| Rapid Dragon missile deployment system | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Rapid_Dragon_Test2021_12_211217-F-TH808-1003.jpg) A Rapid Dragon module being loaded on a C-130 for airdrop. | |
| Type | Palletized airdrop standoff missile launch system |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2021 (JASSM-ER successful test) |
| Used by | United States Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | US Air Force Research Lab SDPE group Air Force Futures |
| Designed | 2020 |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Systima Technologies Safran Electronics & Defense[1] |
| Produced | 2022 (low production) |
| Variants | C-130: 6 tube module (max 2) C-17: 9 tube module (max 5)[2] |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 17 ft (520 cm) (approx.) |
| Width | 8.4 ft (260 cm) for 6 and 9 tube configurations |
| Crew | 4 (Airdrop cargo crew) |
| Barrels | 4 to 9+ (configurable to cargo deck size) |
| Effective firing range | JASSM-ER: > 575 mi (925 km) JASSM-XR: > 1,200 mi (1,900 km) LRASM (naval targets): > 500 mi (800 km)+ JDAM-ER: > 50 mi (80 km) |
| Feed system | Vertical drop |
Main armament | AGM-158 variants (anti surface & anti naval) |
| Payload capacity | 8,800 to 21,800 lb (4,000 to 9,900 kg) |
Launch platform | Pallet-airdrop capable aircraft: C-130, C-17 (confirmed compatibility) |
Rapid Dragon is a palletized and disposable weapons module which is airdropped in order to deploy flying munitions, typically cruise missiles, from unmodified cargo planes. Developed by the United States Air Force and Lockheed, the airdrop-rigged pallets, called "deployment boxes," provide a low cost method allowing unmodified cargo planes, such as C-130 or C-17 aircraft, to be temporarily repurposed as standoff bombers capable of mass launching any variant of long or short range AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles against land or naval targets.[1]
The size of the deployment boxes is configurable and ranges from 4 to 45 AGM-158B JASSM-ER (extended range) cruise missiles,[3] which can strike targets at a range of 570 to 1,200 mi (925 to 1,900 km). Large numbers of JASSM-XR (extreme range) will become available in 2024.
The system has been successfully used with C-130 and C-17 cargo planes to strike both land and sea targets with armed and test version JASSM-ERs.
Future development will generalize the system beyond the AGM-158 missile family to include JDAM bombs, sea mines, drones, and other missile systems as well as integrating the launch system into use on other supporting cargo and non-cargo aircraft.[2]
The current version uses unmodified cargo aircraft while missile deployment requires no additional crew skills beyond those for airdrops of supplies or vehicles. The system can be thought of as a smart and disposable bomb bay in a box that includes an interface allowing targeting information that is gathered from allied units in the area to be fed to the munitions from a distant fire control center.
- ^ a b "Rapid Dragon's first live fire test of a Palletized Weapon System deployed from a cargo ai". Air Force Materiel Command. 16 December 2021. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Rapid Dragon – Air Force Research Laboratory". afresearchlab.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ Mizokami, Kyle (22 December 2021). "The Air Force Turned a Cargo Plane into a Bomber". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2022.