Raytheon built its 2,000th Griffin precision low-collateral missile carried by Air Force AC-130W and Marine Corps KC-130J Harvest Hawk gunships, according to a Feb. 5 company release. “The Griffin missile has proven to be an effective way of doing business for special operations forces,” said 1st Lt. Ben Marshall, US Special Operations Command Det. 1 precision-guided weapon program manager. Since Griffin production began in 2008, “the capability has steadily improved, where effectiveness and reliability rule the day,” he said. The Griffin Block III variant, currently in production, boasts a new seeker head with better accuracy, as well as a “multi-effect” warhead that improves lethality, according to Raytheon. The improved version of this 33-pound, aft-firing missile is expected to equip special operations units in the coming months.
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
