British Army Apache helicopters have recently fired Hellfire missiles for the first time whilst flying from a Royal Navy warship.

In a significant milestone in proving the capability of Apache to operate and strike from the sea, 30mm rounds and Hellfire missiles were successfully fired against seaborne targets in a long-planned exercise near Gibraltar.

In total, 550 30mm rounds and nine radar-guided Hellfire missiles were fired, achieving a 100 per cent strike rate. This was the first time that Hellfire has been launched in the maritime environment.

The last two weeks have seen a succession of ‘firsts’ for the Army Air Corps (AAC) Attack Helicopter Force at sea.

Currently deployed onboard HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy’s largest warship, 656 Squadron from 4 Regiment AAC have spent the past few weeks conducting intensive training that will allow them to operate effectively by day and by night.

Source and photo: MOD UK