Hellfire missiles tested in Med

One of the world’s leading tank-busting missiles has been fired from Apaches based on HMS Illustrious during a firing exercise in the western Mediterranean.

For the second time this year the Army Air Corps gunships were launched from the deck of the Portsmouth-based aircraft carrier to fire live Hellfire missiles.

Two Apaches from 656 Squadron AAC flew from the helicopter carrier’s flight deck as the sun rose over the western Med near Gibraltar to practise shooting at specialist targets.

With the ranges clear of all other shipping and aircraft, the two gunships sent five Hellfire missiles into specialist targets up to 2.5km (1.5 miles) away, obliterating them and sending debris and shrapnel spinning across the water.

The Hellfire has proven itself repeatedly in Afghanistan and was used extensively in last year’s Libyan campaign, when Apaches flew from the deck of HMS Ocean against Colonel Gaddafi’s forces – the first time the gunships had been used in anger at sea.

In the spring, HMS Illustrious carried out the first live Hellfire firings in UK waters and now has repeated that exercise in the Med.

As well as training for the Apache crews, the firings allowed Illustrious’ specialist air engineer weapons supply team to practise safely moving the missiles (each carries a 9kg/20lb warhead) from the carrier’s magazine to the flight deck, where the squadron’s armourers loaded them on to the helicopters.

Apaches can carry up to 16 Hellfires, mounted in sets of four on pylons beneath the helicopter’s wings.

The missile leaves its launch rail and accelerates to a speed of Mach 1.3 – 425 metres every second or 950mph – meaning it takes fewer than 20 seconds to reach a target at its maximum range of eight kilometres.

In this instance the missiles were launched at special radar-designated targets –aluminium sheeting with attached radar reflectors – which could be picked up by the fire control system on the Apaches and by the Hellfires themselves.

“Just as we successfully proved earlier this year, the latest Hellfire firings conducted from Illustrious have once again demonstrated the combination of Army Apache helicopters launched from the deck of HMS Illustrious are a potent mix, capable of combat against targets on land and at sea anywhere in the world,” said Captain Martin Connell, HMS Illustrious’ Commanding Officer.

HMS Illustrious is now heading back to Portsmouth, having completed her part in the Cougar 12 deployment to the Mediterranean.

Cougar saw the UK’s Response Force Task Group; led by flagship HMS Bulwark, carry out amphibious exercises with the French Navy off Corsica, then with the Albanians in the Adriatic.