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.thomas8926]

"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."

[@IKilledEarl]

I plead the 5th

[@Nathan-vt1jz]

😂

[@xTakumEx]

This is Lockheed's clever way of getting around the whole cluster bomb thing. Good stuff.

[@mwdouglas3794]

​@@xTakumEx This is nothing like cluster munitions, not even a little close.

[@AviRox1154]

There are few things more American than essentially creating a CRUISE MISSILE SHOTGUN SHELL, and I love it. 😂

[@Marbeary]

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

[@arthurmoore9488]

Hey, the AC-130 looks like "just a cargo plane" to radar and if you ignore the cannon sticking out the side. Admittedly that's a close in air support thing. Still, turning cargo planes into weapons delivery platforms is nothing new.

[@drpainglove3389]

To put into perspective how insane this tech is, a c-17 cargo plane can now launch more cruise missiles then a Ticonderoga class missile cruiser.

[@LeeBrown-zi4bh]

Cruise missles would be launched outside of detection range

[@lics01]

That aircraft has been in service for 60 some years. One of the greatest in history, it has done so many different jobs they can't be listed here. Calling "just a cargo plane" is like calling Tom Brady just a football player. Sure it's true but falls so short of being accurate.

[@ChessIsJustAGame]

During the 1960's during that Vietnam thing, the largest bomb was delivered by cargo plane and was pushed out the back ramp. The bomb was big enough to open a "fort-sized" clearing in the middle of a jungle. Sometimes that space would be left alone for enough time for the enemy to rush in and occupy it. Then visited by other flesh destroying mechanisms. I spent my child/teen years praying that "war" would be over before I was of draft age. Prayer answered right after my 15th birthday.

[@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.

[@dra6o0n]

Anti-radar coating on a rock, dropped from orbit.

[@jim.franklin]

@@dra6o0n In your dreams

[@NeuroRando]

@@dra6o0nexpanse reference?

[@saureco]

"Those dark sea gulls sure are gliding towards us at an awfully aggressive rate..." - Chinese carrier watch officer

[@jim.franklin]

@@saureco Chinese Captain "Sea Gulls are flying cats, pure evil, you need to watch them, they'll steal your fish and chips"

[@DemocracyDiesInDarkness]

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

[@cohibaguy4981]

😊 yep

[@SaiakuNaSenshu]

'merica fuck yea

[@bryanduchane2371]

Had to be a Marine that came up with this idea. Can see him sitting on a carry ship on the way home and see some left over cargo of cruise missiles. "Huh, what if they dropped these missiles out the back, HE'LL YAH!!!!"

[@Ifinishedyoutube]

People tend to forget that the devil came to Georgia, and lost.

[@matthewnardin7304]

Just wait, we're making a revolver for cruise missiles.

[@fountainvalley100]

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

[@fuzzy3440]

There's only 2,000 JASSM in the inventory right now.

[@patdbean]

Yes, what you save on the launch aircraft you spend more on the missiles. A Vastly more costly b1/b2/B21 can fly right over the target and drop loads of JDAM bombs. ​@@fuzzy3440

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

The true horror for air defence planners is now: every cargo plane is now a doom machine. The psyops you can pull. Lol

[@PSC4.1]

​@@fuzzy3440that we know of, the military and government loves to keep its secrets, I wouldnt be surprised if they had more in storage.

[@fountainvalley100]

@@fuzzy3440 time to go on a buying spree.

[@RAS_Squints]

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

[@GuntherRommel]

But you do Jazz'em. You hit'em with the ol'Razzle Dazzle.

[@kyledabearsfan]

Everything's a joke til the sky is filled with Jazz Hands

[@Gunni1972]

@@GuntherRommel And Vagazzle-dazzle by Advertazzle

[@Beegs164]

HOW DOES THIS DUDE HAVE SO MANY CHANNELS I CANNOT ESCAPE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GO OUTSIDE

[@henryward5457]

He doesn't write his own scripts. He's basically a radio host with several teams of writers behind him.

