AGM-114 Hellfire missiles on board US Navy warships to defend against UAVs

Rocket An AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire is launched from a surface-to-surface missile module (SSMM) aboard the Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8), May 12, 2022.
The US Navy has quickly equipped its Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) with new Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capabilities in the form of the Longbow Hellfire missile.
The US Navy has deployed a new counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAS) system on at least two of its Freedom-class LCS ships, either a re-corvette or a sub-frigate, the Americans have not yet decided. The second ship to receive these RGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile launch modules, USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21), underwent modernization in November 2024, and USS Indianapolis (LCS-17) was deployed as part of the 5th fleet, based in Bahrain from March to November 2024. USS Indianapolis was the first to receive the upgrade, and official photographs show the work was completed as early as September 2024.
The upgrade includes the Surface-to-Surface Missile Module (SSMM), a 24-missile vertical launcher already installed on the LCS ships, modified software and hardware to enable the use of the AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missile as the primary strike weapon of the C-UAS system, increasing the Freedom-class ships' ability to engage hostile DronesThe SSMM was originally intended to carry Longbow Hellfire missiles as a close-in defence against land-based threats, particularly swarms from small boats, and the LCS would complement it with longer-range missiles such as the Harpoon and the more recent Norwegian Naval Strike Missile (NSM).
Lockheed Martin, the maker of the Hellfire missile, also demonstrated another of its missiles, the RGM-179 Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), aboard an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, apparently again in the C-UAS role. It is unclear whether this will be weapon integrated into naval ships in a similar capacity.

USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) undergoing acceptance trials in Lake Michigan, June 19, 2019.
Modernization under the SSMM Counter UAS program
The new C-UAS capability comes as the threat from maritime and aerial drones has grown around the world, with the U.S. Navy and other navies grappling with drone and missile attacks from the Houthis, an Iranian proxy militia in Yemen. The new C-UAS system has already been operationally deployed, but the Longbow Hellfires have yet to shoot down any drones because they were intercepted by other means before they reached the interior defenses around the USS Indianapolis, according to Capt. Matthew Lehmann, LCS Mission Modules (PMS 420) program manager.
— said Captain Lehmann.
The Surface-to-Surface Missile Missile (SSMM) Launch Module is one of four modules that comprise the Surface Warfare (SUW) Mission Package (MP) installed on the LCS. The baseline SUW MP includes a Gun Mission Module (GMM) with two 30mm MK 46 and one 57mm MK 110 cannons, an SSMM with 24 RGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles, an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter and one MQ-8B Fire Scout autonomous helicopter drone, and a Maritime Security Module (MSM) with two 11-foot (XNUMX-meter) Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs).

Collage showing work being done to upgrade the USS Indianapolis SSMM module to use the RGM-114L Longbow Hellfire as a C-UAS
The SUW MP is designed to provide fleet protection against small craft and other asymmetric threats, operational security in counter-terrorism and counter-piracy missions on the high seas, and protection against shore attacks when operating in littoral waters. Expanding on these capabilities, SSMMs have since demonstrated their ability to counter a variety of threats, providing protection beyond small boats, with a land attack demonstration in 2022, and now the C-UAS is becoming a versatile weapon.
" said Rear Adm. Kevin Smith, program executive officer for the unmanned and small combat aircraft program.
The Hellfire-based C-UAS is also expected to be installed on more LCS hulls, but it’s unclear at this point which ships will receive it. Another upgrade currently being tested is the Mk.70 Payload Delivery System, a containerized, four-cell Mk.41 Vertical Launch System that has already been seen on the helicopter decks of the Freedom-class USS Nantucket (LCS-27) and the Independence-class LCS USS Savannah (LCS 28).

