"Secret U.S. Missile Aims to Kill Only Terrorists" Topic

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For those who don't subscribe to this publication here is portion of the article:

"The U.S. government has developed a specially designed, secret missile for pinpoint airstrikes that kill terrorist leaders with no explosion, drastically reducing damage and minimizing the chances of civilian casualties, multiple current and former U.S. officials said.

Both the Central Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon have used the weapon while closely guarding its existence. A modified version of the well-known Hellfire missile, the weapon carries an inert warhead. Instead of exploding, it is designed to plunge more than 100 pounds of metal through the tops of cars and buildings to kill its target without harming individuals and property close by.

To the targeted person, it is as if a speeding anvil fell from the sky, the officials said. But this variant of the Hellfire missile, designated as the R9X, also comes equipped with a different kind of payload: a halo of six long blades that are stowed inside and then deploy through the skin of the missile seconds before impact, shredding anything in its tracks.

Details about the secret weapon and its deployment were confirmed by more than a dozen current and former U.S. officials. Its development and use haven't been previously disclosed, though its existence has been the subject of speculation.

The R9X is known colloquially to the small community of individuals who are familiar with its use as "the flying Ginsu," for the blades that can cut through buildings, car roofs or other targets. The nickname is a reference to the popular knives sold on TV infomercials in the late 1970s and early 1980s that showed them cutting through both tree branches and tomatoes. The weapon has also been referred to as the Ninja bomb.

The missile was born of an emphasis, under former President Obama, on avoiding civilian deaths in long U.S. campaign of airstrikes in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Yemen and other locales. Aside from humanitarian and legal considerations, civilian casualties can undermine popular and allied support for U.S. strategic goals.

But there was another reason for the weapon, officials said: Increasingly, terrorist fighters were adapting to U.S. airstrikes, hiding among groups of women and children to put themselves out of reach."

If this is accurate and the munition accurate it gives us a nice weapon in the arsenal to take out the bad guys without giving them a propaganda victory.

Amazing! The the flying Ginsu. Perfect!

I can hear the defense contractor making the sales pitch to the Department of Defence: "It slices, it dices, it will cut through a nail, a tin can, and a radiator hose, and still cut a tomato paper thin!….But wait! There's more!"

So…..we've developed multi-million dollar…..knives?

They've invented the Culture knife missile.

And if you order now you can get a second R9X for free. Just pay separate handling and shipping.
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Honestly, this seems unrealistic. GPS systems are accurate to within 3+ meters, I thought. This Flying Ginsu would need to be accurate to within inches, not meters. Seems unrealistic, though very entertaining.

"But wait! There's still more!… Now how much would you pay?!"

I roared, with my college roommates, every time those commercials came on TV. Still a classic joke which we laugh at, 30+ years later. Cheers!

Actually it has been successfully deployed according to the article. It's a matter of mass of around 100lbs hitting a target at high speed. It is ineffect a Hellfire missle with a slug instead of explosives and the blades are more of an added bonus. Although they do make for a catchy nick-name. There is a diagram with the article that explains it well.

I don't believe it. High velocity heavy weapon with no explosive? Yes, the USAF has concrete bombs and small diameter bombs with small payloads to limit civilian casualties.

Frickin switchblade missile? No

Non-explosive mass-based weapons are a reality. DU and tungsten armor-piercing shells for instance. This is just a variation of the same concept using knives that can cut through metal.

I was thinking concrete bomb.
I wonder how much benefit blades offer over concrete.

IIRC the Hellfire has video terminal guidance, so use the drone's GPS to get close, then remote fly the missile onto the target. Even if video terminal homing is not standard, there are plenty of modular video terminal guidance systems in US inventory that could be easily bolted on.

They slice instead of crush?

You really need to see the diagram of the missle, the blades come out of the center of the body thereby increasing the impact area. Also, in the lead picture on the right it shows a car that had reportedly been hit by one of these missiles. Look closely at the upper part of the car's windscreen; it looks like its been cut but passenger section of the car is crushed.

For a short time only get two for just $19.95 USD. Just pay separate shipping and handling.

Mass x Velocity Squared means some serious kinetic energy, if they're fast enough. My guess is someone has done their math……

I'll bet military GPS is much better than standard GPS, which is still quite impressive if you think about it.

GPS jammers and seducers could be a major problem though, especially when taking on near-peer adversaries, instead of terrorists.

A big thank you to Looney Tunes and other cartoons of my youth, in which enemies were often dispatched by dropping a heavy object, say, a piano, on their heads.

Here is a copy of an easier to access article on this weapon:
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So basically a 100 lb broadhead? Seems legit. But I wonder if the "blades" aren't actually stabilizing or guidance fins. Dramatics aside, the workhorse would be the highly accelerated mass and accuracy would be key. It is possible that any cutting effects are secondary.

Functionally, while it would minimize casualties from stray shrapnel and debris, it still doesn't avoid the problem of targets travelling with civilians if it kills everyone in the car.

Hellfire can use laser homing. Point accurate.

@jamemurp: Although it will certainly kill everyone in the car, there won't be an explosion, so pressure wave, not much shrapnel, and no shrapnel at explosion speeds and temperatures. So there should be an overall reduction in casualties among people near the target vehicle, compared to putting a Hellfire into it.

It's not exactly a secret weapon any more, if we're discussing a news article about it.