USAF Hits Target With Missile Dropped From Cargo Plane

Kimberly Johnson

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

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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 program, deploying a cruise missile from an MC-130J cargo aircraft that received new targeting data in-flight before hitting its target.
The Rapid Dragon program aims to enable military cargo aircraft to deploy palletized weapon systems, significantly expanding strike capabilities and offering a faster alternative to traditional acquisition timelines.
This test demonstrated the in-flight receipt and upload of new targeting data to a live cruise missile, a first for the program, and showcased the feasibility of using mobility aircraft to augment tactical strike capacity.

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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.