What is Hellfire Missile?

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About Hellfire Missile:

The AGM-114 Hellfire missile is one of the most popular short-range air-to-ground (sometimes air-to-air) laser-guided, subsonic tactical missiles used by the United States military as well as 30 US allies.
The United States began developing the AGM-114 Hellfire in 1972 to address the Army’s requirement for a helicopter-launched antitank missile to counter Soviet armor formations.
The missile is used to target armored vehicles, including tanks, bunkers, radar systems and antennas, communications equipment, soft targets, or hovering helicopters.
It is the missile of choice for several kinds of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), such as the MQ-1B Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and MQ-1C Grey Eagle.
Features:
- It has a length of 1.62 m, a diameter of 17.7 cm and a wingspan of 0.71 m.
- Each Hellfire weighs 45.4 kg-49 kg including an 8 kg-9 kg multipurpose warhead.
- It is propelled by a single-stage solid-propellant solid-fuel rocket motor.
- The missile has a maximum velocity of 950 mph.

o Range: 7-11 km

The AGM-114R multipurpose missile is the latest in the Hellfire II missile range.
- Also known as the Hellfire Romeo, the missile integrates the capabilities of all previous Hellfire II variants.
- It can be launched from several different kinds of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, surface ships, and military ground vehicles.
- It uses a semi-active laser guidance system and an integrated blast fragmentation sleeve warhead to engage targets that previously needed several Hellfire variants to destroy.

Q1: What is the MQ-9B Predator?

It is a high-altitude, long-endurance armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations. It is a variant of the MQ-9 “Reaper” developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), with its primary purpose being for the United States Air Force (USAF). The United States uses these drones for surveillance, intelligence gathering, and airstrikes.

Source: India, U.S. conclude $3.5-billion deal for procurement of 31 MQ-9B armed UAVs