[@Kurt_Philanderer]

HOW DOES THIS COMMENT TURN UP ON SO MANY VIDEOS I CANNOT ESCAPE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GO OUTSIDE

[@ChadLuciano]

@@Kurt_Philanderer third world keyboards for the love of god....buy one without a shift key

[@Kurt_Philanderer]

@@ChadLuciano it's a play on the op bro

[@solnidor]

His accent is fake. Enough said.

[@sundragon7703]

An understated detail is the versatility of the deployment of the AGM-158B missile. It's a guided weapon able to be launched from a variety aircraft. It was not long ago when guided weapons could only be deployed from specific platforms with specific accommodations.

[@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.

[@Plaprad]

Funny thing, most of the guys who designed and built the C-130 hated it. They considered it a taxi that would be out of service within a couple decades. And it's still in production and constantly being upgraded for new missions. So, jokes on them.

[@harryhenrygebel3506]

😂😊

[@PiDsPagePrototypes]

​@@Plaprad Someone needs to do a Seaplane / Flying Boat version, for fire fighting.

[@RonNieminen-z6h]

Logistics and attacks

[@bullydungeon9631]

​@@PiDsPagePrototypes sorry that's not profitable

[@nekomasteryoutube3232]

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

[@jonhendrickson6122]

The voice crack at 3:30 is awesome.

[@nitroxide17]

Firstttt

[@JoeTheis]

Love that this is the top comment. Happened to unpause the video at that very moment and thought my phone had glitched out or something 😆

[@Gunni1972]

Crack indeed.

[@Andy_Babb]

The strategic voice crack is not to be underrated

[@Andy_Babb]

@@nitroxide17first what? It’s a reply.

[@romemedina4712]

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

[@feoxorus]

Imagine a line of radar targets, stealthy as a fart in church.

[@najlitarvan921]

Irl macross missile massacre

[@rihanm.sgoogleaccount4462]

@@feoxorusYou sure they wouldn’t send the Dragons in without SEAD first?

[@lonerider5315]

Only to be intercepted by 2million 5 dollar chinese mini drones.

[@Low_commotion]

​@@feoxorusYes, this would definitely be something you need to keep at standoff distance, because that plane has the survivability of a popsicle in the Sahara in any hostile environment. Luckily cruise missiles tend to have good range

[@omarjassar4650]

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

[@mugsbugsly2975]

My fav single word

[@omarjassar4650]

@@mugsbugsly2975 Right on Crouton

[@Cameron-d2n]

there is almost no relation between these things. I guess they're both weapons?

[@omarjassar4650]

@@Cameron-d2n you can hold the entire world hostage if you had Sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their heads , and extort a ransom of 1 million dollars

[@buckeyesfan4700]

Hell yes man 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

[@bulukacarlos4751]

Very good video. Another precedent to mention, only on a larger scale, is the test on October 24, 1974 when a Minuteman missile was launched from a C5 Galaxy. Greetings from Patagonia Argentina.

[@blueg6demon423]

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

[@rjy8960]

A pointed stick with the super powers of dog poo on the end! (best ever weapon to chase girls round the playground with when I was at school)

[@notjustanother3191]

We really did peak with that one. Should have stopped while we were ahead.

[@M0053yfate]

Sponsored by Bad Dragon Inc.

[@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.

[@imapopo2924]

Or absolutely devastate an opposing navy in one attack wave.

[@StephenMcGregor1986]

Israel shot down more when Iran attacked them so there's that

[@cptcosmo]

Those cruise missiles can carry 50 kiloton nukes.

[@feoxorus]

Yeah, C-17s are so stealthy nobody would ever see them coming.

[@KilledByThatTrain]

They don’t need to be stealthy, they launch their long distance payloads far from the front line

[@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.

[@MDuarte-vp7bm]

The name is kind of jank. I do like that we ruined it for the other guys tho.

[@arthurmoore9488]

@@MDuarte-vp7bm Still better than "Ghost Eye."

