R9X Hellfire Ninja Missile: Know 'secret weapon' used in US drone strike to kill Al Qaeda chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri

United States' killing of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri raises various queries about the country's weaponry. Although two missiles were said to have killed al-Zawahiri, photographs revealed no indication of an explosion and US authorities claim no other individuals were hurt, according to the AFP report.

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Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by an American Hellfire R9X warheadless missile, which is said to have been armed with six razor-like blades. To minimise collateral damage to civilians, these missiles don't really detonate but instead unleash knife-like blades that slice into their intended targets.

Prior Usage of the Hellfire R9X

The Hellfire R9X, commonly known as the flying Ginsu, does not inflict any harm to the surroundings since it does not carry any explosives. When it comes to eliminating terrorist leaders while minimizing civilian losses, it is the weapon of choice for the United States.

The R9X made its debut in March 2017, when senior al-Qaeda commander Abu al-Khayr al-Masri was killed by a drone attack in Syria while driving a vehicle. It has never been officially recognised by Pentagon or CIA, who are the two US organisations known to carry out targeted executions of terrorist leaders.

In 2020, US military used it to attack an al-Qaida-linked trainer in Syria . According to news sources, the United States employed the same weapon in 2019 as well.

What is the Hellfire R9X?

The AGM-114 Hellfire missiles are air-to-ground, laser-guided, subsonic missiles with substantial anti-tank capabilities. In terms of warheads, guidance systems, and other physical characteristics, Hellfire missiles come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It's a strange new weapon in the Hellfire missile family, the Hellfire R9X, which employs pop-out sword blades to kill targets with little collateral damage. Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was assassinated by a Hellfire missile, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Because of the rising number of hostages taken by terrorists, including women and children, this weapon was supposedly created under President Obama's administration.