'Flying Ginsu': US used six-bladed weapon to kill Iraqi militia reader

‘Flying Ginsu’: US used six-bladed weapon to kill Iraqi militia reader

Last week in Baghdad, a leading figure of Kataib Hezbollah was taken out by the Pentagon using a notably unconventional weapon, described by defense officials as a modified Hellfire missile equipped with six blades, known colloquially as “the flying Ginsu.”

The operation targeting al-Saadi, who was en route in a vehicle, was in retaliation to the group’s involvement in assaults against US forces stationed in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, a Wall Street Journal report said. This includes an attack on January 28 that resulted in the death of three American servicemen, as reported by officials.

The use of the Ginsu by US forces in the Baghdad strike hasn’t been previously disclosed, the WSJ report said.

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The six-bladed ‘Ginsu’ weapon, often evoking imagery of the famous kitchen knives for its purported lethality and precision, is actually a nickname not commonly used in official defense circles.

Weapons that might be described using the ‘Ginsu’ moniker could belong to a class of munitions known as “kinetic energy projectiles” or precision-guided munitions. These are designed to strike targets with high accuracy and are sometimes equipped with multiple penetrating components or blades to ensure the destruction of hardened or buried targets.

The Ginsu’s design, which foregoes an explosive payload for precision-targeted blades, aims to eliminate threats without endangering nearby non-combatants or infrastructure.

Also known at times as the Ninja bomb, the Ginsu is crafted to drive over 100 pounds of metal through the roofs of cars and buildings, aiming to eliminate its target without endangering nearby people and property. It operates by extending knives from its tip upon impact instead of detonating, a Wall Street Journal report said.

High-value targets

The frequency of the Pentagon’s utilization of this munition is not fully known, but it is typically reserved for high-value targets in populated areas to mitigate the risk of civilian casualties. It’s suggested by some defense officials that al-Saadi might have believed his presence in a densely populated area of the Iraqi capital would provide safety amidst civilians.

Notably, the US employed this weapon in the assassination of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in July 2022 and during a strike against the Islamic State in Afghanistan following the group’s lethal attack in Kabul in August 2021, which claimed the lives of 13 US soldiers near the city’s airport.

Why it matters

The targeted assassination of Abu Baqr al-Saadi, Kataib Hezbollah’s chief in Syria, utilized a weapon designed to minimize civilian casualties, underscoring the US’s tactical shift in its approach to counterterrorism. This strike was in retaliation for the group’s assaults on US forces across Iraq, Syria, and Jordan.

Employing the R9X, or Ginsu, reflects a strategic consideration to mitigate collateral damage in conflict zones. This is especially critical in Iraq, where the political climate is delicate, and the presence of approximately 2,500 American troops adds to the complexity.

What’s next

The ongoing tensions and the potential for a reconfiguration of US military engagement in the region underscore the complexity of addressing security concerns while navigating the geopolitical landscape of Iraq and the broader Middle East.

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