[@bakedbeings]

@@arthurmoore9488Look at the names they use for advanced persista threat groups in digital warfare, it's hilarious. Fancy bear, charming kitten etc

[@MOREPUROAMORE]

Meow wolf

[@gomahklawm4446]

Hilarious that you think they care....and you wouldn't know if they made the same and called it the same....

[@saureco]

Rapid Dragon: When you have to wipe out an entire near peer opponent's coastline by 7 am, but also need to make it to your dentist appointment by 8 am.

[@TracksideViews]

This guy just follows you around KZbin from channel to channel

[@cant_kill_me]

"this video seems intere- OH HEY IT'S SIMON AGAIN"

[@thatguyoverthere9705]

And he’s the main narrator for all of them!

[@benaultowski1226]

I swear, I've block a dozen channels with this guy's face in the thumbnail. Not that KZbinrs own known for doing original research, but there's no earthly way this guy is more than a face for some content farm, chock-full of borderline plagiarism

[@mikelittle5250]

i mean...he is a bit drippy...but the content is usually okay

[@batticusmanacleas510]

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.

[@arthurmoore9488]

I blame English. The language. Though it also can apply to the empire as well. If it sounds cool we'll make it our own.

[@kyledabearsfan]

Our entire culture is odds and ends from other cultures mixed in a giant bowl and then stirred with fierce independence and FUUUWALLLALA stir for a couple hundred years, spread unevenly and enjoy. We show our appreciation in a lot of other cultures, look at our city, county names etc. we aren't that bad.

[@georgepoitras3502]

It is FOR China..............🤣🤣😂😂That sure is a big invasion fleet you have there...........🤠🤠🤠🤠

[@TheTuftyOne]

The US has a history of doing this, it's actually a thinly veiled threat to adversaries. Basically "we named this after something you feared/previously killed you, please consider f'ing around and finding out". Another example would be the "Davy Crockett" launcher, designed to blow up Russian 'bears' and named after a guy who killed bears!

[@oneounceslugAPEX]

It's something the Chinese were scared of....

[@ricksgrandauditorium8790]

Spoiler alert: there is a grand total of zero dragons in this video. If your here for the dragons, like many were, you'll find none. If you woke up today and thought, I'd love to see some badass dragons while Simon Whistler talks words in the background, turn around now. I repeat...Here = No dragons.

[@stingman777]

False. Just because you can't see them does not mean they aren't there. I mean, it's in the name. RAPID dragons. They're just moving too fast for the cameras to catch them. AND we all know dragons are magical creatures. Some of them are probably hovering in the scene and are just invisible. You can't prove they aren't there. You can only prove you can't see them.

[@shannonconnor3697]

I wish there was a laugh react 😂 the like doesn't do justice

[@thesilentgod7863]

*plays radioactive by imagine dragons*

[@jeremiahjenkins9221]

Ah. You mean there's no Fwaming Dragon?

[@Andy_Babb]

So, wait for season 2?

[@theemissary1313]

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...

[@JustSomeGuyLass]

In America, those thoughts are 'get back to work'.

[@michaelgautreaux3168]

As compared to billions of $$$ in equipment, personnel & infrastructure? Very equitable by my calculations.

[@bradycobb563]

Tye😅

[@Plaprad]

That's pretty much what we did all day every day. The costs of a lot of the equipment we carry around is insane. But damn, it is some cool stuff.

[@MDuarte-vp7bm]

That's like 3 to 5 billion dollars

[@stevedixon5318]

The Swarm Drone concept is still my favorite

[@mikeharvey9184]

45 cruise missiles, with each missile being a carrier for a dozen or two drones? Well, that's not terrifying at all...

[@Phil-ey6yh]

​@mikeharvey9184 the "Russian nesting doll of death", as it were....

[@koharumi1]

Arsenal bird moment

[@JustJove]

Black Ops two was on the money, apparently. Drone warfare is our newest frontier.