USS Indianapolis (LCS 17) transits Lake Michigan en route to Naval Station Great Lakes for a pass-by and salute
ATGM AGM-114 Hellfire
The Hellfire missile, which is the primary strike weapon of the new LCS C-UAS, began life in 1974 as an air-launched anti-tank missile, entering service in 1984 at the height of the Cold War. Earlier versions had only semi-active laser guidance and were designed primarily for use by helicopters, such as the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. The AGM-114L Hellfire-Longbow ATGM, with an active radar homing head in millimeter waves, is designed to engage small mobile targets at any time of day, in low visibility and adverse weather conditions.
The system was developed by Rockwell International and Lockheed Martin based on the AGM-114K Hellfire-2 missile as part of the AAWWS (Airbone Adverse Weather Weapon System) program for the AH-64D Apache and RAH-66 Comanche attack helicopters. The effectiveness of the Apache helicopter equipped with the Longbow system has increased significantly due to the ability to use missiles in bad weather, the ability to launch a salvo at a concentration of armored vehicles, and also due to a significant reduction in the time the helicopter spends under enemy fire when guiding the missiles. The first fire tests of the AGM-114L Hellfire-Longbow ATGM were conducted in June 1994. The system was accepted into service by the US Army in 1998. The expected purchase volume is 12 units. To manufacture the system, Longbow Limited Liability Co (LBL) was created under an agreement between Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Marconi Electronic Systems has developed an active millimeter-wave homing radar specifically for the A/RGM-905L ATGM. The homing radar is characterized by high noise immunity, resolution, and accuracy due to the narrow radiation pattern of the antenna. The homing radar's range depends on the size of the target and varies from 114 to 12 km. The homing radar's operating frequency (16 GHz) is selected to ensure reliable operation in heavy rain, fog, and to ensure the best resolution. The same Marconi Electronic Systems homing radar is installed on the British Brimstone missiles.
The upgraded Hellfire II entered U.S. service in 1996 and has since seen widespread use on many platforms, but is particularly well known as the weapon of choice for drones such as the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper. U.S. drones and Hellfire missiles were widely used in the strike that stopped Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi's fleeing convoy, the strike in Baghdad that targeted Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and the assassination of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
The Hellfire II, in addition to the standard semi-active laser seeker, also has a radar-guided variant, the Longbow Hellfire, which features an active millimeter-wave radar seeker, making it a fire-and-forget weapon with lock-on-after-launch capability. This variant is now also used in the C-UAS role. The Longbow radar is famously mounted in the hub (main rotor) fairing on newer versions of the Apache helicopter, allowing the helicopter to engage enemy targets from behind cover, with only the radar exposed above.

Three AGM-114 Hellfire missiles are carried on the underwing pylons of an MQ-9 Reaper UAV assigned to the 163rd Attack Kickstarter Wing (ATKW) on the runway at March Air Reserve Base, California, Dec. 10, 2023.
A peculiar version of the Hellfire is the R-9X variant, which is equipped with a kinetic warhead with six retractable blades that replace the explosive and reduce collateral damage. The R-9X Hellfire, commonly known as the "Ninja Missile" and "Flying Ginsu", is the type of missile used to attack Ayman al-Zawahiri in Afghanistan.
The RGM-114 Hellfire missile has a launch weight of 104 pounds (47 kg, warhead - 20 pounds or 9 kg) and a launch range of 7 to 11 km. Like previous versions of the Hellfire, the RGM-114L missile is made according to a modular scheme, consisting of five sections: an active radar homing head, a warhead (WH), a control system, an engine and controls. The control system consists of a compressed gas cylinder, a thermopile, an autopilot and an inertial control system with a three-degree gyroscope. The solid propellant engine (SRBM) is a Thiokol TX-657 (US Navy designation - T773-3, US Army designation - M120E1), equipped with a low-smoke charge. The warhead is a tandem cumulative. The missile has already been used to combat air targets. The first combat air-to-air use occurred on May 24, 2001, when an Israeli Apache attacked a Cessna 152 that had entered from Lebanon. In February 2018, Israel again successfully attacked an air target, this time an Iranian-made drone that had entered its airspace from Syria.
A mobile short-range air defense system has also been developed based on the Stryker IM-SHORAD (Initial Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense) "Sergeant Stout" armored vehicle, whose weapons package was developed by the Italian company Leonardo. Longbow Hellfires have also been tested by the US Army in a 15-barrel multi-purpose launcher mounted on a Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) truck for use in both anti-aircraft and anti-ship roles.
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