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Defence & Security News - (UK)
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| New order for AGM-114R Hellfire II missiles from the UK | |||
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The United Kingdom will soon receive a new order of Hellfire missiles. The FMS has received State Department’s approval and has already been delivered to the Congress for certification. The missiles are expected to enhance the British Armed Forces’ closer air support capabilities.
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 A WAH-64D Apache Longbow firing a Hellfire missile against a sea target. (Photo: UK Royal Navy) |
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The request has been for 500 units of the AGM-114R Hellfire II Semi-Active Laser (SAL) missiles, with an estimated cost of USD80 million. The sale will not be implemented through a contractor, as the missiles are coming from the US Army’s inventory and do not affect its readiness. There are no known offset agreements regarding this sale. The UK has been using these missiles from aerial platforms such as the AgustaWestland WAH-64 Apache attack helicopters and the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAVs. The AGM-114R missile entered service in 2012. It has a multi-purpose warhead, which makes it ideal for a variety of targets, ranging from armoured vehicles and tanks, to boats and fast moving vehicles. A semi-active laser homing system guides it to distances up to 8,000 metres. |
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