The U.S. Army Contracting Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a $631 million contract for Hellfire missiles for the Netherlands and Japan.

The contract – which was signed on 1 October– provides procure a variety of Hellfire II missile variants in containers for Netherlands and Japan under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

“Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $631,757,949 fixed-price-incentive Foreign Military Sales (Netherlands and Japan) contract to procure a variety of Hellfire II missile variants in containers. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021,” said in the statement.

According to army-technology.com, the Hellfire II (AGM-114) is an air-to-ground missile developed primarily for the anti-armour role. It is a combat proven tactical missile system using multiple launch platforms based on air, sea and ground.

The multi-purpose Hellfire II missile can be carried on both rotary-wing and UAV platforms, can be launched from higher altitudes–increasing the impact angle and enhancing stealth and lethality–and provides a wide engagement zone to properly equipped platforms, enabling them to target and fire upon targets to the side and behind them.

With more than 26,000 rounds produced for the U.S. and 15 international customers, Hellfire II has been successfully integrated with attack helicopters in the U.S. and many Allied fleets. It is also capable of surface launch from ground vehicles, tripods and small vessels.

Hellfire II is available in the following configurations: the AGM-114K (HEAT), used against armored targets; the AGM-114M (blast fragmentation version), effective against ships, caves, light-armored vehicles, buildings, bunkers, and other urban targets; and the AGM-114N (MAC), used against enclosed structures. In addition, the AGM-114L, or Longbow Hellfire, uses the HEAT warhead and a millimeter wave seeker for adverse weather and fire-and- forget capability. All four versions have been used in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In Japan, the AGM-114 Hellfire II is used on AH-64DJP platform, also Netherlands is currently used on AH-64D attack helicopters.