As per reports, the U.S has used a new missile to neutralize terrorists in SyriaThe missile
appears to have six spinning swords and has ripped two jihadis who were in a van.
According to multiple reports and photos of the wreckage US forces may have used the R9X
- a modified version of the Hellfire missile for the attack in Atmeh.Reporters on the ground
claim that the U.S was involved though it is yet to be confirmed officially.One of those
killed has been named in reports as jihadi trainer Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir, from the Hayat
Tahrir al-Sham terrorist group, formerly the Nusra Front.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes the AGM-114R9X Ninja missile the U.S is using
to take out terrorists.Let’s get started
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The strike was reportedly carried out in Atmeh, which is situated in Syria's Idlib province.
It is interesting- the city is 10 miles northwest of Barisha, where Al Baghdadi's compound was
located.
The images of the strike on the van offer limited views of the damage, but it can be
inferred that it was not hit by a traditional warhead. There are reports that the men inside
the vehicle were "mashed" inside by the impact.
This is similar to the strike of 2017 that killed Abu Khayr Al Masri, then Al Qaeda's
number two leader. Several sources reported that AGM-114R9X was used for that attack.
AGM-114R9X is a secretive initiative and there are no official renders or specifications
available in the public domain.
Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon have been closely guarding its existence. As
of now, the info regarding the weapons is mainly received from anonymous sources.The
weapon seemed to be used very sparingly and some sources including one published by Wall
Street Journal claim that the U.S. military had only fired them operationally "about a
half-dozen times”.
All traditional missiles have a warhead. The warhead exploded when the missile hits the
target. This can be done by many means like a proximity fuse which can trigger the warhead.
For example, traditional AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface missile used for precision
strikes deploys warheads like High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) or tandem anti-armor Metal
augmented charge (MAC) or shaped charge Blast fragmentation.
But AGM-114R9X seems to be different. The weapon instead of using exploding warhead
is though to deploy 6 long blades that extend outward just before impact and minces its
target
It is dubbed as a "speeding anvil", “Ninja bomb" and "The Flying Ginsu” - because the
blades are so sharp that they can rival a chef's knife.
Any missile which has an exploding warhead can cause collateral damage.
But the AGM-114R9X devoid of explosive will be able to limit the collateral damage and
is suitable for extreme precision strikes.
It is speculated that the R9 variant has an entirely inert warhead to reduce the risk
of collateral damage significantly and the R9X adds blades on to it to help increase
kill probability.
Viewers may note that the use of inert warhead could lead to failure especially against a
moving target since the strike will have to be absolutely accurate probably within inches.Addition
of blades in all probability will increase the margin of error and significantly improve
the lethality.
It is unclear if the missile’s blade spin during the strike and if so how the mechanism
works.It must be acknowledged that if it works that way , then it an engineering marvel.
AGM-114R9X will be be useful when used in conjunction with a capable launch platform
like the Reaper that can hover over potential targets for long time.
On March 9th, 2018, the US Air Force officially retired Predator, a platform that initiated
a new era of unmanned air combat.Predator were best known for their ability to deliver
precision strikes as their controllers sat halfway around the world in small and discreet
bunkers.
Reaper brings in much more to the table when compared to Predator.
Predator had an endurance of 24 hours, a service ceiling of 25,000 ft. a range of 675 mi or
1,100 km and max speed of 135 mph or 217 km/h.Reaper has an endurance of, 27 hours, a service ceiling
of 50,000 ft, a range of 1,151 mi or 1,852 km and max speed of 300 mph or 482 km/h
The US Air Forces in the process of attaching extended-range (ER) upgrade kits for almost
all of the Reapers. With the ER kit, Reapers will have an endurance of up to 42 hours without
external stores.
Reaper’s main sensor is the nose-mounted MTS-B multi-spectral surveillance and targeting
turret and its fuselage mounted Lynx synthetic aperture radar.But Reaper’s pylons are very
versatile and can be used to carry a variety of tactical equipment like communications
relay hops, electronic warfare pods as well as Wide Area Aerial Surveillance (WAAS) camera
arrays.The additional sensors are designed to act in conjunction with the drone’s main
sensors.The USAF has put more potent radars onboard some Reapers.The idea is to create
Ground Moving Targeting Identification (GMTI) sensor nodes that can be dispersed around
the war zone.GMTI is a radar capability that can be used to trail moving targets on the
ground over time using radar.
Reaper has the ability to carry around 2,500 lbs or 1100 kg of weapons payload through
its external hardpoints.
The Reaper's hard-points give it the ability to deploy a combination of AGM-114 Hellfire,
GBU-12 Paveway, and GBU-38 JDAM munitions.
Reapers are known to carry out operate in Syria and carry out targeted strikes.It is
interesting to note that reports indicate that on Nov. 22, 2019, photojournalist Rami
Al Sayed saw a Reaper in the skies of Jindires in Syria, a town in Aleppo province that is
located around 6 miles north of Atmeh where the strike was carried out.As reported, particular
aircraft was carrying 4 Hellfire missiles, a range-extending drop tank and two other
pods that most likely had components for GMTI.
The Reaper costs only $4,762 per hour to fly compared to $68,362 per hour for an F-22 fighter
or $169,313 per hour for a B-2 stealth bomber, making it a much more cost-effective option.
A weapon like AGM-114R9X will be suitable for specific scenarios where a high-value
individual needs to be taken out.For example, it could have been potentially used to kill
Osama Bin Laden in his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan who was generally surrounded by family
members and a hit with limited collateral damage was required.
This would have removed many complications. First, it would have kept the U.S forces out
of potently harm.
Secondly, sophisticated U.S military assets would not have to be deployed.Viewers may
note that one Black Hawk was abandoned by US special forces in Pakistan during the operation
to kill Osama bin Laden on 1 May 2011.
Several sources indicate that Pakistan allowed Chinese officials to examine the Black Hawk
wreckageThis helped China to develop the Z-20 which was showcased during the 5th China Helicopter
Exposition in Tianjin recently.
Overall it can be said the R9X could be a template for a series of weapons in future
that relies on other ways instead of warheads to take out intended targets.