They suggested putting cruise missiles on rotary launchers inside 747s once, too. The Russian said that would make all 747s targets. The idea, while cool, was dropped.
Posted on 02/24/2012 5:14:32 PM PST by U-238
In the 1970s, the Air Force launched a Minuteman ICBM launched from a C-5 Galaxy. Hold on, what!?!?
That was my reaction upon learning that the above sentence is true.
In 1974, the Air Force decided that it could turn C-5 Galaxy airlifters into flying SSBNs. Yup, Air Force planners thought the missile would be tougher for the Soviets to take out with a preemptive strike if it was already aboard a moving target like a C-5 versus sitting in a stationary missile silo.
So, they loaded a Minuteman into a C-5 that parachute-dropped the 60-foot tall missile out of its aft cargo ramp over the Pacific Ocean. After the ICBM fell for a few thousand feet, its rocket motor ignited and the missile flew for ten seconds under its own power. Just to prove it could be done. Wild.
Needless to say, the crazy concept of turning C-5s into flying boomers never made it to the operational stage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It7SQ546xRk
(Excerpt) Read more at defensetech.org ...
Damn!
I miss the Cold War. At least then we knew where the enemy was (Moscow) not (Washington DC).
And then it goes in the book under field expedient contengiencies.
/johnny
/johnny
Wow...
You know, there are some meetings that it would’ve been a lot of fun to be a fly on the wall. This was likely one of them.
Another one would’ve been the meeting where somebody first proposed mounting 105 howitzer in a C-130...
“So let me get this straight... Wait... You wanna... what... Again?”
LOL
See post 15 for video.
Sometimes, you could even use the tank.
But not that I ever saw.
With the ready availability of parts and trained crews (both air and ground), I've often wondered why the Air Force never went with this plan.
You apparently don't understand what is going on. First a question: Name ONE THING Obama has done to help America? He destroys businesses, is destroying the economy, he is driving oil prices up by preventing oil drilling and the pipeline.
You can easily name numerous things he has done to help the Muslims:
Egypt- Going to Muslim Brotherhood
Libya- Illegally used the US Military to attack and overthrow the government
Iraq- The withdrawal of US Forces is the green light to start the terrorist attacks to destroy the government
The real question is WHAT country is Obama's primary sponsor? I bet on Iran. You're probably waiting for CNN to tell you Obama is not a Christian.
I wasn't in MAC, so I didn't know the LAPSE acronym.
And yep. Just watching that will leave me puckered for the evening.
Didn't they ball up a C-130 doing one of those?
/johnny
They suggested putting cruise missiles on rotary launchers inside 747s once, too. The Russian said that would make all 747s targets. The idea, while cool, was dropped.
At least one, I am sure.
{{shudder}}
Actually, I spelled it wrong - LAPES
I cannot imagine the COG shift, when twenty-some TONS pops off the extreme rear or the ramp - but I bet the pilot pees himself.
“mother...”
I liked that idea too.
God bless the men that fly and fight. Training kills more pilots than combat.
/johnny
Didn't the CCCP shoot down KAL 007 from Alaska? Looks like we should have gone ahead, since they were going to shoot down 747s with passengers on board anyway.
/johnny
It may have been dropped, but I think the whole point of the exercise was to show the other side that we could.
I agree with you.Good point!!
“maybe we can get astronauts to the ISS that way? lol”
See StratoLaunch Systems.
Speaking of crazy but works (or probably would have if the war went another year):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Habakkuk
/johnny
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