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's "Rapid Dragon" program aims to transform standard military cargo aircraft into strike platforms capable of delivering long-range weapons en masse.
- The program demonstrated test-dropping palletized surrogate Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM-ERs) from C-17 and EC-130 aircraft without requiring any aircraft modifications.
- Key capabilities include in-flight missile release, the ability to retarget missiles airborne, which significantly enhances strike capacity and operational flexibility for commanders.
- Future plans involve live-fire tests of actual JASSM-ERs from an MC-130J later this year and from a C-17 in Spring 2022.
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