The Wall Street Journal reported on a secret weapon developed in the U.S. designed to eliminate terrorists without harming nearby civilians. According to WSJ sources, the new weapon has already proven effective in several operations in at least five countries.
The R9X missile, also known as the 'ninja bomb' and 'flying Ginsu' (Ginsu is a knife brand), is a modification of the Hellfire missile used by the Pentagon and CIA for precision strikes. Instead of explosives, the weapon utilizes the force of impact to destroy the target, piercing through the roof of a building or the body of a vehicle. Six blades that extend outward just before hitting the target finish the job.
"For the person chosen as a target, it's like an anvil rapidly descending from the sky," writes WSJ.
Development of the missile reportedly began in 2011 with the aim of reducing civilian casualties in the war on terror, especially given that extremists often used civilians as human shields. When using conventional missiles like Hellfire, an explosion occurs, resulting in innocent people being killed along with terrorists.
That's why Hellfire is better suited for destroying vehicles or multiple enemy fighters that are close to each other, while R9X is best used for precisely targeting individual terrorists.
Officials confirmed to WSJ that this missile has been used in operations in Libya, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen. For example, R9X was used to eliminate Yemeni terrorist Jamal al-Badawi, accused of involvement in the October 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole in the port of Aden, which killed 17 American sailors.
Source: 3dnews.ru