[@Reepicheep-1]

2:14 OOOOHHHH!! Never considered a pallet of Dragon-dropped Switchblade UAVs! 🤯

[@Gunni1972]

That'll work exactly ONCE. and after that, freight planes are "Fair game" for the opponent. Now, THIS situation WILL slow down logistics considerably. It is an ambush tactic, that may work on a small group, or single targets. But against an army, you risk a lot for little result.

[@xiniks]

I think an unintended consequence of this might be that it could make civilian aircraft viable targets.

[@grandaddyoe1434]

For nasty people, they already are targets . . .

[@andrewhooper7603]

​​@@grandaddyoe1434 convenient nasty people who get wheeled out to justify whatever demonic shit the MIC wants to sell, lmao. The problem isn't those who would already shoot down an airliner, but those who otherwise would not. But who even cares, people turn into bloodthirsty primates when you tell them it's necessary for "security", even if that same argument placed us under constant threat of a nuclear holocaust. This species is going to off itself eventually.

[@jhuck8166]

@@grandaddyoe1434Like Russians?

[@MadDeuceJuice]

Flight 655. Like the Americans

[@budroberts5929]

Take the train. I understand trains are how you get in and out of Ukraine. Why would you drive your Piper Cub around a war zone?

[@Plaprad]

I remember when I was on C-130's back in the early 2000's this was discussed. The concept has been bounced around since at least the 60's. But it never got pat the "Hey check this idea out" on the back of a napkin at a run down bar. From what I've seen so far from open source, this is an incredible system. It's probably going to take it's use in combat for most of the public to really understand what kind of capability this gives NATO and other US allies. With minimal training and modification, ANY cargo aircraft of US allies can have firepower usually reserved for strategic bombers or naval warships. And they can be on station within hours. I have a feeling Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea are already in discussions for buying a few once they go to full production. As well as more than a few European nations.

[@VainerCactus0]

Australia uses the C-130s, I hope we get some. We're a pretty tough prospect for a naval invasion already thanks to our geography, over the horizon radars and our military. We can deny air and sea with a tiny force compared to the PLAN. With an extra volley of missiles from a few C-130s, I don't see anything wanting to sail into those conditions.

[@koharumi1]

2:15 this reminds of the first time I had to face the Arsenal bird in ace combat 7. An endless swarm all coming at you.

[@anumeon]

Kudos to the editor for including a clip from the movie Wing Commander (really bad adaptation of the games) A guilty pleasure movie for me. :)

[@GuntherRommel]

Same

[@Chris1982416]

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

[@SophiaKathleen-n4e]

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

[@Iamhere-cr5vu]

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

[@Minion-J]

Lol, The great Hercules.. the "hold my beer" of aircraft.

[@kevoseddo4064]

Genius way to start this video. It spoke directly to my “unga dunga” brain

[@itsjustjoe3790]

“Relax Vlad, it’s only a single C130. Probably full of Bud Light.”

[@chrispavin1373]

The best part is America now has stealth cruise missles, which means invisible rapid dragon deployment.

[@rickl4159]

The fact that this is on KZbin tells me this is old tech and their past this already

[@theawesomeman9821]

Both fascinating yet terrifying at the same time.

[@ristube3319]

3:46 The B-1 is a beautiful and underrated jet.

[@Altaree1]

Nice little bit of Wing Commander right there at the end!

[@RichyArg]

the most significant military innovations are often the ones that introduce flexibility factors. the recurve bow basically turned every Herder in the steppe belt into a deadly soldier and a supply train in the same body

[@pr0cr4st1na7or]

My understanding is that most high-quality modern air defense systems (e.g. Patriot, Iron Dome) can track and engage dozens to even over 100 targets simultaneously. The potential danger to them is that they usually don't have as many SAMs available for simultaneous launch, leading to the idea of a saturation attack (firing more missiles than the defending system can shoot down in one go). Think of the Iranian attack on Israel a couple months ago, which likely would have overwhelmed Israeli air defenses if the US, Jordan, and other aligned forces hadn't intervened to shoot down portions of the barrage.

