U.S. military cargo aircraft are one step closer to delivering long-range strike weapons en masse, according to an announcement by the U.S. Air Force.
USAF Launches Missiles Dropped From Cargo Aircraft
Key Takeaways:
- The U.S. Air Force is developing the "Rapid Dragon" program to transform military cargo aircraft, such as the C-17 and EC-130, into platforms capable of delivering long-range strike weapons en masse.
- A recent demonstration successfully involved test-dropping pallets containing surrogate Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM-ERs) over White Sands Missile Range.
- The system is designed as a roll-on, roll-off solution requiring no aircraft modifications and allows for in-flight retargeting of missiles, significantly augmenting strike capacity and operational flexibility.
- Upcoming plans include further tests of deployable JASSM-ERs and live-fire demonstrations of actual missiles from cargo aircraft by late 2021 and spring 2022.
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