Rapid Dragon: The USAFs Incredible New Missile System
Summary
TLDRThe Rapid Dragon system is a state-of-the-art cruise missile deployment advancement by the U.S. Air Force and Raytheon, offering long-range, highly accurate missile strikes with remarkable cost efficiency and low risk to soldiers. It can launch between four and 45 missiles simultaneously, each capable of autonomously reaching targets nearly 3,000 km away. Named after historical crossbow catapults, Rapid Dragon exemplifies modern military innovation, challenging traditional defense mechanisms and redefining offensive capabilities.
Takeaways
- 🏹 The concept of using projectiles from a distance to harm adversaries has ancient roots and has evolved into modern military techniques.
- 🚀 Rapid Dragon is a state-of-the-art cruise missile deployment system developed by the United States Air Force, emphasizing long-range precision and quick deployment.
- 💰 Rapid Dragon is notable for its cost efficiency, offering a high level of military capability at a lower financial burden compared to other systems.
- 🛰 The system provides high maneuverability and low risk to soldiers, as it can launch from airborne platforms and does not require the crew to be in direct combat zones.
- 🤖 Rapid Dragon's deployment boxes are autonomous, capable of receiving target information and guiding missiles to their destinations without additional input after deployment.
- 🔥 The system can deploy between four and 45 cruise missiles simultaneously, increasing the chances of a successful strike through a 'swarm attack' strategy.
- 🎯 Cruise missiles used with Rapid Dragon are equipped with powerful warheads capable of penetrating armored vehicles and causing significant damage.
- 🛡 Defending against cruise missile attacks involves a combination of active defense measures, attack operations, passive defense measures, and control over communications, computers, and intelligence.
- 🌐 The development of Rapid Dragon was influenced by the perceived advancements in technology by adversaries, aiming to counter area denial tactics and maintain military superiority.
- 🛬 The system's flexibility is enhanced by its ability to be loaded onto various unmodified airdrop-capable supply planes, such as the C-130 and C-17.
- 🔄 Rapid Dragon is an example of the ongoing evolution of military technology, with ongoing development to adapt to new threats and incorporate advanced weaponry like long-range anti-ship missiles and precision mines.
Q & A
What is the historical basis for the concept of the Rapid Dragon system?
-The concept of the Rapid Dragon system is based on the ancient technique of throwing stones as a defensive measure, which evolved into the military strategy of engaging adversaries from a distance with projectiles to minimize risk to soldiers.
What does Rapid Dragon represent in terms of military advancement?
-Rapid Dragon represents a significant advancement in cruise missile deployment, offering long-range, highly accurate missile launches from airborne platforms with enhanced maneuverability, cost efficiency, and low risk to soldiers.
How does the Rapid Dragon system improve upon traditional military missile operations?
-The Rapid Dragon system improves upon traditional operations by allowing for the simultaneous deployment of multiple cruise missiles, increasing the likelihood of hitting targets while maintaining cost efficiency and reducing the risk to military personnel.
What is the significance of the 'swarm attack' concept in the Rapid Dragon system?
-The 'swarm attack' concept is significant because it increases the chance of at least one projectile hitting the target, even if it comes at the cost of overall accuracy. This brute force solution has been a military strategy for centuries.
How many cruise missiles can Rapid Dragon deploy simultaneously?
-Rapid Dragon is capable of deploying between four and 45 cruise missiles simultaneously, depending on the cargo space available in the aircraft used.
What is the range of the cruise missiles deployed by Rapid Dragon?
-The cruise missiles deployed by Rapid Dragon, specifically the AGM 158b JASSM-ER missiles, can autonomously travel nearly 1,000 km to find their targets.
How does the Rapid Dragon system compare to historical military technology such as crossbow catapults?
-The Rapid Dragon system is similar to historical crossbow catapults in that both are designed to launch multiple projectiles simultaneously to increase the chances of hitting a target. However, Rapid Dragon is more advanced, using modern technology for autonomous targeting and long-range capabilities.
