On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the US Department of State approved the potential sale to the Kingdom of the Netherlands of another batch of 530 AGM-114R2 Hellfire II, or Hellfire Romeo, anti-tank guided missiles in a package worth up to 200 million USD.
Photo: Capt. Brian Harris, US Army
According to the published notice, in addition to the live missiles listed above, the government in The Hague also requested the following non-MDE items, as defined under Major Defense Equipment: technical support from the Security Assistance Management Directorate (SAMD) and the Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM) project office of the US Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM); non-standard technical documentation; publications and other documents related to the Hellfire system; integration support; and other related logistics and program support elements. Lockheed Martin will be the principal contractor.
This will be another batch of AGM-114R2 Hellfire II missiles for the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Approval for the purchase of 386 missiles was granted on February 2, 2024, under a package worth up to 150 million USD. The new purchase will increase the stockpile to 916 missiles.
The first batch of around 600 Hellfire-family anti-tank guided missiles was acquired together with the original 30 AH-64D Block I helicopters in 1995; two of the helicopters were lost in crashes in 2004 and 2015. Deliveries were carried out in 1996–2002. From 2009, the helicopters were upgraded to the AH-64D Longbow Block II standard, and in 2013, 100 anti-tank guided missiles were acquired for them, with deliveries taking place in 2016. In the year of those deliveries, another 250 missiles were purchased and delivered in 2021–2022. The missiles were used during exercises and combat operations involving the helicopters in Iraq, Mali, and Afghanistan.
The missiles will now ultimately arm 28 modernized Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian v6 attack helicopters, which are being rebuilt from AH-64D Block II aircraft. They will also be compatible with MQ-9A Reaper combat UAVs, the first four of which were received in 2022, with another four currently in production.
The AGM-114R2 Hellfire anti-tank guided missiles, also known as AGM-114R Hellfire II or Romeo Hellfire, are air-to-surface missiles used to engage armored and unarmored targets. The missiles entered production in 2012, in parallel with the AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters. AGM-114R2 missiles use semi-active laser guidance and are fitted with a multipurpose warhead for engaging various target types. The missile is 180 cm long, weighs 49 kg, and flies at around Mach 1.3.
In recent months, in addition to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, purchases of these missiles have also been decided by Australia with 800 missiles, South Korea with 288, the United Kingdom with 395, France with 1,515, Poland with 800 plus a planned additional 1,844, Czechia with an initial 14 plus 200, Saudi Arabia with 2,500, Slovakia with 500, although that purchase remains uncertain, Belgium with 240, and Denmark with 100. Italy had acquired them earlier.
Meanwhile, on March 7, 2023, the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom announced plans to purchase the latest AGM-179 JAGM, or Joint Air-to-Ground Missile. On June 12, 2025, approval was granted for the purchase of 296 missiles for up to 215 million USD.