Rapid Dragon program derived its name from ancient Chinese crossbow called 急龙车

The U.S. Air Force’s Rapid Dragon program has carried out its first live fire test on Dec. 16 and the Air Force Research Laboratory has revealed how the project got its name.

Once the Palletized Munition Deployment System was stabilized under the parachutes, the production long range cruise missile STV and mass simulants were released sequentially, timed for safe separation between munitions. The photo shows a successful separation of a STV from the sabot following the weapon release, followed by the deployment of the STV’s control surfaces (wings and tail). (Courtesy photo)

Rapid Dragon is a literal translation of the Chinese word 急龙. It was an ancient crossbow that appear from 950 AD. Called 急龙车 by literary writers, it can fire off 12 crossbow bolts using a single trigger.

As for the first live fire test, it was executed from a MC-130J flown by an Air Force Special Operations Command operational flight crew. The next test will be from a C-17 in Spring 2022.

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