What was the origin of the name 'Rapid Dragon'?
-The name 'Rapid Dragon' originates from a historical description of crossbow catapults used in 950 CE, which were referred to as 'G Long Ch' or 'Rapid Dragon carts' due to their ability to fire multiple bolts simultaneously.
How does the Rapid Dragon system work in terms of deployment from an aircraft?
-The Rapid Dragon system uses a disposable deployment box or pallet loaded into a supply plane. Once airborne, the plane drops the box, which deploys a parachute for stability, releases the missiles, and each missile ignites to autonomously seek out and strike its target.
What are the defensive measures against cruise missile attacks like those launched by Rapid Dragon?
-Defensive measures against cruise missile attacks include active defense measures (destroying missiles before impact), attack operations (destroying launch sites or infrastructure), passive defense measures (hiding and deceiving to avoid detection), and control of communications, computers, and intelligence.
What are the limitations or challenges of defending against a Rapid Dragon missile swarm attack?
-Defending against a Rapid Dragon missile swarm attack is challenging due to the difficulty of detecting and destroying multiple low-flying missiles, the need for advanced air defense systems, and the limitations of automated defense systems in engaging multiple targets simultaneously.
Outlines
🚀 Evolution of Military Technique: Rapid Dragon
The script discusses the historical development of military techniques, from ancient stone throwing to modern missile systems, emphasizing the importance of distance and safety in combat. It introduces 'Rapid Dragon,' a state-of-the-art cruise missile deployment system developed by the United States Air Force and Royal Air Force. Rapid Dragon is highlighted for its ability to launch long-range, highly accurate cruise missiles from airborne platforms quickly, cost-efficiently, and with minimal risk to soldiers. The system's capability to deploy multiple missiles simultaneously is likened to an ancient swarm attack technique, increasing the likelihood of hitting targets despite potential decreases in overall accuracy.
🛰️ Rapid Dragon: Advanced Cruise Missile Deployment
This paragraph delves into the specifics of the Rapid Dragon system, describing its operation from an unmodified supply plane and its use of the AGM 158B JASSM-ER missiles. The system's flexibility is underscored by its compatibility with various aircraft and its ability to deploy up to 45 cruise missiles at once, each capable of autonomously reaching targets nearly 1000 km away. The paragraph also discusses the historical context of missile deployment strategies, from the 1980s Crama SAR carrier project to the 2010 proposal of a palletized missile drop solution, and the strategic motivations behind the development of Rapid Dragon as a counter to perceived adversarial advancements.
🔒 Defense Against Cruise Missile Attacks: Strategies and Challenges
The script explores the various methods of defending against cruise missile attacks, categorizing them into active defense measures, attack operations, passive defense measures, and control over communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I). It explains the difficulties of each method, from the challenge of detecting and destroying missiles before launch or in-flight to the complexities of attack operations that require penetrating enemy territory. The paragraph also highlights the limitations of automated surface-to-air missile systems in dealing with swarm attacks and the potential strategies for defending against Rapid Dragon's barrage of missiles.
🌐 Future Developments and Implications of Rapid Dragon
The final paragraph speculates on the future developments of the Rapid Dragon system, including its potential adaptation to carry AGM 158C LRAM and AGM 158D JASSM-XR missiles, which would significantly increase the system's range. It also mentions the possibility of the system being used to deploy precision mines and drone fleets, suggesting a move towards more advanced and futuristic military capabilities. The script concludes by reflecting on the broader implications of such technological advancements in modern warfare and the ongoing strategic chess game between military powers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Rapid Dragon
💡Cruise Missiles
💡Swarm Attack
💡Autonomous
💡Cost Efficiency
💡AGM 158B JASSM-ER
💡Supply Plane
💡Parachute
💡Missile Defense
💡Underground Bunker
💡Drones
Highlights
The concept of using distance as a defensive advantage in warfare dates back to ancient times, with the example of throwing stones to harm adversaries from afar.
