How do hellfire missiles work

It can also be used as an air-to-air weapon against helicopters or slow-moving fixed-wing aircraft. Hellfire can be used as an air-to-air or an air-to-ground missile.

The Air-to-Ground AGM provides precision striking power against tanks, structures, bunkers and helicopters. The Hellfire missile is capable of defeating any known tank in the world today. It can be guided to the target either from inside the aircraft or by lasers outside the aircraft.

The U. The demonstration, which took place in These include:. Army in April In , the U. Air Force began a program to equip its unarmed, surveillance-focused MQ-1 Predator drone with the Hellfire.

Japan, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, and Thailand have also expressed interest in procuring the missile. Footnotes Paul F. Adam W.

Malcolm W. PDF; John R. Gordon Lubold and Warren P. Randy C. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website. Improved upon the AGMC. Features millimeter-wave radar guidance instead of a semi-active laser, providing fire-and-forget capability and the ability to operate in poor weather conditions. Developed for the Navy. It weighs lb and measures 71 inches. The production started in , ended in and the US has inventory until It weighs lb, has subsonic speed, and its length is 5 ft 11 inches.

With JAGM, targets could be struck day or night in adverse weather and blurred battlefield conditions from a safer distance farther away than current missiles.

The new missile will have an improved fire and forget capability, will be able to hit moving targets, strike in adverse weather conditions, and have improved operational flexibility. There is specific information about the cost of Hellfire II missiles. Pentagon contracts vary across years, purchasing armies, and variants.

But these prices almost double when the program includes training support, technical support, spare and repair parts as well as logistical support. But the sale also comes with repair and return, spare and repair parts, support equipment, documentation, personnel training and equipment, logistics and technical support services. These include:. Photo: US Army. Story Highlights.