Lockheed Martin Wins $663.7M Hellfire Missile Contract
The missile can pierce through heavily armored tanks, bunkers, radar systems and antennas, communications equipment, soft targets, or hovering helicopters.
Lockheed Martin has won a $663.7 million updated contract from the Pentagon for Hellfire II missile production. Work is expected to take place in Orlando, Florida with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2024.
The AGM-114 Hellfire missile is one of the most popular air-to-ground missiles used by the US military. With a length of 163cm (5.3 feet) and a diameter of 17.8cm (7 inches), it allows attack helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, ground-based tripods, and vehicles and boats to pierce through heavily armored tanks, bunkers, radar systems and antennas, communications equipment, soft targets, or hovering helicopters.
The missile weighs 49.4kg (108.9lbs) and is equipped with a semi-active laser, which guides the weapon to a marked target. It is developed by Lockheed and currently has 12 variants.
In March, Lockheed Martin unveiled its land, sea, and air launchable counter-drone system to counter emerging threats such as drone swarms. The company was also one recipient of the $17.7 billion contract for the Pentagon’s new ballistic defense missile program, the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI).
