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Battle-Proven HELLFIRE Relies on ATK Technology
ATK Has Delivered More Than 35,000 Rocket Motors Since the Program's Inception
MINNEAPOLIS: ATK has received two contracts valued at nearly $14 million to manufacture rocket motors and warheads for the precision-strike HELLFIRE II missile. Both contracts were issued by Lockheed Martin, the HELLFIRE prime contractor. ATK will manufacture approximately 2,800 rocket motors and 1,500 metal augmented charge (MAC) warheads at its manufacturing facility in Rocket Center, West Virginia.
The rocket motors and warheads will be fielded by U.S. forces as well as those of several allied nations. ATK initiated production of the rocket motors in August 2006 and will begin deliveries in January, 2007.
Production of the MAC warheads for the AGM-114N HELLFIRE began this past May. Initial deliveries began in September 2006. The N-model HELLFIRE has proven to be extremely effective against enemy personnel in enclosed structures, with minimal collateral damage.
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The Manned HELLFIRE Turret System (MHTS) brings attack helicopter capability to ground combat.
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“The reliable performance of the ATK motor is a critical element in HELLFIRE's mission success,” said Ken Musculus, program director for Air-to- Ground Missile Systems (AGMS) at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Our customer has told us that HELLFIRE had 100 percent mission success in more than 70 firings in the retaking of Tall 'Afar, Iraq, from insurgents in September 2005, playing an important role in the success of Operation Restoring Rights.”
ATK has manufactured over 35,000 HELLFIRE motors since production began in 1987. In addition, ATK manufactures the copper liner for the main shaped- charge warhead for the high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) HELLFIRE, the AGM-114K, as well as over 1,000 MAC warheads for the AGM-114N.
HELLFIRE can be launched from several rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based tripods, high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HUMVEEs) and boats. HELLFIRE is effective against a wide variety of targets, including tanks, ships, bunkers, caves and buildings; and its precision-strike semi-active laser guidance minimizes collateral damage.
More than 3,000 HELLFIRE II rounds of all four versions — HEAT, MAC, blast fragmentation (AGM-114M) and millimeter-wave Longbow (AGM-114L) — have been fired successfully in the War on Terrorism.
ATK is a $3.4 billion advanced weapon and space systems company employing approximately 15,000 people in 22 states.
