AFA 2026: Dragon Cart palletised munitions programme still 'on track' for 2027 operational deployment

The U.S. Air Force says its Dragon Cart palletized-munitions program remains on track for operational deployment in 2027. The effort became a program of record in April 2026 and is continuing concept development, experimentation, and testing before fielding. Dragon Cart is designed to let transport aircraft such as the C-130 and C-17 release palletized weapons, increasing the number of aircraft able to contribute to long-range strike missions. The program evolved from earlier Palletized Munitions and Rapid Dragon demonstrations, but officials did not announce production quantities, assigned units, or a newly awarded procurement contract at AFA 2026.