AGM-114 Hellfire

The AGM-114 Hellfire is an American missile made to destroy enemy armor and later used for very exact attacks from drones. It was first called the "Heliborne laser, fire-and-forget missile", which is why it is known as the "Hellfire". This missile can hit many different kinds of targets and can be launched from planes, ships, or the ground. Two famous drones that use it are the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper.

The Hellfire missile is a main weapon for the United States and many other countries. It weighs about 100 pounds (45 kg) and is very good at hitting targets exactly where they need to be. It has also been used on ships and other platforms for different kinds of attacks, like hitting targets on the ground or in the air.

Description

Most Hellfire missiles are guided by a laser. One special version, the AGM-114L "Longbow Hellfire", uses radar instead. The laser can come from the missile itself, like from an attack helicopter, or from someone on the ground. This lets the person firing the missile move away and hide.

The Hellfire missile was first made in 1974 for the United States Army to attack tanks from helicopters. The Hellfire II version came out in the early 1990s and became a common weapon for the U.S. Army in 1996. Many different kinds of Hellfire missiles exist, and they can hit targets very accurately by following a laser beam aimed at the enemy. Aircraft like the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper can carry these missiles, but helicopters like the AH-64 Apache are often used. The Longbow Hellfire can find its target on its own after being fired, even in bad weather or when there is smoke.

Each Hellfire missile weighs about 104 pounds and can fly several miles to hit its target with great precision. A newer version called the AGM-114R "Romeo" Hellfire II started being used in 2012. In October 2012, the U.S. ordered thousands of these missiles for its military and allies. There are plans for a new missile called the Joint Air to Ground Missile that could improve on the Hellfire’s abilities.

Operational history

In 2009, the British Ministry of Defence said that Army Air Corps (AAC) AgustaWestland Apaches used AGM-114N Hellfire missiles against Taliban forces in Afghanistan. They used 20 missiles in 2008 and 20 more in 2009. Some politicians in the British Parliament said these missiles should only be used when no other options are left.

Hellfire missiles have been used in many important missions. They were used to target leaders of groups that opposed peace, such as by the Israeli Air Force in 2004 and the US military in later years in places like Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and Syria.

These missiles can also be used to stop airplanes that do not follow safety rules. In 2001, an Israeli helicopter stopped a small airplane that entered their airspace without permission.

In 2016, it was reported that a training missile without any explosives was accidentally sent to Cuba in 2014. It was later returned.

During recent conflicts, such as the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine has used vehicles with Hellfire launchers to defend against unmanned aircraft. Hellfire missiles were also used in the 2026 Iran war.

Variants

The AGM-114 Hellfire has many versions designed for different uses.

The AGM-114A, B/C, F/FA, K/K2/K2A, L, M, N, P/P+, and R variants were all produced between 1982 and the present, targeting armored vehicles, ships, bunkers, and buildings. They have ranges from 8,700 to 12,000 yards and use different guidance systems, including laser homing and millimeter-wave radar. Warheads vary from shaped charges to blast-fragmentation and thermobaric charges.

The M36 Captive Flight Training Missile is an inert device used for training.

The AGM-114R-9X variant uses a kinetic warhead with blades instead of explosives to target specific individuals while reducing damage to others. It was first used in secret in 2017 and has been used in several operations against leaders of groups like Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders.

Launch vehicles and systems

Manned helicopters

Hellfire missiles on a United States Marine Corps AH-1W Super Cobra

Fixed-wing aircraft

Vessels

Ground vehicles

V2X Tempest

Experimental platforms

The missile was tested for use on the Humvee and the Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV). Test shots were also fired from a C-130 Hercules. Sweden and Norway use the missile for coastal defense and have tested launchers mounted on the Combat Boat 90 coastal assault boat.

The US Navy tested the missile for use on the Freedom-class littoral combat ship and Independence-class littoral combat ship from 2014. The missile was successfully fired from a ship in early 2017. This system was set to deploy by late 2019.

In 2016 the Longbow missile 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.

The Longbow missile was initially equipped on the Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) version of the Stryker to serve as a counter-drone missile, but in 2024 the U.S. Army stopped its use on the platform after finding that placing the missiles on a ground vehicle for a long time caused wear and tear that led to safety concerns.

Operators

Map with Hellfire operators in blue

Many countries around the world use the Hellfire missile. Some of these countries include:

Type	Air-to-surface / surface-to-surface missile
Place of origin	United States
In service	1984–present
Manufacturer	Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman
Operational range	0.5 to 11 km

Description

Operational history

Variants

Launch vehicles and systems

Manned helicopters

Fixed-wing aircraft

Vessels

Ground vehicles

Experimental platforms

Operators

Images

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