U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II special operations aircraft has launched an AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range cruise missile, or JASSM-ER, above the Arctic Circle in the first-ever demonstration in Europe of the Rapid Dragon air-launched palletized munitions concept.
U.S. Special Operations Command Europe led the demonstration. In MC-130J from the 352nd Special Operations Wing carried out the actual employment of the Rapid Dragon system over the Andoya Space Range, which is situated north of the Arctic Circle in the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Norway.
The Air Force Research Laboratory's, Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation office, which is in charge of the Rapid Dragon program and other organizations, supported the demonstration. The full list of participants includes U.S. Special Operations Command's, the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren Division, Lockheed Martin's Missiles and Fire Control division, Systima Technologies, ASR-Pioneer, and the Andoya Space Center, according to Air Force Research Laboratory.
A video the 352nd Special Operations Wing released, does show the release of the AGM-158B missile, presently the primary munition for use with the Rapid Dragon system, and the weapon then cruising along at a low altitude over the sea. The JASSM-ER is seen impacting the water at the end of its flight, but it's unclear whether an actual target of some kind was struck.
The Rapid Dragon system consists primarily of multiple munitions contained inside modular frames, which are then loaded in a palletized fashion onto a cargo-carrying aircraft with a large rear ramp. It also includes a computerized targeting system that feeds information from off-board sources and into the missiles. The launch method involves releasing the palletized munitions via the aircraft's ramp just like any other type of air-dropped cargo, after which the system deploys a number of parachutes, stabilizes itself, and dispenses the munitions vertically. The system is designed to be able to accommodate various types of munitions, as well as be scalable and able to be quickly integrated with various types of airlifters.
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