AGM-114 Hellfire missile family

Conflict Usage

United States-Iran Conflict

Side: United StatesRole: MQ-9 drone strikeprecision firesstrikeUAV

In the United States-Iran Conflict, ABC reported that Soleimani was killed by a Hellfire laser-guided missile fired from a drone during the January 3, 2020 U.S. strike.

Israel-Hamas War

Side: IsraelRole: Attack-helicopter precision strikeprecision firesclose air supportstrike

In the Israel-Hamas War, Hellfire missiles were fired by Israeli attack helicopters on October 7, 2023, during the response to Hamas's attack in southern Israel.

Yemen Civil War

Side: Yemeni government and coalition forcesRole: Targeted counterterrorism drone strikeprecision firesstrikeUAV

In the Yemen Civil War theater, AP reported that a January 30, 2023 suspected U.S. drone strike near Marib appeared to have used a Hellfire R9X against suspected AQAP members; the side reflects the anti-AQAP strike context in government-controlled Marib, not a Houthi front-line engagement.

AGM-114 Hellfire missile family Images

Related Weapon Systems

Aircraft & UAVsMQ-9 ReaperMedium-altitude long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicleThe MQ-9 Reaper is a General Atomics medium-altitude, long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft built for persistent intelligence collection and precision strike. Larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, it combines satellite control, electro-optical and infrared sensors, laser designation, and weapons such as Hellfire missiles and guided bombs, making it a recurring U.S. and coalition platform in counterterrorism, maritime-security, and regional-strike operations.

MunitionsGBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition2,000-pound GPS/INS-guided bomb kitThe GBU-31(V)1 Joint Direct Attack Munition is Boeing's 2,000-pound GPS/INS guidance kit for the Mk 84 bomb body. UN and human rights reporting has linked GBU-31-class bombs to Israeli strikes in Gaza, U.S. stand-in precision strikes during the United States-Iran Conflict, and Saudi-led coalition airstrikes in the Yemen Civil War.

MunitionsMAM-L guided bombLaser-guided smart micro munitionThe MAM-L is a Turkish laser-guided smart micro munition built by Roketsan for UAVs and light attack aircraft. In the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Azerbaijan fielded Bayraktar TB2 UAVs armed with MAM-L bombs as part of a precision-strike campaign against Armenian air defenses, armor, vehicles, and other ground targets.

Infantry WeaponsSPIKE anti-tank guided-missile familyAnti-tank guided missile familyRafael's SPIKE family is a combat-proven electro-optical anti-tank guided-missile line spanning land, air, and naval launchers. In the Israel-Hamas War, the Israeli Navy publicly used Spike NLOS missiles against Hamas targets on Gaza's coastline, highlighting the family's standoff maritime role.

Infantry Weapons9M14 MalyutkaWire-guided anti-tank guided missileThe 9M14 Malyutka, known to NATO as the AT-3 Sagger, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank missile developed by Kolomna KBM and widely exported from the 1960s onward. In Yemen, open-source reporting identifies Malyutka/AT-3 missiles in Houthi-aligned stocks, giving the movement a legacy guided anti-armor weapon alongside newer ATGM types.

Aircraft & UAVsAGM-179A JAGMAir-to-surface precision-guided missileThe AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missile is a U.S. dual-mode precision munition built to replace Hellfire-family missiles on rotary-wing, unmanned, and compatible fixed-wing platforms. In the United States-Iran Conflict archive it appears as a probable but contested candidate for the January 2020 Soleimani strike, with the munition identification based on defense reporting and fragment analysis rather than official U.S. confirmation.

Sources