Hellfire R9X missile: The ‘secret weapon’ US used to kill Al-Qaeda chief al-Zawahiri

A view of Kabul, the Afghan capital where al-Zawahiri was killed

Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed over the weekend by two missiles fired at his Kabul home. The fact that pictures reveal no signs of a blast or explosion indicate that the USA’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) used the Hellfire R9X missile to eliminate the al-Qaeda chief.

What is the Hellfire R9X?

The Hellfire R9X is a ‘secret missile’ specially designed and developed by the United States to carry out pinpoint airstrikes, reports the Wall Street Journal.

This modified version of the well-known Hellfire missile kills its targets by deploying flying blades.

Never publicly acknowledged by the Pentagon or CIA -- the two US agencies known to undertake targeted assassinations of extremist leaders -- the R9X first appeared in March 2017 when Al-Qaeda senior leader Abu al-Khayr al-Masri was killed by a drone strike while travelling in a car in Syria.

Up until then, Hellfire missiles -- fired by drones in targeted attacks -- were known for powerful explosions and often extensive collateral damage and deaths.

The non-explosive R9X, by comparison, allows the US to kill extremist leaders while avoiding civilian casualties, like in the case of Ayman al-Zawahiri.

How does the R9X work?

Hellfire AGM-114R9X – or simply R9X – has been found to be useful in targeted assassinations.

Weapon CIA used to get al-Zawahiri. Kinetic Hellfire R9X. No warhead explosives, just blades that swing out to kill only one guy. pic.twitter.com/0dwkC40003

— Jay Hancock (@jayhancock1) August 2, 2022

The R9X warhead-less missile, fitted with lasers, is then dropped to hit the target. Just before impact, six blades swing out of the side of the missile to kill only the intended target, thereby preventing the deaths of bystanders that explosive missiles often lead to.

According to the WSJ report, the missile’s halo of six long blades is designed to shred anything that comes in its way. The powerful blades are capable of slicing through buildings and car roofs to reach and kill the target.

What happened with Ayman al-Zawahiri?

A US official told reporters that on the morning of July 31, Zawahiri was standing alone on the balcony of his Kabul residence, when a US drone launched the two Hellfires.

Apparent photographs of the building show windows blown out on one floor, but the rest of the building, including windows on other floors, still in place.

Members of Zawahiri's family were present in the home, but "were purposely not targeted and were not harmed," the official said. "We have no indications that civilians were harmed in this strike," the official added.

The R9X, after all, was developed with the aim of preventing civilian deaths – a collateral damage of US airstrikes in Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan and other locations.

(With inputs from AFP)