MC-145B Wily Coyote Special Ops Planes Will Be Able To Launch Stealth Cruise Missiles
The ability to launch Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles could give the modified Polish transport aircraft a role in higher-end conflicts.
By Joseph Trevithick July 26, 2021
The War Zone
The Sierra Nevada Corporation, or SNC, plans to integrate variants of the very capable and combat-proven AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile series of stealthy cruise missiles onto its MC-145B Wily Coyote armed light transport aircraft. The company says that the ability to deploy these weapons via the aircraft's rear cargo ramp will enable them to contribute to operations during higher-end conflicts, as well as support responses to lower-tier contingencies. U.S. Special Operations Command is presently testing an MC-145B prototype, among other types, as part of its Armed Overwatch program, as a potential replacement for the U-28A Draco aircraft, which will be primarily expected to operate in permissive environments.
SNC highlighted the planned Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) capability for the MC-145B in a recent press release and accompanying video. No mention was made of any plans to integrate this stealthy cruise missile in the materials that the company previously provided to The War Zone, which was the first to report in-depth on the Wily Coyote's configuration and expected capabilities. The aircraft itself is derived from the Polish-designed M28 Skytruck twin-engine turboprop light utility aircraft, an unarmed version of which, the C-145A Combat Coyote, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) already operates.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/41684/mc-145b-wily-coyote-special-ops-planes-will-be-able-to-launch-stealth-cruise-missiles
