Key Points
The most recent involved the use of a flying Ginsu, a modified Hellfire missile fitted with six blades, against Abu Baqir al-Saadi, leader of the Kataib Hezbollah, for his role in killing US soldiers...
Although weapons of choice have become increasingly sophisticated, such assassinations have been a tool of statecraft throughout history..
The flying Ginsu, or AGM-114R-9X, a CIA-developed variant of the Hellfire air-to-ground missile, became a weapon of choice in drone strikes against terrorist leaders..
However, to reduce collateral damage in counterterrorist operations, the explosive warhead was replaced with six stainless-steel blades that deploy just before impact with the target..
With the development of newer technologies there has been a transformation in the conduct of such operations.For instance, a satellite-controlled machine gun with artificial intelligence was reportedly used to assassinate Irans leading nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, on 27 November 2020..
