Ayman al-Zawahiri Killed: All you want to know about Hellfire R9X

Here’s All About US Secret Hellfire Missile That Took Down Al Qaeda Chief.

The US seems to use the Hellfire RX9, which is also called a "ninja bomb," to kill the leaders of extremist groups. Reports say that on Tuesday, August 2, 2022, the US used the "ninja bomb" to kill al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was 71 years old. The attack took place in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Reports say that two missiles were fired at Zawahiri's home, but public images don't show any sign of an explosion, and US officials say that no civilians were killed.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden's replacement, was killed by the US government when they fired two missiles through the window of his home in Kabul, Afghanistan. There was no sign of an explosion. US officials have also said that no civilians were hurt, and it is known that the US used hellish Hellfire R9X missiles that have been used before to kill extremists. But neither the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) nor the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have ever said in public that the missiles that killed al-Zawahiri on Sunday came from the US (CIA).

Extremist leaders have been killed on purpose by both the Pentagon and the CIA. Even the attack on al-home Zawahiri's in Kabul on Sunday was done by CIA agents, five people who know about the secret US counterterrorism operation told AP. Even though US President Joe Biden and other world leaders praised the US drone strike, the Taliban has already called it a violation of the Doha agreement and said it was a bad idea.

The US reportedly used this bomb in 2017 to kill al-top Qaeda's leader Abu al-Khayr al-Masri in Syria. No civilians were hurt in this attack.

Here’s all about the US missile which took down Ayman al-Zawahiri

As we've already said, the Pentagon and CIA haven't publicly acknowledged the macabre Hellfire R9X. However, it came to light in March 2017 when a drone strike killed Abu al-Khayr al-Masri while he was driving in a car in Syria. It is a missile without a warhead that is thought to have six blades that look like razors sticking out of its body. These blades are what cut through the target without causing it to explode.

Similar to the effects of the attack on al-Zawahiri on Sunday, when a drone strike killed al-Masri and left a huge hole in the roof of his car, shredding the metal and the whole inside of the car. But the front and back of the car seemed to be in good shape.

When information about the secret missiles first came out, they were called "flying ginsu." This name came from a 1980s commercial for Japanese knives that were advertised as being very sharp and able to cut through aluminum cans. The horrifying Hellfire R9X is also called a "ninja bomb," and it seems to be the weapon of choice for the US when it comes to killing the leaders of extremist groups without killing any civilians.

Some US news stories have also said that the missile has been in development in the US since 2011. The Wall Street Journal has said in the past that the unnamed officials who knew the bomb was going to be set off are often sued for "high-value" targets in sensitive places. The RX9 has been used more than six times in places like Libya, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and Somalia, according to reports.

Jamal al-Badawi, who is thought to have planned the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000, was killed by a US airstrike in Yemen in January 2019. It is thought that the same missile was used to kill him.

US officials have also revealed this week that on the morning of July 31, al-Zawahiri was standings lone on the balcony of his Kabul residence when the US drone launched the two Hellfires. The footage has also been accessed by the Republic which appeared to show the drone that the US used to neutralise the al-Qaeda chief in the heart of Afghanistan’s capital, the country now ruled by the Taliban.

Hellfire RX9's Advantages

These Air to Ground (AGM) 114 Hellfire missiles don't go very fast and can do a lot of damage to tanks. The US used a missile without a warhead on August 2. It has six blades that look like razors. And these blades are what killed the leader of al-Qaeda.

These missiles don't explode, and to keep civilians from getting hurt, they are known to send out blades that hit their targets like knives. This missile has different versions based on its guidance system and how it looks. The Hellfire R9X is the newest one. This type has blades that pop up and is used by the US for targeted killings. The flying Ginsu is another name for these missiles. They aren't known to do any damage to the area because they don't have any explosives or payloads.

When was it first known to have been used?

Even though no one will admit to using it in public, it can be used by the CIA or the Pentagon to go after extremist leaders. In 2017, it was used for the first time to kill Abu al-Khayr al-Masri, a senior leader of al-Qaida, while he was driving in a car. It was used again in 2020 when US forces went after a trainer with ties to al-Qaida in Syria.

Financial Express Online has said that this was probably used to kill Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

According to reports, this type of missile was made during the Obama administration. The goal was to kill the target with as few civilian casualties as possible

Where are the blades stored?

