Rapid Dragon: The USAFs Incredible New Missile System

Discover the evolution of long-range weaponry from ancient stones to the advanced USAF Rapid Dragon missile system. Explore its origins, functionality, and groundbreaking efficiency in modern warfare. Watch now!

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[b.thomas]

"Hey, Earl, I bet it would be funny to just load them missiles up in some milk crates and dump 'em out the back."
"You know what Bo? I think you got something there. We can put a parachute thing on 'em and just pump them babies out!!"

Lockheed Martin exec: "This is why I vacation in Florida."

[fountainvalley]

The ultimate flex turning your 500 cargo aircraft into strike aircraft. The US can now air launch 15, 000 cruise missiles.

[Marbeary]

Before: it is just a Cargo Plane
Now: Oh no it is A Cargo Plane

[DemocracyDiesInDarkness]

A dump truck of cruise missiles, definitely an American innovation.

[craigquann]

Imagine flexing on the competition and stealing a kickass code name that they were absolutely going to use on their next new toy. Little espionage tongue in cheek.

[Chris.Davies]

Whoever designed the original Hercules, probably never imagined that it would become the world's most offensive aeroplane, with the AC-130 gunship, and being able to drop Rapid Dragons.
The simulations of attacks using Rapid Dragons in DCS are.... rather devastating, to say the least.

FYI: I think it was Korea's famous King Sejong, the inventor of Korean's Hangul characters, who also invented the rocket-arrow machine launcher.

[romemedina]

Imagine a line of dozens of aircraft each dropping a couple of those pallets. Change "the arrows blackened the sky" to missiles.

[omarjassar]

One word " Sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their heads "

[RAS_Squints]

Rapid Dragon, a fearsome weapon system firing missiles with a name where jazz hands come to mind (AGM-158 JASSM)

[bluegdemon]

Rapid Dragon, the newest evolution of the venerable - pointed stick.

[nekomasteryoutube]

this weapon feels like it'd be a Kill streak reward and just basically carpet part of the map with explosions.

[twodogsandtheirfamily]

Imagine 4-6 C17's with 2 of them loaded with decoys and 4 loaded with actual missiles. It's hard to imagine a possible defence to this. 90 decoys and 180 missiles incoming, that could easily completely destroy several military bases.

[adamchurvis]

I have always loved cruise missiles! When I was a student at Georgia Tech back in the Eighties we had a presentation from General Dynamics. They were trying to recruit soon-to-graduate students. When it got to the Q&A the presenter called on me and I asked, "What is the yield of the--" He interrupted with a smile and instantly said "Sorry, don't know. Next question -- you in the blue shirt..."

[jim.franklin]

Simon, one thing you forgot to mention is stealth, Cruise missiles, specifically LRASM, Stormshadow and their ilke, all fly at around 25-40m from the ground, over the sea this can be as low as 5m depending on sea state, this makes them challenging for any radar system, but the US is now coating some in the same materials that the F-35 and F-22 are coated in, coupled to their already small size and profile to deflect incoming radar signals, this makes them virtually undetectable before it is too late for air defense systems to react and engage. With ships, this is somewhat easier as most have radar that can work across sea level and they have close in defense systems that can engage very rapidly, but as you pointed out, in a swarm, especially from multiple directions, that becomes ever more challenging.

[stevedixon]

The Swarm Drone concept is still my favorite

[Chris]

Low key I was in that video you showed with the Patriot system

[Iamhere-crvu]

Mega project idea. How Chicago reversed the flow of the Mississippi River

[batticusmanacleas]

I just think its wild the US named anything of theirs after anything remotely related to China, let alone something as iconic as the dragon carts. In gratitude, the PLA is set to name their next aircraft carrier after Bull Halsey.

[TracksideViews]

This guy just follows you around YouTube from channel to channel

[theemissary]

Spare a thought for the cargo officer who has just pushed out 80, 000 times his lifetime wages worth of missiles out the back of the plane he's on...