[@arthurmoore9488]

The other common techniques are to confuse the radar operator or to get them with an Anti-Radiation missile. For example, the HIMARS missile looks very close to the much cheaper and less accurate Grad. So until Russia issued a software update Ukraine could send a whole bunch of cheap missiles while sneaking in some expensive ones. Plus, things like the S-400 are apparently designed more for air breathing targets than missiles.

[@pr0cr4st1na7or]

@@arthurmoore9488 True, I was restricting to what was discussed in the video and what's in scope for just Rapid Dragon. Also, there's a reason I specified _high-quality_ modern Air Defense and didn't list any of the S-x00 series ;)

[@datatronx]

That very last clip just at videos end was from the Wing Commander film! Bravo to the editor for that one 🙂

[@ben5056]

Worked on the engines powering these bad boys. Cheap and reliable.

[@ArionRDAW]

This reminds me of David Weber's Honor Harrington sci-fi series. In it, space naval combat 'evolved' from combat battleship/submarine types to glorified tug boats towing pods and pods of missiles, fire and forget over vast distances giving the defender little time to detect and counter it.

[@arthurmoore9488]

Same. What's not mentioned and is crazy is another thing Weber shows. Datalinks! The US has already demonstrated the ability of a patriot battery to hit two missiles using two F-35's radar instead of its own at the same time. Even today there's rumors that US AWACS are guiding Ukranian missiles into their targets. Imagine an F-35 stealthily sitting over an enemy position and targeting things of interest in real time. One pod takes out the air defense, so the rest are automatically re-targeted to other things. That's the Sci-Fi future we live in.

[@Ptolemy336VV]

Nice! I want one. I have a Putlerian place I want to fly it to at high speed.

[@slushy_shutter]

I just love, how he explains stuff in caveman terms, so we understand.

[@Mirmaker]

Me like it no rocket science!

[@john-vs4vq]

Well, Marines do watch this channel.

[@simplegunsmith]

2:15 I like this concept, my estimation is this animation shows about 150 individual warheads seperating, and the core launcher could still be designed to have it's own massive warhead and guidance system.

[@arthurmoore9488]

Unfortunately, it's not quite how it would work unless you already have air superiority. They're too small to have a long range. Instead the missile itself would carry a fewer number closer to the target and then deploy them. As another person noted it's the modern way of getting around the US refusal to use cluster munitions. Note: We don't use them because around 1% of the little bomblets fail to detonate and can become unintended landmines.

[@simplegunsmith]

@arthurmoore9488 no i agree, for that system to fit into a standard cargo planes and still fit 150 individual bombs on it they wouldn't be able to be much bigger than a medium large drone. But if you have air superiority than something like that would be a devastating swarm

[@CecilRalph-u1r]

Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.

[@Gunthrek]

Am I the only one who saw "Rapid Dragon Reborn" and immediately thought of Robert Jordan?

[@sneeringimperialist6667]

The Amazon show ruined it for me. I used to be a big fan of the books...

[@Simple_But_Expensive]

Yes.😂😂

[@Slaashr]

You're not the only one. As soon as I saw it I was like did they just sneak a wheel of time reference in on us? Lol

[@sneeringimperialist6667]

@@Gunthrek why do I keep getting comments when KZbin erased my own comment?

[@LordLewsTheDragon]

...no ...

[@loganburntitus6948]

Great vid, that thing terrifyingly effective.

[@zegaracosmus]

they are working on a drone variant as well, instead of missiles it will be a drone dispenser with built in EW tech to block enemy drones/missiles from hitting them as easy, an EW tech "pallet" with a multiple balloon/parachute system to inflate a single balloon or throw another parachute to hold it up until it gets popped/torn then shoot up another balloon/parachute for increased survivability and run time would be nice, since EW tech broadcasts in a SPHERE or focused cone and not just a hemisphere *looks at flockheed shartin* can`t wait for the 7th gens the electromagnetic tech on them is stupid good

[@Cameron-d2n]

the fact you used 3 commas is more frustrating to me than if you hadn't used any punctuation at all.

