The Pentagon and CIA have developed a new missile designed to minimize civilian casualties when targeting terrorists.

A modified Hellfire missile, it is called the R9X and carries 100 pounds of metal designed to cut through the tops of cars and buildings with "a halo of six long blades" that shred through anything in its path, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The R9X was used to kill Ahmad Hasan Abu Khayr al-Masr, al Qaeda’s second in command, in 2017 and, Jamal al-Badawi, implicated in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, on New Year's Day 2019.

HUGE news via source:



Al-Qaeda deputy leader Abu al-Khayr al-Masri has been killed in a U.S drone strike near Al-Mastoumeh in #Idlib. pic.twitter.com/RORT6sU8Sj — Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) February 26, 2017

#pt: Note that Abu al-Khayr’s death has not yet been confirmed publicly, but it is is being spoken of privately within AQ #Syria circles. pic.twitter.com/vxkqZigvtB — Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) February 26, 2017

Former U.S. officials said they believed the existence of R9X should have been acknowledged years ago to send the message that the U.S. does not want to kill civilians.