In accordance with the program of rearmament, attack helicopters of the US army will be equipped with anti-tank missiles JAGM (Joint Air Group Missile) instead of the AGM-114 Hellfire, taken into service in the 80-ies.
The Hellfire missile was designed to destroy Soviet heavy tanks in case of war in the European theater of military action within a radius of 8 km missile Length 1.6 – 1.8 m, diameter 178 mm, weight 45-50 kg. AGM-114 was equipped with a heat warhead weight of 8 kg. Shock army helicopters Ah-64 Apache carrying up to 16 missiles. They were also armed with attack helicopters of the marine corps “Cobra” helicopters and Navy MH-60R “Romeo”, respectively, for destroying ground and sea targets.
AGM-114 Hellfire onto the target using a laser pointer by the operator from the helicopter. In a later version of the laser guidance system complements the radar of millimeter range. The missiles were widely used in Iraq in 1991 and in Afghanistan in particular, against militant groups and to destroy ammunition depots.
JAGM is basically a further development of the Hellfire. She’s got the same engine, same warhead, the range and combined guidance system. It destroys a variety of goals – land and sea. However, there are differences. So, the developed version with a programmable warhead with a delayed detonation to destroy underground targets: the missile initially penetrates and then there is undermining.
As reported by the online edition of Defense News, JAGM is weatherproof. Unlike its predecessor, it can destroy a high speed moving target on the principle “shot and forgot”. AGM-114 Hellfire on the target is induced by the operator, however, he was forced to constantly keep the target in the crosshairs of a laser sight.
Source — Defense News