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AGM-114 Hellfire
 
 
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The AGM-114 Hellfire is a multi-platform, multi-target United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 modular missile
Missile

A guided missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used....
 system. The name comes from the fact that it was originally intended to be a helicopter-launched fire-and-forget
Fire-and-forget

Fire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military use the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target....
 weapon (HELicopter FIRE-and-forget). Initial problems with the TV-based guidance system forced designers to consider a laser-tracking system.

Description
The development of the Hellfire Missile System began in 1974 with the U.S. Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 requirement for a "tank-buster", launched from helicopters to defeat armored vehicles.






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The AGM-114 Hellfire is a multi-platform, multi-target United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 modular missile
Missile

A guided missile is a self-propelled projectile used as a weapon. Missiles are typically propelled by rockets or jet engines. Missiles generally have one or more explosive warheads, although other weapon types may also be used....
 system. The name comes from the fact that it was originally intended to be a helicopter-launched fire-and-forget
Fire-and-forget

Fire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military use the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target....
 weapon (HELicopter FIRE-and-forget). Initial problems with the TV-based guidance system forced designers to consider a laser-tracking system.

Description


The development of the Hellfire Missile System began in 1974 with the U.S. Army
United States Army

The United States Army is the branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for Army operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S....
 requirement for a "tank-buster", launched from helicopters to defeat armored 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. The early variants were laser guided
Laser guidance

Laser guidance is a technique of guiding a missile or other projectile or vehicle to a target by means of a laser beam. Some laser guided systems utilise beam riding guidance, but most operate more similarly to semi-active radar homing ....
 with recent variants being radar guided. The Hellfire has matured into a comprehensive weapon system, one that can be deployed from rotary- and fixed-wing aircraft, naval assets, and land-based systems against a variety of targets.

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 frag sleeve, AGM-114M (blast fragmentation), and AGM-114N metal augmented charge
Thermobaric weapon

Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional explosive weapons by using atmospheric oxygen, instead of carrying an oxidizer in their explosives....
 (MAC)—achieve pinpoint accuracy by homing in on a reflected laser beam aimed at the target from the launching platform. Predator and Reaper
MQ-9 Reaper

The MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and the British Royal Air Force....
 UAVs
Unmanned aerial vehicle

File:MQ-9 Reaper in flight .jpgAn unmanned aerial vehicle is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location, and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems....
 carry the Hellfire II, but the most common platform is the AH-64 Apache
AH-64 Apache

The AH-64 Apache is an all-weather day-night military attack helicopter with a four-bladed main and tail rotor and a crew of two pilots who sit in tandem....
 helicopter gunship, which can carry up to sixteen of the missiles at once. The AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, is a fire-and-forget
Fire-and-forget

Fire-and-forget is a third-generation method of missile guidance. The military use the term for a type of missile which does not require further guidance after launch such as illumination of the target, and can hit its target without the launcher being in line-of-sight of the target....
 weapon: equipped with a millimeter wave (MMW) radar seeker, it requires no further guidance after launch and can hit its target without the launcher being in line of sight of the target. It also provides capability in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants. Each Hellfire weighs 47 kg / 106 pounds, including the 9 kg / 20 pound warhead, and has a range of 8,000 meters. As of late 2007, some 21,000 Hellfire IIs have been built since 1990, at a cost of about $68,000 each.

The Joint Common Missile (JCM) was to replace Hellfire II (along with the AGM-65 Maverick
AGM-65 Maverick

The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground missile designed for close air support. It is effective against a wide range of Military tactic targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities....
) 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
United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Military of the United States....
 canceled a number of projects that they felt no longer warranted continuation based on their cost effectiveness, including the JCM, although some military and industry sources have produced data showing JCM is the most cost-effective way of adding performance on a timely basis across multiple platforms to meet projected threat growth. A possible new procurement for a JCM successor called the Joint Air to Ground Missile
Joint Air to Ground Missile

The Joint Air to Ground Missile is a U.S. program to develop an air to surface missile to replace the current BGM-71 TOW, AGM-114 Hellfire and AGM-65 Maverick missiles....
 (JAGM) is under consideration. Due to the U.S. military
Military of the United States

The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified armed forces of the United States. The United States military was first formed by the second Second Continental Congress to defend the new nation against the British Empire in the American Revolutionary War....
's continuing need for a proven precision-strike aviation weapon in the interim until a successor to the JCM is fielded, as well as extensive foreign sales, it is likely the Hellfire will continue to remain in service for many years to come.

