helicopters, and Predator unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs).
From 2001 to 2007, the U.S. military fired
over 6,000 Hellfires in combat. It has found the missile effective in urban
areas, as the relatively small warhead reduces the risk of civilian casualties.
The only known operational air-to-air kill
with a Hellfire took place on 24 May 2001. 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. Fearing a terrorist
attack, an Israeli Air Force AH-64A helicopter fired upon the Cessna, resulting
in its complete disintegration, and the death of Estephan Nicolian, a student
pilot.
In 2008, the usage of the AGM-114N variant
caused controversy in the United Kingdom when it was reported that these thermobaric
munitions were added to the British Army arsenal. Thermobaric weapons have been
condemned by human rights groups. The UK Ministry of Defence refers to the
AGM-114N as an "enhanced blast weapon".
The AGM-114 has been the munition of choice
for airborne targeted killings that have included high-profile figures such as Ahmed
Yassin (Hamas leader) in 2004 by the Israeli Air Force and; Anwar al-Awlaki
(American-born Islamic cleric and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leader) in
Yemen in 2011, and Abu Yahya al-Libi in Pakistan in 2012 by the United States.
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A Hellfire
II exposed through transparent casing.
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Launch vehicles and systems:
Manned helicopters
- AH-1W SuperCobra
- AH-1Z Viper
- AH-64 Apache
- Agusta A129 Mangusta
- Eurocopter Tiger
- SH-60 / MH-60R / MH-60S Seahawk
- OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
- RAH-66 Comanche
- AH-6 Little Bird
- UH-60 Blackhawk
- Westland WAH-64 Apache
Fixed-wing aircraft
- AC-208 Combat Caravan
- Lockheed Martin KC-130 Harvest HAWK
- A-29 Super Tucano
- Air Tractor AT-802U
Unmanned aircraft
- MQ-1B Predator
- MQ-9 Reaper
- Predator C
- MQ-1C Grey Eagle
Manned boat
- Combat Boat 90
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Cross
section diagram of Hellfire rocket motor, showing the rod and tube grain
design.
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Experimental platforms:
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 Norway
has conducted tests with Hellfire launchers on Protector M151 remotely-controlled
weapon systems mounted on the Stridsbåt 90 coastal assault boat.
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An
AGM-114 Hellfire missile hung on the rail of an US Air Force MQ-1L Predator
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is inscribed with, "IN MEMORY OF HONORABLE
RONALD REAGAN."
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Operators:
• Australia
• Egypt
• France
• Greece
• Iraq
• Israel
• Italy
• Japan
• Jordan
• Kuwait
• Lebanon
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Sweden
• Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Thailand
• Turkey
• United Arab Emirates
• United Kingdom
• United States
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