USAF Hits Target With Missile Dropped From Cargo Plane

Kimberly Johnson

Thursday, December 16, 2021 at 04:58 PM ET

Verified

A HC-130J Combat King takes off from the Lockheed Martin facility in Marietta, Georgia. [Courtesy: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force successfully conducted a live-fire test of its Rapid Dragon system, deploying a palletized cruise missile with a live warhead from an MC-130J cargo aircraft.
This test achieved a significant milestone: the first-time inflight receipt and upload of new targeting data to a live cruise missile from a cargo aircraft, which then successfully destroyed its target.
The Rapid Dragon program aims to expand air strike capabilities by enabling military cargo aircraft to deploy palletized weapon systems, offering commanders more versatile and faster response options.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The U.S. Air Force successfully dropped a cruise missile armed with a live warhead out of a MC-130J over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) announced.

The December 16 test at Eglin Air Force Base Overwater Test Range in Florida was a demonstration of the Air Force’s Rapid Dragon, a program seeking to employ palletized weapon systems from military cargo aircraft.