Introduction
Hellfires were originaly an Anti-tank weapon designed to kill soviet tanks at long range in the 70’s, The entirety of the apache Airframe was orginaly built around the incoperation and use of these leathal anti tank weapons, over the years their capability such as warhead and range has improved dramaticaly as such we have 6 different types available to use.
Seekers
SAL1
- Semi-active laser homing. Non-programmable. Analogue autopilot.
- Cannot Reaquire lost laser lock
SAL2
- Semi-active laser homing with electro-optical countermeasures hardening
- Digital autopilot & electronics improvements allow target reacquisition after lost laser lock
RF
- Fire and forget millimeter-wave (MMW) radar seeker coupled with inertial guidance
- Homing capability in adverse weather and the presence of battlefield obscurants
- Programmable guidance
Warheads
8Kg HEAT
High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) is a type of shaped charge explosive that uses the Munroe effect to penetrate heavy armor. The warhead functions by having an explosive charge collapse a metal liner inside the warhead into a high-velocity superplastic jet; this superplastic jet is capable of penetrating armor steel to a depth of seven or more times the diameter of the charge. The jet’s effect is purely kinetic in nature, the round has no explosive or incendiary effect on the target.
9Kg Tandem HEAT
Tandem charges are effective against reactive armour, which is designed to protect an armoured vehicle (mostly tanks) against anti-tank munitions. The first stage of the weapon is typically a weak charge that either pierces the reactive armour of the target without detonating it leaving a channel through the reactive armour so that the second warhead may pass unimpeded, or simply detonates the armour, causing the timing of the counter-explosion to fail. The second detonation from the same projectile (which defines it as a tandem charge) attacks the same location as the first detonation where the reactive armour has been compromised. Since the regular armour plating is often the only defence remaining, the main charge (second detonation) has an increased likelihood of penetrating the armour.
Blast fragmentation
The blast fragmentation warheads uses high explosives and fragmenting metal cases to provide lethal effects against soft targets
Thermobaric
A thermobaric weapon, aerosol bomb, or vacuum bomb is a type of explosive that uses oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion. In practice, the blast wave typically produced by such a weapon is of a significantly longer duration than that produced by a conventional condensed explosive. The fuel–air explosive is one of the best-known types of thermobaric weapon.
Hellfire Types
AGM-114A
- Produced: 1982–1992.
- Range: 8,000 m (8,700 yd).
- Target: Armored vehicles.
- Warhead: 8 kg (18 lb) shaped charge HEAT. Not capable against reactive armor.
AGM-114C
- Produced: 1982–1992.
- Target: Armored vehicles, ship-borne targets.
- Range: 8,000 m (8,700 yd).
- Warhead: 8 kg (18 lb) shaped charge HEAT. Not capable against reactive armor.
AGM-114K
- Produced: since 1993.
- Target: All armored threats.
- Range: 8,000 m (8,700 yd).
- Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge high explosive anti-tank (HEAT).
AGM-114L
- Produced: 1995–2005.
- Target: All armored threats.
- Range: 8,000 m (8,700 yd).
- Warhead: 9 kg (20 lb) tandem shaped charge high explosive anti-tank (HEAT).
AGM-114M
- Produced: 1998–2010.
- Target: Bunkers, light vehicles, urban (soft) targets and caves.
- Range: 8,000 m (8,700 yd).
- Warhead: Blast fragmentation/incendiary.
AGM-114N
- Produced: since 2003.
- Target: Buildings, soft-skinned targets, ship-borne targets.
- Range: 8,000 m (8,700 yd).
- Warhead: Metal augmented charge (Thermobaric).