U.S. Increasingly Using ‘Ninja Bombs’ in Syria
DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – The U.S. military is making increasing use in Syria of a gruesome and secretive non-explosive drone missile that deploys flying blades to kill its targets, the Guardian reports.
Described as less likely to kill non-combatants, the so-called ninja bomb – whose development was first disclosed last year – has been used a number of times since last year to purportedly kill militants in Syria, most recently earlier this month.
Officially designated as the Hellfire AGM-114R9X – usually shortened to R9X and sometimes know as the "Flying Ginsu” – the weapon has been increasingly deployed in targeted assassinations by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.
The missile, believed to have been first used in 2017 to kill al-Qaeda’s then No 2 ringleader, Abu Khayr al Masri, in Idlib province, first came to wider attention when its existence was disclosed by an article in the Wall Street Journal last year.
The weapon uses a combination of the force of 100lb of dense material flying at high speed and six attached blades which deploy before impact to crush and slice its victims.
Video that emerged in June this year, posted by the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, appeared to show the remains of one of the missiles used in a strike on a vehicle, also in Syria’s Idlib.
The weapon is believed to have been developed during the administration of Barack Obama at a time when the U.S. policy of targeted drone assassinations attracted considerable criticism for the number of civilian casualties caused by the strikes.
Since its deployment it has been used sparingly, apparently most often in Syria.
According to the New York Times the most recent use of the missile was on 14 September, when it was reportedly used to kill Sayyaf al-Tunsi, a Tunisian.
Observers have speculated that the increasing use of the weapon in Syria has been driven by the operations in Syria where the U.S. is required to work around a large Russian engagement.
Up until May last year, it is believed that the weapon had been used no more than half a dozen times. But since then it appears to have been used increasingly more often.
Iain Overton of Action on Armed Violence warned against the impression that it was a "more humanitarian weapon”.
Described as less likely to kill non-combatants, the so-called ninja bomb – whose development was first disclosed last year – has been used a number of times since last year to purportedly kill militants in Syria, most recently earlier this month.
Officially designated as the Hellfire AGM-114R9X – usually shortened to R9X and sometimes know as the "Flying Ginsu” – the weapon has been increasingly deployed in targeted assassinations by the U.S. Joint Special Operations Command.
The missile, believed to have been first used in 2017 to kill al-Qaeda’s then No 2 ringleader, Abu Khayr al Masri, in Idlib province, first came to wider attention when its existence was disclosed by an article in the Wall Street Journal last year.
The weapon uses a combination of the force of 100lb of dense material flying at high speed and six attached blades which deploy before impact to crush and slice its victims.
Video that emerged in June this year, posted by the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, appeared to show the remains of one of the missiles used in a strike on a vehicle, also in Syria’s Idlib.
The weapon is believed to have been developed during the administration of Barack Obama at a time when the U.S. policy of targeted drone assassinations attracted considerable criticism for the number of civilian casualties caused by the strikes.
Since its deployment it has been used sparingly, apparently most often in Syria.
According to the New York Times the most recent use of the missile was on 14 September, when it was reportedly used to kill Sayyaf al-Tunsi, a Tunisian.
Observers have speculated that the increasing use of the weapon in Syria has been driven by the operations in Syria where the U.S. is required to work around a large Russian engagement.
Up until May last year, it is believed that the weapon had been used no more than half a dozen times. But since then it appears to have been used increasingly more often.
Iain Overton of Action on Armed Violence warned against the impression that it was a "more humanitarian weapon”.