[@zegaracosmus]

@@Cameron-d2n yup, you got that right bud, i care not for punctuation. at. all. linguistics and proper punctuation isnt my flavor of tism. my flavor of tism is engineering, or physical stuff not this social stuff. hate it honestly. so if your tism is all this....stuff, have at it as for me i am going to continue doing what i do. :)

[@XavieraWood-v8h]

Your destiny isn't just fate; it is how you use your own developed abilities to get what you want.

[@Goldie644]

All the rapid zooming of the camera is very distracting

[@arthurmoore9488]

I agree. It's also from press CGI of "future capabilities". Aka, things the company is trying to sell the military on.

[@adamchurvis1]

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..."

[@ThePeter123a]

With this weapon carrier it is possible to use transport aircraft with a tail ramp as a strategic bomber. Most of the world's air forces do not have long-range bombers and many do not have tankers. This makes it possible to use civil aircraft with tail ramps as bombers from civil airfields.

[@TorstenKnodt]

Can civil aircraft fly safely with the tail gate open?

[@michalpavlat3943]

Most of the (quite rare) tail ramp equipped aircraft outside the military service are just (more or less) "renamed" military aircraft. And not every military transport aircraft may use the ramp this way in flight anyway.

[@Mugdorna]

I don't think there are any "tail ramp equipped civilian cargo aircraft" designs. Tail ramp is very much a military design.

[@Mugdorna]

​@@TorstenKnodtAircrfat can fly with tail ramp open. Just has to be slow speed and under 12,000 dt

[@TorstenKnodt]

@@Mugdorna They are used for transport of heavy and big things sometimes, which cannot be easily (dis)assembled. And I also saw some videos from civilian parachute jumpers.

[@craigrussell7542]

My pitch for the opening sequence for the next Mission Impossible - Tom Cruise clinging to a deployed Rapid Dragon cruise missile box... Cue multiple launch, and his team has to take control of one so he can ride the last cruise missile to catch and destroy the rest!

[@Chris.Davies]

Video starts at an unbelievable 6:06.

[@billwaterson9492]

That's a hefty price for an advertisement 😂

[@MyValki]

I heard it named "The infomercial" because it launches a barrage and then goes "But wait, there's more!" and cue pallet #2 and then again for #3.

[@bariman223]

The delivery system is cost efficient compared to the alternatives. Which is good because the missiles themselves are expensive.

[@Newman-q3w]

Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that.

[@enigma51ted]

OMG USAF here this is first time i heard but ive been away

[@RobertRavoalavoson]

I love the expression "military evolution" so much!

[@jakeaurod]

Did you forget the palletized ICBM test? A Rapid Dragon with cruise missiles is good, but imagine if they had anti-air missiles to take out aircraft or ballistic missiles.

[@arthurmoore9488]

One thing at a time. Also, you know they're working on it.

[@RETOKSQUID]

Pallets full of Sparrow, Sidewinder, Harm, and even Phoenix missiles suspended by a balloon vice parachutes. 🤔

[@MichelVaillancourt]

there is already an SA-6 adaptation allowing a volley of 20x SA-6 "Big Stick" missiles to be fired "that a-way" and then have targeting information sent by otherwise passive 5th Gen fighters that can see / illuminate targets.

[@archerynut]

SIMON!! Your work has been capturing my imagination so thoroughly! I wanted to comment on your most recent video in hopes you see this. Can you do a megaprojects series on piston aircraft engines? Specifically the Merlin/Griffon would be the coolest. Radial or inline is awesome as well. Let's see it sir!

[@DownWithBureaucracy]

Rapid because of how quickly it can be deployed, Draggin because that's what Uncle Sam is doing with his nuts across the enemy's face. Any other Fat Electrician fans here? Check it out if you want the short version of this

[@jarrettnebrich4826]

The funniest part is I was thinking FE as I read your comment. Spoken like a true FE fan.

