December 15, 2007:
The U.S.
Army has bought 430 M299 helicopter missile racks, for $120,000 each.
Introduced in 1994, each one of these racks holds four Hellfire missiles, or
sixteen 70mm DAGR guided markets (these are guided versions of the venerable
70mm unguided rockets). Alternatively, each rack can hold eight DAGRs and two
Hellfires. The racks can be used on the AH-64, AH-1Z, Tiger or the SH-60B
helicopters. Each rack weighs 145 pounds. Loaded with four Hellfires, the rack
weighs 541 pounds. Attack helicopters usually carry two of these racks. Of this
order, 38 racks are going to foreign customers.