The evolution of military techniques from simple stone throwing to advanced weaponry like bows, cannons, and cruise missiles, all aiming to maintain distance and maximize damage.
Introduction of Rapid Dragon, a state-of-the-art cruise missile deployment system developed by the United States Air Force, emphasizing its offensive capabilities.
Rapid Dragon's ability to deploy long-range, highly accurate cruise missiles from an airborne platform, showcasing its maneuverability and cost efficiency.
The low risk to soldiers involved in Rapid Dragon deployments, highlighting the system's safety and the 'military Holy Grail' of effectiveness, flexibility, safety, and cost efficiency.
The concept of swarm attacks in modern warfare, drawing parallels to ancient techniques of throwing multiple stones to increase the chances of hitting a target.
Rapid Dragon's capability to deploy between four and 45 cruise missiles simultaneously, each capable of autonomously traveling nearly 1000 km to their target.
The historical reference to 'Rapid Dragon carts' from 950 CE, which used multiple crossbow catapults firing simultaneously, providing the name for the modern missile system.
The development of the Rapid Dragon system as a countermeasure to perceived threats from near-peer adversaries, demonstrating the ongoing military technology race.
The use of a customizable, disposable deployment box or pallet in the Rapid Dragon system, which can be loaded into any unmodified airdrop-capable supply plane.
The autonomous nature of the Rapid Dragon deployment box, which receives target information remotely and guides the missiles to their targets after deployment.
The potential of Rapid Dragon to carry AGM 158b JASSM-ER missiles, which are joint air-to-surface stand-off missiles with extended range capabilities.
The challenges of defending against cruise missile attacks, including active defense measures, attack operations, passive defense measures, and control over communications, computers, and intelligence.
The limitations of automated surface-to-air missile systems in dealing with low-flying cruise missiles and their inability to engage multiple targets simultaneously.
The effectiveness of passive defense techniques such as deception and dispersion to make it difficult for enemies to identify strategic locations.
The ongoing development of Rapid Dragon to adapt to new missile types like AGM 158c LRASM and AGM 158d JASSM-XR, extending its range and capabilities.
The potential future applications of Rapid Dragon, including the deployment of precision mines and mass fleets of drones, indicating a move towards more futuristic warfare tactics.
Transcripts
at some point in our distant past faced
with a snarling Predator that intended
them harm one of our ancient ancestors
realized that throwing a stone was a far
better defensive technique than charging
in and going at dead thus always born a
military technique that stuck with us to
this day hurting an adversary from a
distance while being out of claw range
thus granting a much better chance of
walking away un mold from throwing
stones to bows to cannons and mortars
Global militaries have sunk Untold
billions into keeping Allied soldiers is
out of range while doing as much damage
to the other side as possible with that
Concept in mind let's take a look at one
of if not the most advanced cruise
missile deployment system currently in
use Rapid Dragon rapid dragon is a
United States Air Force and Loy
developed cruise missile deployment
advancement that is more or less a
perfect solution as far as offensive
military missile operations are
concerned the impressive system is able
to deploy long range highly accurate
cruise missiles in seconds though not
only does rapid dragon launch from an
Airborne platform granting enormous
maneuverability it also does so with
astounding cost efficiency best of all
the risk to the soldiers involved in
deployments is remarkably low more or
less giving us the military Holy Grail
Effectiveness flexibility safety and
cost efficiency there is however one
more factor that officially pushes rapid
Dragon over the top and into legendary
status that ancient ancestor still faced
with a snarling Predator just had
another realization throwing a handful
of stones rather than a single Stone
greatly increases the chance of at least
one projectile finding its Target even
if the barrage does come at the cost of
overall accuracy the ancestor perhaps
didn't refer to throwing a handful of
stones as a swarm attack but well we do
today and it's a Brute Force solution
that militaries have been relying on for
centuries today of course the situation
is somewhat different but even if we're
talking about a barrage of cruise
missiles rather than a hail of arrows
the same basic principle still applies
launch many projectiles hope that some
