The upgraded Hellfire II variant entered U.S. service in 1996 and, since then, has been widely used on many platforms, but achieved fame particularly as the weapon of choice for drones like the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper during the years of the War on Terror. American drones and Hellfire missiles were famously involved in the strike that stopped the fleeing convoy of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, in the strike in Baghdad that targeted the Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and in the elimination of al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Longbow radar is famously mounted on the top of the rotor of the newer Apache versions, allowing the helicopter to engage enemy targets while behind cover and only exposing the radar on top.
Author: Stefano D'Urso
Published at: 2025-08-23 21:35:19
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