Cargo Plane-Launched Stealth Cruise Missiles In Action

[Oldman1]

Our Best Look Yet At 'Rapid Dragon' Cargo Plane-Launched Stealth Cruise Missiles In Action

The concept of arming airlifters with cruise missiles is evolving quickly, which is a big deal for the Air Force, and possibly other air arms as well.

www.thedrive.com

The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin have provided new looks and additional insights into a recent full demonstration of the Rapid Dragon air-launched palletized munitions concept. On this occasion, surrogate weapons were delivered from the cargo holds of a C-17A Globemaster III airlifter and an EC-130J Super J, a psychological warfare platform based on the classic Hercules transport. The development reinforces the swift pace established by this program, which 10 months ago existed only in concept form and is managed by the Air Force’s Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE). Its implications could extend beyond the United States as well.

 

[Shabi1]

Our Best Look Yet At 'Rapid Dragon' Cargo Plane-Launched Stealth Cruise Missiles In Action

The concept of arming airlifters with cruise missiles is evolving quickly, which is a big deal for the Air Force, and possibly other air arms as well.

www.thedrive.com

The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin have provided new looks and additional insights into a recent full demonstration of the Rapid Dragon air-launched palletized munitions concept. On this occasion, surrogate weapons were delivered from the cargo holds of a C-17A Globemaster III airlifter and an EC-130J Super J, a psychological warfare platform based on the classic Hercules transport. The development reinforces the swift pace established by this program, which 10 months ago existed only in concept form and is managed by the Air Force’s Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE). Its implications could extend beyond the United States as well.

This is a great concept and not too far fetched to implement. Can overwhelm air defenses and do a saturation attack. It should also be financially more convenient to have a single cargo aircraft deploy large number of missiles instead of several fighter jets doing the same.

 

[Pak_Sher]

Great innovation

 

[untitled]

Any reason why we can't come up with a similar solution for our Raad, H4s using C130s, Il-78s or if we are feeling ambitious even modify the Sea Sultans accordingly?

 

[Mentee]

@MastanKhan

Sir the fiction is fast turning into reality

 

[MastanKhan]

@MastanKhan

Sir the fiction is fast turning into reality

Hi,

Thanks for remembering what I had written in the past decade---.

 

[redtom]

This is a great concept and not too far fetched to implement. Can overwhelm air defenses and do a saturation attack. It should also be financially more convenient to have a single cargo aircraft deploy large number of missiles instead of several fighter jets doing the same.

I think the focus of this technology is on missiles rather than transport aircraft. Transporter-delivered missiles do not get a good initial speed or altitude, and their range does not improve much compared to ground-launched missiles. But it has the advantage of being able to quickly change the missile launch site. It is easier to evade a strike than traditional ship-based and land-based launches.

This is technically not actually easy, requiring high precision GPS and the precise GPS position of the target. Or the missile could be instructed to change course mid-flight. This, in turn, leads to a more revealing problem, which goes against the stealth design. The perfect scenario would be an AI missile that stores a range of target information and terrain information. After the missile arrives at the target area, it chooses the target to strike. This requires the missile to have a certain altitude and terminal guidance in the final stage, preferably accelerating the terminal to Mach 3 to increase the penetration probability.

 

[Oldman1]

I think the focus of this technology is on missiles rather than transport aircraft. Transporter-delivered missiles do not get a good initial speed or altitude, and their range does not improve much compared to ground-launched missiles. But it has the advantage of being able to quickly change the missile launch site. It is easier to evade a strike than traditional ship-based and land-based launches.

This is technically not actually easy, requiring high precision GPS and the precise GPS position of the target. Or the missile could be instructed to change course mid-flight. This, in turn, leads to a more revealing problem, which goes against the stealth design. The perfect scenario would be an AI missile that stores a range of target information and terrain information. After the missile arrives at the target area, it chooses the target to strike. This requires the missile to have a certain altitude and terminal guidance in the final stage, preferably accelerating the terminal to Mach 3 to increase the penetration probability.