projectiles do manage to score a hit and
the worst that can happen is a wasted
stock of arrows cruise missiles are
somewhat more expensive than arrows that
are cost about a million dollars a pop
but at least you only have to deal with
justifying military costs rather than
writing letters to grieving parents
rabid dragon as well as being efficient
maneuverable and safe is also capable of
deploying between four and 45 cruise
missiles simultaneously all the missiles
will seek out their targets and all are
capable of autonomously traveling nearly
a th000 km to find that Target if you're
wondering how rapid dragon is capable of
this impressive feat why it launches so
many missiles at once and if it's the
new Ultimate answer in all military
conflicts going forward well that's why
we're here
[Music]
today enormous ballist likee crossbow
carts firing multiple bolts
simultaneously I mentioned throughout
history one description from 950 CE
quoted by T goo describes their crossbow
catapults such that when one Trigg Trier
was released as many as 12 connected
triggers would all go off simultaneously
they used large bolts like strings of
pearls and the range was very great the
Gen people were thoroughly frightened by
these machines literary writers called
them the G long CH or rapid Dragon carts
the quote ends this is where the modern
rapid Dragon cruise missile deployment
system gets its name obviously but for a
few key words Tal's description isn't
that far off in either case but before
we get into exactly how rapid Dragon
works let's first get a bit of context
in the grander scheme of military
Evolution the concept of Rapid Dragon
perhaps isn't as groundbreaking as you
might think the biggest advancement it's
currently providing is in terms of cost
above all else with similar Concepts
going back as far as the 80s in the '
80s or when it seemed like the B1 bomber
might be cancelled the Cru masar carrier
aircraft or cmca project was developed
then fairly revolutionary idea to
transform existing Boeing 74700 cargo
planes into rapid deployment missile
systems should cmca have been fully
developed 5050 to 100 cruise missiles
would have been ejected out of the side
of the plane via a rotary deployment
system with a semi-autonomous
dynamically capable targeting computer
feeding coordinates to each missile as
needed the US military ultimately
decided to go with the B1 bomber instead
but this is an example that the concept
of autonomous missile swarm attacks goes
back at least 40 years later in 2010 the
Air Force Institute of Technology
proposed the idea of a palletized
missile drop solution a design far
closer to how rap rapid Dragon
eventually turn out notably in this case
the research kicked off due to reports
that near peer adversaries of the United
States those capable of similar or equal
military research and development were
exploring area of denial tactics
specifically designed to counter the
US's projected Naval and aerial
capabilities so the origin of Rapid
Dragon itself was a counter to what the
US thought its adversaries were
developing demonstrating rather
eloquently that military conflict really
is just an endless race to counter an
enemy's techn techology or even to pre-
counter what it is just assumed that the
enemy is developing the 2010 palletized
concept was further refined and
ultimately gave us the rapid Dragon
deployment system that is in use today
the finished product works as follows a
customizable disposable deployment box
or pallet is loaded into the cargo hold
to virtually any unmodified airdrop
capable Supply plane with the common
c130s and c17s being Prime examples this
flexibility right off the bat is
enormously beneficial with militaries
around the world far more ly to already
be in possession of supply drop planes
as opposed to enormous specialized
bombers like the B52 strata Fortress
more to the point a B-52 requires a vast
Runway of about 3,000 M that's 10,000 ft
while a C130 Supply plane can make doe
with a Runway of just 9910 M or 3,000 ft
each rapid Dragon deployment box once
fitted into the cargo hold of a supply
plane can hold up to four cruise
missiles in this case AGM 158b jassm ER
missiles these are joint air to surface
standard off missiles the ER refers to
Extended range and standoff refers to
the missile being launched outside the
range of enemy counterattacks once
Airborne the supply plane simply dumps
the deployment box as it would any other
cargo and then flies off to engage in
other missions leaving everything else
to the rapid Dragon the plan's crew need
not even designate a Target as this is
done remotely meaning that only a
standard supply drop Mission crew
without any additional training is
required the rapid Dragon disposable
deployment box rather astoundingly is
fully autonomous in virtually all
regards Target information is provided
