The US Air Force used Rapid Dragon system for the first time during tests abroad, which involves launching "palletized" cruise missiles from a cargo plane. Defense News reports about it.
Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM-ER) cruise missiles were launched from the MC-130J Commando II aircraft (352nd Special Operations Wing) during a flight over the Norwegian Sea on Wednesday, November 9.
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The head of the Rapid Dragon program, Dean Evans, noted that the tests were successful and in two years they managed to move from a concept on paper to real tests with a combat drop.
During the tests a pallet with four missiles was dropped from the plane. When it is in a vertical position, a missile is released from it, which later flies over the sea for about 2 minutes, after that it exploded. No information was given whether the target was destroyed, but it is noted that "all tasks were completed."
It was the first test with combat launches since tests in December 2021, when the US Air Force destroyed a target in the Gulf of Mexico.
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