From The Archives: Boeing Air Launched Cruise Missile

The cover of Aviation Week & Space Technology’s Sept. 1, 1975, issue featured a full-scale model of the proposed Air Force/Boeing Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) built for integration studies. 

The company was scheduled to begin jettison tests of full-scale ALCMs from Boeing B-52s during the summer. 

The ALCM concept initially was for a drone decoy to protect the bombers from Soviet air defenses but was later modified to strike enemy missile and radar sites. The system entered service in 1982.

September 1 1975 | Aviation Week

Enjoy unlimited access to the complete Aviation Week Archive which has over 100 Years of Aviation Week — at your fingertips.

Every issue, every page, every article we have ever published. Your subscription includes full access to the archives, plus current Aviation Week & Space Technology articles (both digital and print packages available).