to the missiles instantaneously once
received and each missile will ignite to
seek out its Target upon being deployed
plus you can bet that once arriving at
the Target the missiles are not likely
to miss or at least they aren't likely
to miss depending on the circumstances
which we'll get to in a bit now looking
at the deployment process in more detail
each pallet operates via a deceptively
simple yet rather brilliant Airborne
configuration first the pallet deploys a
parachute which it uses to slow its
descent and achieve stability once
stability is attained the missiles are
released via gravity thus allowing them
to clear the box and ignite their
engines each missile must then execute a
sharp pull-up maneuver allowing it to
level out and reach an appropriate
altitude after which the missile
proceeds with its strike Mission as any
other cruise missile would only in this
case we're talking about a swarm of
cruise missiles ranging between 4 and 45
additional pallets can be loaded into a
cargo plane as the situation in space
allows with the current stated maximum
pegged at 45 based on on the cargo space
available in the larger c17 if the
thought of 45 cruise missiles heading
your way isn't enough to make you
uncomfortable it's probably because you
aren't aware of what a cruise missile
with a 450 kg or 1,000 Warhead is
capable of each of these missiles is
equipped with that 450 kg armor piercing
Warhead and the best context that we can
give you is that if you think you're
safe in a tank or other armored vehicle
you're probably not you're not safe
short of either not being anywhere near
the Impact Zone or perhaps being in a
well fortified Underground bunker and
more on that later as well so with all
of this being said and sounding very
impressive is rapid Dragon an ultimate
barrage missile attack that simply can't
be defended
against and the short answer to that is
yes missile swarms are incredibly
effective doubly so when they're coming
from an elusive distant platform such as
a mobile aircraft that may attack from
an unexpected angle to get an idea of
just how a a rapid Dragon swarm attack
is let's approach it from the position
of a Defender rather than an attacker
according to US military Doctrine there
are four methods of Defending against
cruise missile attacks active defense
measures attack operations passive
defense measures and control
Communications computers and
intelligence active measures and attack
operation measures both refer to
destroying cruise missiles before they
have a chance to impact a Target though
each option does this in a very
different way starting with the second
option attack operations are the idea
that destroying cruise missiles in enemy
territory before they launch or
destroying the infrastructure required
to launch them negates the problem
entirely you might suggest that this is
the best solution but it also happens to
be extremely difficult to achieve not
only does it require knowing where the
launch SES are in advance itself a
Monumental task it also requires
penetrating an appropriate means of
attack into enemy territory keep in mind
that launch SES may be established
relatively quickly can be hidden in the
landscape such as in thick foliage or
may even be left out in the open but be
disguised to be undetectable from the
take for example that in World War II
Allied Forces launched a catastrophic
sustained Air Attack in which 98,000
tons of bombs were dropped in an effort
to destroy V1 missile launch sites
despite these efforts using various
deceptive means Germany managed to keep
V1 missile sites operational so consider
how difficult it must be to attempt
attack operations against cruise
missiles that can be deployed not only
from virtually any air strip but may
also be launched from very common
non-descript Supply planes now let's
move on to the second means of Defense
active measur active measures refers to
shooting down a cruise missile while
it's in flight and as you can imagine
shooting down a small relatively silent
missile flying close to the ground is
even more challenging than destroying
them before they launch but it is
technically possible depending on a
number of factors for a cruise missile
to be shot down the defender must have
an incredibly capable air defense system
one that can detect the incoming missile
at as long a range as possible then
rapidly communicate with the appropriate
forces with enough time for defensive
action to be taken just this is
challenging and requires Advanced
properly calibrated longrange radar
capability now as is always the case in
Warfare was touched on earlier when a
new threat is introduced to the
battlefield an attempt at a
countermeasure is just as quickly
developed at least it is if the defender
wants to maintain some balance of power
such was the case when long-range
