Do not approach munitions
under any circumstances →
Country or territory where the image was reported

Reported Location (22)

Year the image is reported to have been taken

Year (18)

Classification groups of key explosive munitions used in conflicts

Munition Category (6)

The impact or effect the munition is intended to have

Functional use (8)

The specific model of munition pictured

Tentative Model (183)

An air-to-surface missile equipped with a kinetic warhead consisting of 6 blades which extend from its body and deploy during flight, replacing the explosive warhead used by other AGM-114 Hellfire variants.
AGM-114R9X Hellfire
✕

Search

The external organisation that documented the munition

Research Organisation (5)

Colour of the munition pictured

Base Colour (10)

Colour of all, or some, of the markings on the munition

Marking Colour (9)

Language or script of the marking on a munition

Marking Script (9)

Condition of the munition pictured

Condition (6)

Key features defining the operation mechanisms of a projectile

Mechanical Feature (9)

Whether a munition is guided or unguided

Guidance (2)

Where the munition is launched from and what it targets

Domain (5)

The type of fins visible on the munition

Fins Characteristic (5)

The nominal diameter of a projectile. For most modern munitions, this is expressed in millimetres (e.g. 82 mm mortar projectile), but older artillery gun projectiles may be described in inches.

Calibre (52)

Weight class of the aerial bomb pictured

Weight Class (12)

× Clear all filters
5 results

Current Filter

AGM-114R9X Hellfire
An air-to-surface missile equipped with a kinetic warhead consisting of 6 blades which extend from its body and deploy during flight, replacing the explosive warhead used by other AGM-114 Hellfire variants. The munition was first publicly used in 2019 and is often colloquially referred to as the ‘Ninja missile’ in media reports. It relies on its 45 kg weight in combination with blades to kill specific individuals in open areas or inside soft vehicles, such as cars. The R9X is often fired at high-priority targets, such as militant group leadership figures, and has seen comparatively widespread use in parts of northern Syria, as well as more limited use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
OSMP1049
Rocket or Missile Syria AGM-114R9X Hellfire
Analyst Note:
This image shows the pneumatic accumulator, or ‘accumulator bottle’, of the AGM-114R9X missile. The accumulator bottle stores gas that is used to actuate the fins, adjusting the trajectory of the missile in flight. All AGM-114 Hellfire-series missiles have an accumulator bottle. The accumulator bottle is a fragment that often survives intact, even in Hellfire missile variants that carry an explosive payload. (ARES)
OSMP512
Rocket or Missile Iraq AGM-114R9X Hellfire
Analyst Note:
This image shows a component believed to be part of the folding-blade assembly used in the AGM-114R-9X variant of the Hellfire missile. Blades are used in place of an explosive payload to create a kinetic weapon that achieves a practical level of lethality whilst minimising collateral harm. (ARES)
OSMP582
Rocket or Missile Syria AGM-114R9X Hellfire
Analyst Note:
Little is known with certainty about the AGM-114-R9X variant of the Hellfire missile, although it has been associated with high-profile targeted killings including those of senior al-Qaeda figures. The weapon functions as a kinetic-impact munition, using pop-out blades—rather than an explosive warhead—to reduce the prospects of collateral harm. (ARES)