Procurement: Hellfire Rules

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January 13, 2008: The U.S. Army has bought another 431 Hellfire II air-to-ground missiles, for $68,000 each. The AGM-114 (Hellfire II) missiles use either an armor-piercing or blast/fragmentation (for use against non-armored targets and bunkers) warhead. The Hellfire II weighs 106 pounds, carries a 20 pound warhead and has a range of 8,000 meters. The missile is most commonly used by the AH-64 helicopter gunship. An AH-64 can carry up to sixteen Hellfires at once. Predator and Reaper UAVs also use the Hellfire. The missile is popular for use in urban areas, because the small warhead (only a few pounds of explosives) reduces civilian casualties. The missile is accurate enough to be sent through a window (OK, you have to be really good, and lucky, to do this) because of its laser guidance. Hellfire is the most frequently used missile during the war on terror.

 


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