C-5 Galaxy Minuteman ICBM Drop Test

The mobile ICBM concept was deemed the most viable in terms of providing survivability with the highest confidence. Numerous mobile deployment schemes were considered.

For example, one promising candidate was a system for carrying a missile on a large aircraft, such as the C-5 cargo plane, which would scramble upon warning of incoming missiles (a Minuteman was launched successfully from a C-5 in 1974 to validate this concept).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• C-5
• Galaxy
• Minuteman
• II
• ICBM
• LGM-30
• Military
• Airlift
• Command
• nuclear
• weapons
• missiles

[FylthyBeest]

I don't believe a C-5 can scramble. Usually, they ground abort or hold waiting for box lunches.

[immortalass]

Air Force: "Now hold my beer and watch this!"

[p3rewing]

@notlaw99 Better take another look. C-141 opens pedal doors to airdrop because the cargo deck is one pallet width wide. The C-5 cargo deck is two pallet's wide and is configured to drop from the center. Airdrop system is set to middle of cargo deck and pedal doors don't open. They're to big and couldn't handle the stress. Spent time on both aircraft during my 22 years in AF. Definitely a C-5.

[JhonnnyTapia]

Americans are the best.......now i will laugh when i'll see those poors russian with their poors ICBM wheeled trucks

[Nelsonwmj]

Damn. that's a neat way of launching ICBMs.

[zlwebb1989]

Not a c-141. I'm a C-5 loadmaster and have flown on the C-141 and can confirm it's a c-5. A 141 is super small compared to the C-5 and couldn't even haul the missile.

[MarcusKiner]

Mind = blown

[ObssesedNuker]

... Why can't we just build MEL's?

[DumbYankies]

@FylthyBeest scramble. Where scramble means take 5 mins to taxi to the end of the field, 1.5 mins in the take off run and 10 mins getting to 30000 ft.

not exactly a scramble...

[DumbYankies]

@DumbYankies I suspect buran was actually a pretty nifty cover for polybus.

[Sidewinder9877]

They really just launch a MM3 from an effin plane?!