Inside the missile are six long blades that come out through the skin of the missile a few seconds before it hits. This makes sure that everything that gets in the way gets shredded. It is not the same as the usual Hellfire missile. It doesn't leave a mark, burn, or scorch. All that's left are the places where it got in.

This new version weighs about 45 kg and can be launched from drones, helicopters, and planes. The US troops on the ground have fired these missiles from Humvees.

Depending on the type, the range of these missiles can be anywhere from 500 meters to 11 km.

The US killed the leader of al-Qaeda while he was on the balcony of his house in Kabul. They did this by using information about where he was.

Drones used for strikes

The US has been using drones a lot to attack enemies and their bases, which has caused a lot of damage to civilians.

And the new Hellfire Missile does less damage than the old one.

The MQ9 Predator drones made by the US company General Atomics can fire these missiles. According to a report from Financial Express Online, these drones have radars and sensors built in that can find targets and can fly for more than 27 hours. They can carry almost 1700 kg of cargo and fly up to 50,000 feet with a range of 6,000 nautical miles.

Does India have these Predators?

Not yet. India is in the process of finalising US $3 billion deal with General Atomics for 30 armed drones for the three services –Indian Navy, Air Force and the Indian Army. And these drones can be used for hitting the target with either missiles or bombs. Since they come with stealth features, they go undetected.

In the recent wars, Azerbaijan had used armed drones against Armenia. And the Ukrainian forces have used UAVs against Russia in the ongoing war.

Watch Video: How Hellfire R9X works?

Some people have shared videos on social media platforms that show how Hellfire R9X missiles are used to wipe out the target. The R9X has been specially designed to shred the target upon impact without triggering a blast that could prove deadly to those nearby. A Twitter handle that goes by the name Rotarywing has tweeted a video of Apache AH64 firing a Hellfire missile.

A Predator MQ-9 Reaper drone strikes a truck with a Hellfire missile. This is how Qassem Soleimani was dealt with. pic.twitter.com/0GseOFdf5e

— Joe Gooding 💯🇺🇸 (@joegooding) January 11, 2020

#Apache #AH64 firing a Hellfire missile 😧 pic.twitter.com/GRdQ4LAeZV

— Rotarywing (@Rotarywings1) February 25, 2018

More About Hellfire Missile:

According to US officials, the RX9 Hellfire Missile is a top-secret missile for precise airstrikes that eliminate terrorist leaders without an explosion, greatly decreasing damage and lowering the possibility of civilian casualties. The weapon has been employed by the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency while being highly guarded.

• The R9X Hellfire missile, which is a modified version of the well-known Hellfire missile, has an inactive warhead.
• It is intended to kill its target without endangering nearby people or property by hurling more than 100 pounds of metal through the tops of automobiles and buildings instead of exploding.
• According to a report by AP, the Hellfire R9X initially surfaced in 2017 after the death of top Al Qaeda leader Abu al-Khayr al-Masri. The study emphasised that the photographs showed no evidence of an explosion, which indicated the deployment of a missile.
• The missile has acquired titles like 'flying ginsu', which was inspired by a well-known 1980s television commercial for what appeared to be Japanese kitchen knives, and 'ninja bomb'.
• The R9X carries 45kg of reinforced metal in its tip with six extendable blades designed to shred the target upon impact without triggering a blast that could prove deadly to those nearby.
• The R9X Hellfire missile has become one of the US military's favoured weapons for precision assassinations.
• Developed during Barack Obama's presidency in 2011 amid concerns over the number of civilians being killed in drone strike campaigns in the Middle East, the 'ninja' missile is so nicknamed because it foregoes the use of an explosive warhead.
• The missile is made by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. It is not clear how many R9X missiles the Pentagon have in its possession.
• According to the New York Times, the secretive military Joint Special Operations Command has confirmed the use of the R9X twice, in 2019 and 2020, reports the New York Times. But it has reportedly been used on nearly a dozen other occasions to take out specific targets.
• During the Korean and Vietnam wars in the 1950s, the US military pioneered an idea of non-explosive kinetic bombs named Lazy Dogs.
• The existence of the R9X was first reported by the Wall Street Journal in 2019.
  
  

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