U.S. approves potential $200 million sale of Hellfire missiles to Netherlands for Apache and Reaper fleets

By Martin Chomsky (Defence Industry Europe)

Poland has signed an intergovernmental agreement (LOA) with the United States for the purchase of the AGM-114R2 Hellfire missile, produced by Lockheed Martin.
Photo: U.S. Army.

The U.S. Department of State has approved approved a Dutch request for the potential purchase of additional AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles. The proposed deal covers up to 530 missiles, along with related logistical support and assistance.

According to the published notice, the package also includes technical bulletins and other documentation required for the safe operation of the weapon system. U.S. officials estimated the potential government-to-government agreement could be worth up to $200 million.

Lockheed Martin would be the principal contractor if the deal is finalized. The company manufactures the AGM-114 Hellfire missile.

The Netherlands uses AGM-114 Hellfire missiles as the primary armament for its Boeing AH-64E Apache helicopters. The missiles are also deployed on the country’s General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper drones.

The planned purchase may reflect efforts to increase national stockpiles. The Netherlands has repeatedly acquired additional batches of Hellfire missiles over the years.

The country’s first order for the missile system was placed in 1995. That purchase included 605 missiles acquired alongside AH-64D Apache helicopters.

Part of the Netherlands’ missile inventory has been used during combat operations. Dutch air assets employed Hellfire missiles during missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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