The Wall Street Journal reported on a secret weapon developed in the USA designed to eliminate terrorists without harming nearby civilians. According to WSJ sources, the new weapon has already proven effective in a number of operations in at least five countries.
The R9X missile, also known as the "ninja bomb" and the "flying Ginsu" (Ginsu is a brand of knives), is a modification of the Hellfire missile used by the Pentagon and the CIA for precision strikes. Instead of explosives, the weapon uses the force of impact to destroy the target by penetrating the roof of a building or the body of a vehicle. Six blades extend outward just before hitting the target to finish the job.
"For the person chosen as the target, it feels like an anvil suddenly crashing from the sky," writes WSJ.
It is reported that the missile's development began in 2011 with the aim of reducing civilian casualties in the war on terror, especially since extremists regularly used civilians as human shields. When conventional missiles like Hellfire are used, explosions occur that lead to the death of innocent people along with the terrorists.
This is why Hellfire is better suited for destroying vehicles or several enemy fighters who are in close proximity to each other, while R9X is best used for precise targeting of individual terrorists.
Officials confirmed to WSJ that this missile has been used in operations in Libya, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen. For example, RX9 was used to eliminate Yemeni terrorist Jamal al-Badawi, who was accused of involvement in the October 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole in the port of Aden, which killed 17 American sailors.
Allikas: 3dnews.ru