Combat history

Since being fielded, Hellfire missiles have proven their effectiveness in combat in Operation Just Cause in Panama
Panama

Panama, officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America and, in turn, North America. Situated on an isthmus connecting North and South America, some categorize it as a transcontinental nation....
, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Allied Force
Operation Allied Force

The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 11, 1999....
 in Kosovo
Kosovo

Kosovo is a disputed region in the Balkans. Its majority is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo . Serbia does not recognise the secession of Kosovo and considers it a United Nations-governed entity within its sovereign territory, the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija that was re-created by Slobodan M...
, Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom

Operation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its contribution to the War in Afghanistan , together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its War on Terrorism ....
 in Afghanistan
Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country that is located approximately in the center of Asia....
, and most recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom
Iraq War

The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing conflicts military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the 2003 invasion of Iraq by a Multinational force in Iraq now led by and composed almost entirely of troops from the United States and United King...
—where they have been fired successfully from Apache and Cobra attack helicopters, Kiowa scout helicopters, and Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs
Unmanned aerial vehicle

File:MQ-9 Reaper in flight .jpgAn unmanned aerial vehicle is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location, and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems....
). The Israeli Defence Forces have used them extensively against Palestinian targets.

Between 2001 and 2007, the U.S. has fired over 6,000 Hellfires in combat. The US military has found the missile effective in urban areas as the relatively small warhead reduces the risk of civilian casualties. The laser guidance allows a skilled operator to put a missile through the window of a building.

In 2008 the usage of the AGM-114N variant caused controversy in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 when it was found out that these thermobaric munitions were added to the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts....
 (RAF) arsenal in secrecy. Thermobaric weapons have been condemned as "brutal" by human rights groups. The British Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the Departments of the United Kingdom Government responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
 circumvents this by calling the AGM-114N an "enhanced blast weapon".

Launch vehicles and systems


  • A-10 Thunderbolt II
    A-10 Thunderbolt II

    The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an United states single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild for the United States Air Force to provide close air support of ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction capability....
  • AH-1W Cobra
    AH-1 Cobra

    The AH-1 Cobra is a two-bladed, single engine attack helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter Textron. It shares a common engine, Transmission and Helicopter rotor system with the older UH-1 Iroquois....
  • AH-64 Apache
    AH-64 Apache

    The AH-64 Apache is an all-weather day-night military attack helicopter with a four-bladed main and tail rotor and a crew of two pilots who sit in tandem....
  • Agusta A129 Mangusta
    Agusta A129 Mangusta

    The Agusta A129 Mangusta is an attack helicopter manufactured by Agusta of Italy. It is the first attack helicopter to be designed and produced wholly in Western Europe....
  • Eurocopter Tiger ARH
    Eurocopter Tiger

    The Eurocopter Tiger is an attack helicopter manufactured by Eurocopter. In Germany it is known as the Tiger; in France and Spain it is called the Tigre....
  • Combat Boat 90
    Combat Boat 90

    Combat Boat 90 is a class of fast military assault craft originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet. In addition to the many variants in service with the Swedish Navy under the Strb 90 H designation, the CB 90 has been adopted by the navies of several countries, including Norway , Greece, Mexico and Malaysia....
  • SH-60 / MH-60R / MH-60S Seahawk
    Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk

    The Sikorsky Aircraft SH-60/MH-60 Seahawk is a twin turboshaft engine, multi-mission United States Navy helicopter based on the airframe of the United States Army UH-60 Black Hawk and a member of the Sikorsky S-70 family....
  • OH-58D Kiowa Warrior
    OH-58 Kiowa

    OH-58 Kiowa is a family of single-engine, single-rotor, military helicopters used for observation, utility, and direct fire support. Bell Helicopter originally manufactured the OH-58 for the United States Army, based on the Bell 206 helicopter....
  • P 6297 Hellfire Missile Boat
  • Portable Ground Launch System
  • RAH-66 Comanche
    RAH-66 Comanche

