Lockheed Martin Received $483 Million Contract To Produce Hellfire Air-to-ground Missiles

The US has awarded Lockheed Martin $483 million to produce a new batch of AGM-114R2 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and Joint-Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM).

Under the contract, an undisclosed number of missiles will be delivered to the US Army, as well as the Czech Republic, France, and Poland through foreign military sales.

The JAGMs will be utilized by the European countries’ attack helicopters, to be fitted onto Czechia’s AH-1Z Vipers, France’s Eurocopter Tiger HADs, and Poland’s AW149 aircraft.

“This follow-on contract signals the Army’s continued confidence in both the JAGM and HELLFIRE systems as premier defense capabilities when it comes to ensuring customer readiness worldwide,” Lockheed Martin Multi-Domain Missile Systems program management director Joey Drake said.

The contract is the third follow-on award for the program, initially awarded in 2023. The total value of the contract has grown to $4.5 billion.

Designed as an air-to-surface tactical missile for anti-armor use, the AGM-114 Hellfire is capable of executing precision drone strikes with its semi-active laser homing system and radar seeker.

The missile can reach Mach 1.3 (995 miles/1,600 kilometers per hour) and has an operational range of up to 6.8 miles (11 kilometers).

It has been used in multiple battles against high-profile targets, seeing action in the two Iraq wars, as well as responses to terrorist attacks in Yemen, Somalia, and Afghanistan.

The missile is currently operated by 32 countries, including Australia, India, and Ukraine.

An intended replacement for several air-to-ground missiles, including the Hellfire, the JAGM is designed to take out high-value stationary and moving land and naval targets from a distance of up to 16 kilometers (10 miles).

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