The US State Department has granted approval for a potential $79-million foreign military sale to Belgium involving AGM-114R2 Hellfire missiles and associated support services. Belgium has requested up to 240 missiles, along with engineering assistance, training, spare parts, communications gear, and broader logistics support to enhance operational readiness.
US officials stated that the sale would significantly boost Belgium’s counterterrorism capabilities. The European nation already fields advanced precision-guided munitions through its F-35 and F-16 fleets, positioning it well for seamless integration of the Hellfire systems. Lockheed Martin’s facility in Troy, Alabama, will serve as the primary contractor, with any offset agreements to be negotiated separately between the company and the Belgian government.
The AGM-114R2 Hellfire features a semi-active laser seeker, a programmable flight profile, and a multipurpose warhead suited for diverse mission sets. Its guidance system can reacquire targets even when temporarily obscured, such as during transitions through low cloud cover. Depending on operational needs, the missile can engage targets using lock-on-before-launch or lock-on-after-launch modes, improving platform survivability.
The approval comes as the US continues expanding its missile production capacity. Last year, Washington signed a $483-million contract with Lockheed Martin to deliver additional AGM-114R2 Hellfire and Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles, marking the third follow-on order since 2023. The cumulative value of the program has now reached roughly $4.5 billion, covering deliveries to the US Army and partner nations such as France, the Czech Republic, and Poland.
