Originally Posted by
BEagle
Hmmm - UK did a 'Long Range Non Penetrator' cargo aircraft 'bomb truck' feasibility study some 17 years ago......
Project LONG ARCHER in 2002. It included penetrating and non-penetrating missions with munitions ranging from pretty small all the way up to small cruise missiles. The bulk of the work was at the smaller end though (Brimstone from launcher rails and BAE Hydra through the ramp beer cooler etc). It eventually morphed, under US hands, to HARVEST HAWK. Elements of the design did make it into the UK C-130K Mk3A programme and built upon the stuttering EVS work on the ever-depleting fleet of C-130K Mk1s.
I'm glad the US have made extensive use of the project, as they provided unwavering informal support in the early days of the UK design - even when a few UK VSOs just wanted to kill the programme from the outset to avoid 'challenging other air platforms'.