Wouldn't worry about the missiles. Deploying them from the air is far better than ground since no need for boosters as well as having to use their own fuel to gain altitude.

 

[Shabi1]

Hi,

Thanks for remembering what I had written in the past decade---.

You're going to love this, missile truck concept. Personally think not as feasible for AA but AG cruise missile thing is very practical and makes sense as missiles without ground launch boosters will be economical and easier to relocate.

 

[Oldman1]

You're going to love this, missile truck concept. Personally think not feasible for AA but AG cruise missile thing is very practical and makes sense as missiles without boosters will be economical.

Don't forget this. Sadly they stopped the 747 production. But it was a cool concept. Still can put it in 777 aircraft.

 

[untitled]

Can anyone post the link to the video from where this clip is taken. I have a hard time trying to find it

 

[MastanKhan]

You're going to love this, missile truck concept. Personally think not as feasible for AA but AG cruise missile thing is very practical and makes sense as missiles without ground launch boosters will be economical and easier to relocate.

Hi,

One of the most important part is the unpredictability of the direction from where the attack is coming from.

 

[Shabi1]

Hi,

One of the most important part is the unpredictability of the direction from where the attack is coming from.

True, since targeting platform and launch aircraft are separate that would be the case. Also same for co-op engagement via AWAC targeting/guiding AMRAAM fired from a F-16. However fact being missed is illuminating aircraft has to be at a range beyond that it could be targeted as turning on the Radar makes even a stealth aircraft detectable. The concept is ideal for cold war era scenarios where US could have faced large number of Soviet bomber and fighter formations.

They showed the SU-30s taking no counter maneuvers caught by surprise, however as in the whole video next wave of attack comes from Rafales, Typhoons and Gripens which they show with some countermeasures and US does take losses. Against 4.5gen aircraft not too simple, those missile trucks would show up as huge blips on radar because of their massive RCSs, even beyond the radar range using RWRs/SIGINT. For the missile truck AA concept to work your BVR missiles have to be more longer ranged than the ones the enemy has else not that effective.

The missile truck for ground attack missiles is a perfect concept as offers several advantages over ground launched alternative.

 

[FuturePAF]

You're going to love this, missile truck concept. Personally think not as feasible for AA but AG cruise missile thing is very practical and makes sense as missiles without ground launch boosters will be economical and easier to relocate.

These B-1Rs could carry 20 Aim-120s, but the F-15s could be rebuilt to the F-15EX standard and can carry 22 Aim-120s. They would probably also be more survivable against threats then the B-1s at a lot lower price. But you have a point that the bomb truck idea isn’t new, at it isn’t about the platform as much anymore, and all about the munitions and the data to guide them on their way.

 

[MastanKhan]

True, since targeting platform and launch aircraft are separate that would be the case. Also same for co-op engagement via AWAC targeting/guiding AMRAAM fired from a F-16. However fact being missed is illuminating aircraft has to be at a range beyond that it could be targeted as turning on the Radar makes even a stealth aircraft detectable. The concept is ideal for cold war era scenarios where US could have faced large number of Soviet bomber and fighter formations.
View attachment 779778

They showed the SU-30s taking no counter maneuvers caught by surprise, however as in the whole video next wave of attack comes from Rafales, Typhoons and Gripens which they show with some countermeasures and US does take losses. Against 4.5gen aircraft not too simple, those missile trucks would show up as huge blips on radar because of their massive RCSs, even beyond the radar range using RWRs/SIGINT. For the missile truck AA concept to work your BVR missiles have to be more longer ranged than the ones the enemy has else not that effective.

The missile truck for ground attack missiles is a perfect concept as offers several advantages over ground launched alternative.

Hi,

An old adage hold true---if you want to shoot a bullet at someone, you ought to have a gun---basically a launch mechanism for your projectile.

There are measures and then there are counter measure---and then some on top of that till the moment arrives the one of the opponent buckles under the onslaught---.

It is about the FIGHT IN THE DOG scenario. First the dog has to be able and capable---otherwise it is no match.