[@Jon-sy3tx]

Terrifying to America's would be enemies, but also absolutely terrifying to the American taxpayer

[@loydfreeman5743]

Some poor E4 dropping more $$ out the back of the plane than he'll make in a lifetime... 'Merica

[@moabb0mb]

Quack Bang!

[@jimmcfarland9318]

Imagine pallet drops at the same time an F-15EX deploys its very long range cruise missiles at the same time: one set to take out defenses, while the other takes out dams...

[@Charcha8761]

Like the 3 gorges dam, ....... China and Taiwan...... It is already a military plan. China knows it.

[@gangfire5932]

"Shut up and take my money!" -- Fry, _Futurama_

[@itemushmush]

Very nice video. Great writing and presenting

[@seldoon_nemar]

That's 45 in a C-17? So in a C-5 Galaxy, you're probably getting like 60-80

[@JarodFarrant]

I love this weapon system concept it’s something out of a action film.

[@X85283]

"From throwing stones, to bows, to cannons and mortars...." Good to know Simon in a Civ player. Surprised he has the time lol

[@arthurmoore9488]

Sounds like he's going to be starting a gaming channel next. How he has any time is beyond me. Even with someone else doing everything else. Especially because he still is the business owner.

[@gaius_enceladus]

I just *love* Rapid Dragon! A long-range stand-off weapons system that can fire dozens or hundreds of missiles or even drones. in any combination! If you include a few drones in the mix, they'd be very handy as electronic-warfare weapons, jamming the enemy radars and making it easier for the missiles in the RD system to get through.

[@angryginger791]

TLDR: The US now has the ability to sling massive amounts of highly accurate JASSM from cargo planes and into the eyes of any who threaten it. (I'm sorry. I'm 43 going on 12. I'll see myself out.)

[@perryrush6563]

Fellow soul!

[@znk0r]

This is a great threat to air craft carriers.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

An informative episode about US Rapid dragons 🐉 missiles...

[@AndyBonesSynthPro]

Cruise missile bukkake

[@NPC-fl3gq]

Just replace the JASSM's with JISSM's!!😂

[@thediner8929]

Lmfao. 😂

[@Oldpucker]

Only a matter of time before we see this bad boy in action!

[@Jason-fm4my]

Military spending may have decreased, but military innovation is still alive and well.

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

Spending decreased?!? I'm pretty sure it's highest now compared to any other peace time.

[@mill2712]

​@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket By dollar amount you're absolutely correct. At 800 billion+ it's larger than it's ever been. Adjusting for inflation. But I am glad we aren't at cold war percentages in our military spending in comparison to our national budget.

[@Jason-fm4my]

@@mill2712 It's reduced by >20% over the last ten years when accounting for inflation. Manning has also gone down roughly the same amount.

[@tapiopohjalainen3799]

Good idea. One more advancement is to develop a swarm decoy tactics. Design an unstealth decoy. Small, light and cheap. The swarm is looking much bigger than it is on the radar system. It is dropped on a high atmosphere >15 km to the targeted zone before the intended dragonfly attack. Air defence is filled with "carbage" as these decoys practically jam the system and they cannot decide what target they should be worried about.

[@camerakid76]

2:00 “the worst that could happen” ….is actually collateral damage of unintended targets that could escalate the situation out of control. But hey, war machine, amiright. 😣

[@mill2712]

Probably depends on the war and enemy you're fighting. A limited war with insurgents or weaker powers? You have a good point. But a conventional war with a near pear like China or a massive belligerent power like North Korea? Well, I doubt the top brass or even a large percentage of the public will lose an ounce of sleep.

[@DerKaiser661]

​@@mill2712good point

[@simon-c2y]

Mass civilian casualties in war since WW2.

[@garryuyahoo]

Another issue with sending your planes up to attack incoming cruise missiles is that you run the real risk of friendly fire. It also opens your air force up to stealth fighters - especially with the new long range air to air missiles that can be launched from non-stealthy planes and guided in by stealth assets.

