Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
    • A-E
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
    • F-L
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
    • M-S
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
    • T-Z
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    • March 2025
    • Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    • Showcase 2025
    • September 2024
    • June 2024
    • Archive Issues
    • Subscribe Free!
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Subscribe to magazine Subscribe to email newsletter Media Pack
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
  • News
      • Acoustic & Vibration
      • Avionics
      • Data Acquisition
      • Defense
      • Drones & Air Taxis
      • Electric & Hybrid
      • EMC
      • Engine Testing
      • Environmental Testing
      • Fatigue Testing
      • Flight Testing
      • Helicopters & Rotorcraft
      • High Speed Imaging
      • Industry News
      • Materials Testing
      • NDT
      • Simulation & Training
      • Software
      • Space
      • Structural Testing
      • Supplier News
      • Technology
      • Telemetry & Communications
      • Weapons Testing
      • Wind Tunnels
  • Features
  • Magazines
    1. March 2025
    2. Dec 2024/Jan 2025
    3. Showcase 2025
    4. September 2024
    5. June 2024
    6. March 2024
    7. Archive Issues
    8. Subscribe Free!
    Featured
    19th March 2025

    In this issue: March 2025

    Online Magazines By Ben Sampson
    Recent

    In this issue: March 2025

    19th March 2025
    contents and front cover of magazine

    In this issue: December / January 2025

    19th December 2024
    Showcase 2025

    In this issue – Showcase 2025

    6th November 2024
  • Opinion
  • Webinars
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Aerospace Test & Development Show
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Suppliers
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Press Releases
    • Technical Papers
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job – It’s FREE!
    • Manage Jobs (Employers)
LinkedIn YouTube X (Twitter)
Aerospace Testing InternationalAerospace Testing International
Defense Weapons Testing

US Air Force continues program to convert cargo aircraft to missile platforms

Ben SampsonBy Ben Sampson4th November 20202 Mins Read
Share LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Email
C-130J
Airlifters like the MC-130J have the potential to deploy large quantities of missiles (Image: Lockheed Martin)

Lockheed Martin has been awarded a US$25 million contract to support the next phase of the US Air Force’s Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign, a project which is developing ways of converting cargo airlifters into platforms to launch missiles.

The US$25 million contract awarded by the US Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) Office will support the fourth phase of the service’s Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign. This phase will include a system-level demonstration next year and work  to assess the potential to deliver large volumes of air-launched weapons via airlifters.

Scott Callaway, director of advanced strike systems at Lockheed Martin said, “Despite the Palletized Munitions program being relatively new, it’s moving very quickly,”

“The US Air Force Research Laboratory contracting, SDPE offices and Lockheed Martin teams established this new contract in a record time of 30 days, supporting faster prototyping and a shorter timeline to bring this advanced capability to the warfighter in the field.”

The Palletized Munitions Experimentation Campaign aims to enable the launching of offensive operations from a greater number of airfields and engage a larger number of near-peer adversarial targets.

Studies so far show that airlifters have the potential to deploy large quantities of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER) missiles. The US Air Force wants this to provide a significant increase in long-range standoff scale and complement traditional strike and bomber aircrafts.

The overall goal of the Campaign is to develop a modular system to deliver air-launched weapons, leveraging standard airdrop procedures and operations. The system will have the ability to be rolled on and off multiple types of aircraft, including the C-17 and C-130.

JASSM is a long-range, conventional, air-to-ground, precision standoff missile designed to destroy high-value, well-defended, fixed and relocatable targets.

Phase one of the Campaign successfully accomplished five high-altitude airdrops from an MC-130J, which is made by Lockheed Martin, and a C-17 earlier this year using simulated weapons. During these tests, the US Air Force tested the suitability of launching JASSM-ERs from an airlifter.

Share. Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Email
Previous ArticleResearchers measure aircraft propeller noise on the ground and in flight synchronously for the first time
Next Article Meet the Boom Supersonic flight test team
Ben Sampson

Ben has worked as a journalist and editor, covering technology, engineering and industry for the last 20 years. Initially writing about subjects from nuclear submarines to autonomous cars to future design and manufacturing technologies, he was editor of a leading UK-based engineering magazine before becoming editor of Aerospace Testing in 2017.

Related Posts

News

US range opened to boost hypersonic and laser weapon testing

19th May 20252 Mins Read
Defense

T-7A Red Hawk completes successful Escape System Sled Test

8th May 20252 Mins Read
Defense

US military flies Talon-A reusable hypersonic test vehicle

6th May 20253 Mins Read
Latest Posts

Industry Adoption of 3D Optical Surface Gauges

21st May 2025

NDT: Robotics and software spur innovation

21st May 2025

Wisk and NASA to partner on US autonomous flight operations and standards

20th May 2025
Supplier Spotlights
Our Social Channels
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
Getting in Touch
  • Subscribe To Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Media Pack
Related Topics
  • Aircraft Interiors
  • Business Jet Interiors
FREE WEEKLY NEWS EMAIL!

Get the 'best of the week' from this website direct to your inbox every Wednesday

© 2023 Mark Allen Group Ltd | All Rights Reserved
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.