    The Boeing Helicopters/Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation RAH-66 Comanche was an advanced United States Army military helicopter intended for the armed reconnaissance role, incorporating Stealth technology techniques....
  • MQ-1B Predator
    RQ-1 Predator

    The MQ-1 Predator is an unmanned aerial vehicle which the United States Air Force describes as a MALE UAV system. It can serve in a reconnaissance role and fire two AGM-114 Hellfire missiles....
  • MQ-9 Reaper
    MQ-9 Reaper

    The MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use by the United States Air Force, the United States Navy, and the British Royal Air Force....
  • UH-60 Blackhawk
  • Westland WAH-64 Apache
    Westland WAH-64 Apache

    The Westland WAH-64 Apache is a licence-built version of the Boeing Integrated Defense Systems AH-64 Apache attack helicopter for the British Army....
  • Cessna 208
    Cessna 208

    The Cessna 208 Caravan, also known as the Cargomaster, is a single turboprop engine, fixed-gear short-haul regional airliner and utility aircraft built in the United States by Cessna....
  • MQ-1C Warrior
    MQ-1C Warrior

    The General Atomics MQ-1C Warrior is an Extended-Range Multi-Purpose unmanned aerial vehicle under development by General Atomics , funded by United States Army....
The system has been tested for use on the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) and the Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV). Test shots have also been fired from a C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft built by Lockheed. It is the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide....
 (see photos below). Sweden
Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
 and Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
 use the Hellfire for coastal defense, and Norway
Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
 has conducted tests with Hellfire launchers on Protector M151
Protector M151

The PROTECTOR M151 Remote Weapon Station is a Remote weapon system that can be mounted to vehicles and stationary platforms. It is manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Kongsberg, Norway....
 remotely-controlled weapon systems mounted on the Stridsbåt 90 coastal assault boat.

Operators

  • **
  • *

Variants


AGM-114A Basic Hellfire

  • Target: Tanks, armored vehicles.
  • Range: 8,000 m (8,750 yd)
  • Guidance: Semi-active laser homing
    Laser guidance

    Laser guidance is a technique of guiding a missile or other projectile or vehicle to a target by means of a laser beam. Some laser guided systems utilise beam riding guidance, but most operate more similarly to semi-active radar homing ....
     (SALH).
  • Warhead
    Warhead

    Typically, a warhead is the explosive material and detonator that is delivered by a missile, rocket, or torpedo....
    : 8 kg (18 lb) shaped charge
    Shaped charge

    A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Various types are used to cut and form metal, initiate nuclear weapons, and penetrate armour....
     HEAT
    Heat

    In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
    .
  • Length: 163 cm (64 in)
  • Weight: 45 kg (99 lb)


AGM-114B/C Basic Hellfire

  • M120E1 low smoke motor.
  • AGM-114B has electronic SAD (Safe/Arming Device) for safe shipboard use.
  • Unit cost: $25,000


AGM-114D/E Basic Hellfire

  • Proposed upgrade of AGM-114B/C with digital autopilot—not built.


AGM-114F Interim Hellfire

  • Target: Tanks, armored vehicles.
  • Range: 7,000 m (7,650 yd)
  • Guidance: Semi-active laser homing.
  • Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge
    Tandem-charge

    A tandem-charge weapon is an explosive device or projectile that has two or more stages of detonation. It is effective against cage armor as well as reactive armor which is designed to protect an armored vehicle against Anti-tank warfare arsenal....
     HEAT.
  • Length: 180 cm (71 in)
  • Weight: 48.5 kg (107 lb)


AGM-114G Interim Hellfire

  • Proposed version of AGM-114F with SAD—not built.


AGM-114H Interim Hellfire

  • Proposed upgrade of AGM-114F with digital autopilot—not built.


AGM-114J Hellfire II

  • Proposed version of AGM-114F with lighter components, shorter airframe, and increased range—not built.