missiles were introduced in World War II
ultimately giving rise to defensive
surface to air or Sam systems the s300
and S400 family of Sam systems are a
prime example developed by Russia over
many decades to automatically detect and
shoot down incoming missiles aircraft
this family of Technology includes
mobile landbased Sam systems as well as
those designed to operate on ships so if
you had sufficient advanced warning and
assuming you were able to move your
vehicle or ship mounted sound offensive
systems into place would you be able to
deal with a rapid Dragon cruise missile
barrage well sorry to say but that's
exactly why rapid Dragon was designed
for swarm attacks in the first place
automated Sam defense systems are
notorious not only for struggling with
low flying cruise missiles as able to
engage only at Short distances but also
for being unable to deal with more than
a certain number of targets at once so
chances are you're not getting all of
them even if you do manage to get some
and it's probably best that you move
quickly in the direction of an
underground bunker alternatively uh you
can try and shoot down the incoming
rapid Dragon barrage from the air though
spoiler alert you're going to run into
the exact same problem if the missiles
are detected at long range and an
aircraft with the required look down
shoot down radar capability is in the
right position you can attempt to shoot
down the incoming missiles but once
again we're talking about a barrage here
and although you can make an effort to
prioritize certain missiles and try to
minimize the damage those that do get
through inflict your options ultimately
boil down to ducking covering and just
hoping for the best and at this point
it's really starting to seem like the
rapid Dragon missile system is an
Unstoppable Game Changer but before you
get comfortable with that idea let's
take a look at the last two defensive
Solutions
[Music]
the last two defensive methods the ones
that the US relies on prominently also
happen to be the most effective at least
right now passive and c4i these
techniques refer to Simply making it as
difficult as possible for an enemy to
identify a strategic location in the
first place as opposed to The Last
Resort of trying to shoot missiles down
as with Germany in World War II if there
are no visible targets to shoot at
you've more or less diffused the
situation at least for the time being
yes the enemy and endlessly carb bomb
locations they suspect you're inhabiting
but as we already know from Germany's
success this isn't particularly
effective the US boils its passive
defense techniques down to deceive and
disperse meaning that military forces
are spread out and strategic ground
targets are hidden by camouflage and
other deceptive means most importantly
and perhaps most obviously key military
assets are also not all stationed in the
same location so if one strategic Target
is discovered and destroyed the military
operation as a whole can still will
continue on effectively it's a lot more
complicated than just this very brief
summary of course with it being
significantly more difficult to disperse
military assets when arriving at a
battlefield as opposed to already being
entrenched in a battlefield when
adversaries arrive hiding is also only a
tenuous solution at best and the threat
of being discovered and attacked is a
constantly monitored problem that all
active militaries face on a permanent
basis now all these stealth and trickery
Solutions aren't to say that the rapid
dragon or longrange cruise missiles are
being taken low and in fact missile
attacks of this nature are considered
one of the biggest evolving challenges
on model battlefields but as with all
military technology cruise missiles only
make up a part of a much larger much
broader game of chess being played in
multiple complicated layers across many
different fields it will be interesting
if somewhat alarming to see how Modern
Warfare does develop from this point
onwards though how the US's adversaries
respond to the new threat is something
we'll probably tackle in a different
video as far as the existing rapid
dragon is concerned reports say that
development is currently revolving
around pallets being adapted to accept
AGM 158c L longrange anti-ip missiles as
well as AGM 158d jasm xr's extreme range
missiles XR missiles will effectively
increase the range of Rapid dragons who
are rather astonishing 1900 km there's
also word that the system is being
adapted to drop Precision mines as well
as to rapidly deploy Mass fleets of
drones if anything images of fleets of
drones being dropped from the bottom of
a plane really do make it seem like
we're finally in the sides fiction
future promised to us by futuristic '
80s and '90s action films
[Music]
[Music]
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