Captive Flight Training Missile The M36 is an inert device used for training in the handling of the Hellfire. It includes an operational laser seeker. AGM-114R9X The Hellfire R9X is a Hellfire variant with a kinetic warhead with pop-out blades instead of explosives, used against specific human targets. Its lethality is due to 45 kg (100 lb) of dense material with six blades flying at high speed, to crush and cut the targeted person— the R9X has also been referred to as the 'Ninja Missile' and 'Flying Ginsu'. It is intended to reduce collateral damage when targeting specific people. Deployed in secret in 2017, its existence has been public since 2019. This variant was used in the killing in 2017 of Abu Khayr al-Masri, a member of Al-Qaeda's leadership, and in 2019 of Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Al Badawi, accused mastermind of the 2000 USS Cole bombing. The weapon has also been used in Syria, and in Afghanistan against a Taliban commander. It was used twice in 2020 against senior al-Qaeda leaders in Syria; in September 2020 US officials estimated that it had been used in combat around six times. Hellfire missiles fired by a Reaper drone were used on 31 July 2022 to kill Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaeda, who had formerly been involved in planning the 9/11 and other attacks on US targets. It was reported that the missile hit him on a balcony, causing minimal collateral damage. Reports stress that avoiding other casualties was a priority for the mission, following drone attacks that killed several uninvolved people, attracting much criticism. It is widely thought that the Hellfires were the R9X variant, but a United States Special Operations Command spokesman declined to comment, while confirming that the R9X was "in US Special Operations Command's munitions inventory". Launch vehicles and systems Manned helicopters AH-64 Apache AH-6 MH-6 Little Bird AH-1Z Viper Bell OH-58 Kiowa Tiger ARH MH-60R MH-60S Fixed-wing aircraft Beechcraft Super King Air Cessna AC-208 Combat Caravan KC-130J Harvest HAWK IOMAX Archangel AC-130W MQ-1 Predator MQ-1C Gray Eagle MQ-9 Reaper Vessels Super Dvora Mk III-class patrol boat, Israel Freedom-class littoral combat ship Independence-class littoral combat ship Ground vehicles Stryker, IM-SHORAD variant Experimental platforms The system has been tested for use on the Humvee and the Improved TOW Vehicle (ITV). Test shots have also been fired from a C-130 Hercules. Sweden and Norway use the Hellfire for coastal defense