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U.S. Air Force Airlifters To Deploy Missiles In The ‘Very Near Future’
United States Air Force leaders said at the November 2026 Airlift/Tanker Association symposium that cargo aircraft such as the C-17 could soon carry palletised cruise missiles. The effort falls under the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles programme, which covers a palletised variant for mobility aircraft and a separate aircraft-carried variant for fighters. The Pentagon announced multiyear framework agreements with three companies in July to develop and produce the weapons. The Air Force described an approaching fielding milestone after years of experimentation, with timing for the first operational deployment still to be announced.