Lockheed Martin was awarded an almost $632 million contract for Hellfire missiles for the Netherlands and Japan, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a release.
The $631,757,949 fixed-price-incentive contract is to “procure a variety of Hellfire II missile variants in containers,” and has an estimated completion date of September 30, 2021, the Monday, October 1 release said.
The AGM-114 Hellfire is a 100-lb-class missile that can used against armored targets, vehicles, urban structures, boats and personnel. Although originally designed for helicopters, the missile can now be launched from air, sea and ground platforms.
It features a three-axis inertial measurement unit that enables the missile to engage targets to the front, side and behind without requiring the launcher to maneuver into position.
The Hellfire II is a modular missile and has a range of up to 8 km (8,750 yards).
Most variants are equipped with semi-active laser seeker, including the AGM-114K high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), AGM-114M blast fragmentation, AGM-114N metal augmented charge.
The AGM-114R “Romeo” carries a K-charge multi-purpose warhead, enabling it to replace other variants in the U.S. inventory.
The AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, is equipped with a millimeter wave radar seeker and needs no further guidance after launch. The fire-and-forget weapon can also lock-on after launch.
In September, Lockheed Martin was awarded almost $50 million by the U.S. Army for the procurement of its Hellfire replacement, the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. In late June, the new JAGM system passed review, enabling it to enter low-rate initial production, and Lockheed said at the time that U.S. Army operational capability is expected this year.