HELLFIRE FROM THE GROUND UP

WHY NOT GROUND-BASED HELLFIRE ATGMs?

M901's hammerhead gives underarmor, hull down firing capabilities

Carlton Meyer
21st Century Weapons
E-mail May 1998

The TOW Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) is good, but the Hellfire is superior since it has twice the range, twice the warhead, and impacts at supersonic speeds. It doesn't require the gunner to sit still and track the missile to its target. Hellfires can be guided by optical cameras, lasers, or infra-red seekers. Hellfire missiles proved lethal when fired from attack helicopters during the 1991 Persian Gulf war. A new ground-launched version, called Hellfire 2, has already been developed and mounted on the HMMWV in four-missile pods.

Using a laser designator, a HMMWV could launch all four of its Hellfires a few seconds apart at a tank platoon up to 5 miles away. As each Hellfire slams into a tank, the Soldier moves the laser "spot" to the next tank, and four tanks blow up a few seconds apart. Attack helicopters could also be downed with ground-launched Hellfires. Finally, Hellfires provide a powerful bunker-busting capability. These missiles are expensive ($100,000 each), but stationary ground vehicles should prove more accurate guided Hellfire missile platforms than moving multi-million dollar helicopters which can be shot down.

In addition to HMMWVs, M901 Improved Tow Vehicles (based on M113A3 AFVs) and Fire Support Team Vehicles (FIST-V)s could fire Hellfires. A FIST-V is an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle or M113A3 modified with a laser device for use by a fire support team. A FIST-V can use its laser to designate targets for attack helicopters. This allows Apaches, Kiowa Warriors Blackhawk Direct Action Penetrators and Cobras as well as ground vehicle HMMWVs and ITVs to fire deadly Hellfire anti-tank missiles from a safe distance and/or position. The obvious question is why not mount missile rails on FIST-Vs so they can fire Hellfires themselves? Each Hellfire weighs only 100 lbs, and all of its guidance is internal. It would be easy to attach some Hellfire launching rails on top of the FIST-Vs, angled upwards 30 degrees. This would allow FIST-Vs to destroy tanks or any targets four miles away, including attack helicopters.

This modification would cost almost nothing. However, enthusiasm for this idea may be lacking among tankers and chopper pilots, though Field Artillery Branch operates Laser Designation ground vehicles. If the FIST-V can fire missiles, expensive attack helicopters are less vital. In addition, a FIST-V with Hellfires could foul up war games since it could knock out several tanks before tanks were in 120mm main gun range to return fire. Tankers may argue that even a 100 lbs supersonic missile cannot penetrate modern fontal armor of a heavy tank. This may be true, but the impact would certainly damage the gun, optics, electronics, or crewmen.

Paratroopers or SF Commandos dropped into battle with a supply of tripod-fired Hellfires could use its long stand-off range to control key terrain from the enemy and shut down enemy airfields and ports, using all-terrain carts to tow the missiles to and from firing positions.

In war, to win we have to "stack the deck"---insuring we have every advantage possible to win. Hellfires on FIST-Vs is such a move we CAN and SHOULD do immediately. If it means a better turret than the Emerson "Hammerhead" turret which is fragile and has to be lowered before moving, then Hellfires should be retrofitted to ITVs and LAV-ATs.

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