April 27, 2010: The U.S. Air Force and CIA are using smaller
missiles on their Predator and Reaper UAVs. This enables targets
to be destroyed with less risk to nearby civilians. All these
are alternatives to the Hellfire II, which weighs 48.2 kg (106
pounds), carries a 9 kg (20 pound) warhead and has a range of
8,000 meters. The new small missile that has been seen in action
is apparently the Griffin, which is a 15.6 kg (34.5 pound)
guided missile with a 5.9 kg (13 pound) warhead which is larger,
in proportion to its size, than the one carried by the larger
Hellfire missile. To achieve this, Griffin has a shorter range
(4 kilometers), which is adequate for a UAV, which is designed
to go after nearby targets. There even smaller options, like the
guided version of the 70mm air-to-ground rocket. These are 11.4
kg (25 pound) missiles, with a laser seeker, a 2.7 kg (six
pound) warhead and a range of about six kilometers. UAVs can
carry more of the smaller missiles. The 70mm missile is designed
to be carried in a l