[@bendershome4discountorphan859]

China we have bbadass hypersonic dragon missiles C 117 crew....hold my beer

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

"will have" Sure they'll have what they incorrectly call hypersonic weapons, but we've had that tech since the 80's as did the soviets. That's why we were able to put something similar together so quickly. Thing is those missiles still fly in a predictable flight pattern. Also bigger issue, China can't the broadside of a barn. Like the soviets it's all about numbers and hope for their missiles.

[@lukeoxley7548]

This is so detailed it should be a Warographics video...

[@ryanlowe6753]

This video was posted after the Three Gorges dam vid... are you trying to tell us something? ;)

[@lu544]

Taiwan is aware.

[@100carlos100]

Holly shit! This new system is incredible!

[@MrBrettrx7]

A bunch of C5s loaded with ultra stealthy cruise missiles protected by a bunch of F22s, F35s and F15ex with stealth sentinel drones , followed by a bunch of C130 gunships and A10s

[@samuelgarrod8327]

What about it?

[@Zarrar2802]

😂😂😂😂 ​@@samuelgarrod8327

[@Crimethoughtfull]

Absolute unstoppable wave of destruction...

[@Alex-hu5eg]

You've forgotten the Decoy drones. Those are the first to arrive.

[@Woobieeee]

bro hittn with the wing commander clip at the end.

[@DannyHeywood]

It sounds like a Vibrator...

[@AllenMarcrllus]

To bring anything into your life, imagine that it's already there

[@heckinmemes6430]

*slaps top of crate* This thing can flatten so many schools.

[@dodoubleg2356]

Really enjoy your content on the U.S. military. 🇺🇸👍✌️

[@ddalton8754]

Never seen a release in the first 10 minutes.

[@Didyeaye404]

Your badge is in the mail. Wear with pride😊

[@coconutsmarties]

Then your wrist technique needs work.

[@MauriceMoore-s5j]

Bold is not the act of foolishness but the attribute and inner strength to act when others will not so as to move forward not backward.

[@DrKaill]

Have you done a video on the rods from god concept?

[@patrickjordan2233]

Veritasum ran the whole concept as an experiment + video... FYI..

[@kennethloki7011]

Insanely expensive for minimum results. Waste of time and resources.

[@XtreeM_FaiL]

99,999% useless.

[@pkt1213]

The 747 full of cruise missiles is a pretty cool concept. Seems like finding something big, low cost per flight hour, and full of cruise missiles makes a lot of sense.

[@strandedtimetraveler8435]

All of you laughed at Gundam for spewing missiles everywhere but here we are, it was just an AI swarm of drones with warheads doin' their best!

[@wolfskid15]

If you’re looking for a video to do, maybe look at the Chinese type 055 Renhai cruiser.

[@nargileh1]

Congratulations that's how you make every suspiciously perceived cargo plane a possible preemptive target.

[@michalpavlat3943]

Sure, coz before this all the transport aircraft were safe and you had no reason to shoot them down. Seriously? ;o)

[@jessgorman7896]

I know this is an older video, but i have just been binging everything on your channel. This one was really a wtf moment.

[@redj59]

Cargo aircraft require air superiority which isn’t always the case.

[@andrewhuang436]

Do they need it 600 miles away from the target? Or 1200 once the XR models are up and running?

[@rubiconnn]

@@andrewhuang436 Yes, they pretty much still do. Almost all anti aircraft systems made in the last half a century can shoot down cruise missiles. JASSM missiles are partially stealth so it will reduce the range that they can be detected but they still are easily seen at closer ranges by SAM systems that have powerful radars.

[@mugnuz]

but isnt that the whole idea besides cost reduction on easy targets? making it so vheap it can be used in barrages ​to overwhelm defensive systems@@rubiconnn

[@Alex-hu5eg]

Except if you are the USAF and you can destroy SAM-s with stealth planes, drones and cruise missile-s to achieve air superiority.

[@TheRealAb216]

With this and the hypersonic revolver all our cargo aircraft have just been turned into massive weapons platforms.