AGM-114K Hellfire II

Lockheed Martin Hellfire Ii
*Target: All armored threats
  • Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
    • Digital autopilot
    • Electro-optical countermeasures hardening
    • Target reacquisition after lost laser lock
  • New electronic SAD
  • Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge HEAT
  • Length: 163 cm (64 in)
  • Weight: 45 kg (99 lb)
  • Unit cost: $65,000
  • Essentially the proposed AGM-114J w/ SAD


AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire

  • Target: All armored threats
  • Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd)
  • Guidance:
    • Fire and forget
    • Capability in adverse weather and battlefield obscurants
    • Inertial guidance
    • Millimeter wave radar seeker
    • Home-on-jam anti-radiation mode
  • Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge high explosive anti-tank (HEAT)
  • Length: 176 cm (69.2 in)
  • Weight: 49 kg (108 lb)


AGM-114M Hellfire II

  • Target: Bunkers, light vehicles, urban (soft) targets and caves
  • Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
  • Warhead: Blast fragmentation/incendiary
  • Weight: 48 kg (105 lb)
  • Length: 163 cm (64 in)


AGM-114N Hellfire II

  • Target: Enclosures, ships, urban targets, air defense units
  • Range: 8,000 m (8,749 yd)
  • Guidance:
    • Semi-active laser homing
  • Warhead: Metal augmented charge (MAC) (Thermobaric)
  • Weight: 48 kg (105lb)
  • Length: 163 cm (64 in)


AGM-114P Hellfire II

  • Version of AGM-114K optimized for use from UAVs flying at high altitude.


Rocket motor


Hellfire Motor Drawing1
*Contractor: Alliant Techsystems
Alliant Techsystems

Alliant Techsystems Inc. is one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in United States with approximately 17,000 employees and operations in 21 states....
  • Designation:
    • M120E3 (Army)
    • M120E4 (Navy)
  • Main features:
    • Qualified minimum smoke propellant
    • Rod and tube grain design
    • Neoprene
      Neoprene

      Neoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. It is used in a wide variety of applications, such as in wetsuits, laptop sleeves, orthopedic braces , electricity electrical insulation, and automobile fan belt s....
       bondline system
  • Performance:
    • Operating temperature: −43 °C to 63 °C (−45 °F to 145 °F)
    • Storage temperature: −43 °C to 71 °C (−45 °F to 160 °F
    • Service life: 20+ years (estimated)
  • Technical data:
    • Weight: 14.2 kg (31.3 lb)
    • Length: 59.3 cm (23.35 in)
    • Diameter: 18 cm (7.0 in)
    • Case: 7075-T73 aluminum
    • Insulator: R-181 aramid fiber
      Aramid

      Aramid fibers are a class of heat-resistant and strong synthetic fibers. They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated bulletproof vest cloth, and as an asbestos substitute....
      -filled EPDM
    • Nozzle: Cellulose phenolic
    • Propellant: Minimum smoke cross linked double based (XLDB)


Photos






See also

  • Brimstone missile
    Brimstone missile

    Brimstone is an advanced air-launched anti-tank guided missile developed by MBDA....
  • AGM-169 Joint Common Missile
  • Euromissile HOT
    Euromissile HOT

    HOT is an anti-tank missile system developed by Euromissile , a joint venture of France and Germany, and produced since 1978. It has become one of the most successful missiles of its class, used by no fewer than a dozen countries worldwide and has been validated in actual combat....
  • PARS 3 LR
  • List of missiles
    List of missiles

    Below is a list of missiles, sorted alphabetically by name. See also the list of rockets and the list of missiles by country....
  • U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command
  • AN/PAQ-1
    AN/PAQ-1

    The AN/PAQ-1 is a near infrared laser rangefinder/designator used by forward observers to obtain target range and designate targets. It is a lightweight, handheld, battery operated laser device....
  • Direct Attack Guided Rocket
    Direct Attack Guided Rocket

    The Direct Attack Guided Rocket is a weapons system under development by Lockheed Martin. The program goal is to provide a low cost 2.75 inch precision guided rocket which is compatible with existing Hellfire II systems and launchers in service....


External links

  • Archived copy
    Internet Archive

    The Internet Archive is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and maintaining a free and openly accessible online digital library, including an archive site of the World Wide Web....
     of