Documents
United States Lockheed Martin
AGM-114 Hellfire
Air-to-ground precision missile originally designed as a helicopter-launched anti-tank weapon, now the primary armament for MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator drone strikes worldwide with laser and radar-guided variants.
In service since 1984 · 20 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
8
km range
1.3
Mach
9
kg warhead
💲 ≈ $150,000 — Approximate unit cost
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
US ITAR-controlled
Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.
Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale
Fielded & proven
Widely fielded · 20 operators
In service since 1984. Status: active · ~100,000 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
Unit cost known; one-shot / small-arms class has no meaningful O&S tail to model.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Max speed (Mach)
Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.
- 1.3 Mach Stronger than 40% of missiles
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 8 km Stronger than 14% of missiles
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Warhead
Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.
- 9 kg Stronger than 18% of missiles
- Warhead type
Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.
- High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) shaped charge
- Guidance
How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.
- Semi-active laser, Millimeter-wave radar (Longbow)
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 1.6 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 49 kg
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Solid-fuel rocket
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Unit cost
Approximate flyaway/unit cost where public. Defense pricing varies hugely by contract, offsets and configuration. Lower is cheaper.
- $150,000 Stronger than 83% of missiles
- Units built
Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability.
- 100,000 Top 6% of missiles
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 20 Stronger than 82% of missiles
Specifications compiled from public Lockheed Martin and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire? +
The Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire has a maximum range of 8 km.
How much does the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire weigh? +
The Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire has a combat weight of 49 kg.
What is the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire used for? +
The Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire is a missile typically used for anti armor.
How many countries operate the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire? +
The Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire is operated by 20 countries.
How much does the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire cost? +
The Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire has an approximate unit cost of 150,000 USD. Defense pricing varies by contract, offsets and configuration — treat this as directional.
