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Description
Note: this is a fictional what-if scenario. I based this off of a precision radio-guidance attack missile system I saw that relied on short-range radio triangulation for strikes. The idea behind this is that it would be used to guide missiles to targets. As for optic-guided bombs, I had it as an inexpensive competitor to laser-guidance weapons where the bomb is guided from the plane itself to the target, making it great for counter-insurgency operations.

The Lockheed ADC-130 "Missileer" (later produced by Lockheed Martin) is a modified DC-130 drone-carrier aircraft that is capable of firing short-range, radio-guided cruise missiles as well as Optic-guided Munitions (more to come on this later) from overhead. The low-cost, radio-guidance system enabled the bombers to provide accurate close-air-support, airstrike, and weapons deployment from a distance, making it relatively popular over the laser-guidance and optic-guidance bombs can provide up-close engagements. The aircraft's advantage stems from the low price of its operations versus laser-guidance, GPS-guidance, and trajectory planning munition systems already in service.

Origins

Prior to the end of World War II, the Boeing DB-38 Missilefortress was tested with the ability to launch the V-1 missile clone, the Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon. The aircraft was fitted with a pair of radio trangulation sensors on the wings and one on the top of the tail, allowing the aircraft to communicate and guide missiles based on an accurate aircraft positioning. While the early systems suffered from slight innaccuracies that occured due to the bombardier's manual input, by Korea the DB-38 was using ship- and land-based relays to accurately triangulate the bomber, then use this to relay to the missiles.

Because of the DB-38's success, rigidity, and ease of maintenance, the aircraft would continue to serve on, seeing significant action in the Vietnam War. Following the Operation Halfback Disaster, where an AGM-72 missile was clipped on the wing by machine gun fire and crashed into the densely populated French Quarter and killing an estimated 700 civilians, the DB-38 began its decline as a combat aircraft and a replacement was required in order to extend the aircraft's operations. The largest contender was the C-130, which was fitted with a comparable configuration while allowing for more crew space, more sensors, and more equipment.

Lockheed would begin testing the YDC-130E "Missileer" in California, launching the AGM-72 using a new triangulation method called "Grouping". "Grouping" was the process of getting directional vectors off of all of the aircraft's sensors, then use them (often removing the largest outlying result) to generate a point in 3D space where the missile was. In order to do this, the aircraft employed a pair of radio-triangulation pods on both the top and bottom of the wings, with each pod angled to be planar with a pod on the opposite wing on the opposite side. This was essentially the same as the DB-38, but where the YDC-130E took it one step further was the fact that the other pair would take a similar reading and calculate the point based on its position and it would incorporate the highly sensitive radial sensor on the top of the tail. With all of these results, the suite would select the strongest results and use them, generating a velocity vector for the aircraft that could then be adjusted based on the target data. Unlike the DB-38, the YDC-130 also employed highly-accurate GPS tracking, allowing it to remove the ground station requirements for its position.

Operational History
The first ADC-130Es were entered into service at Selfridge AFB in 1976, replacing the DB-38 as a radio-guidance missile plane in the active role. The aircraft would carry the same AGM-72 Anvil (also known as "Exploding Pencil"), but it also would carry the General Dynamics OBU-4 Kinetic, which could be dropped using a kick-off charge to get it up to Mach 1 from lower altitudes.
Grenada
The first use of the ADC-130 was the ADC-130G over Grenada in 1983, when the plane was used to target AA gun positions with the AGM-72 and the newer AGM-117 before overflying the combat zone and employing OBU-4s on vehicles.
Gulf War
The Missileer was used by the US Air Force to target satellite-marked targets, such as tanks, boats, and gun placements. The Air Force would rely heavily on the AGM-72 stockpiles left over from the Cold War which they used to target airfields in Southern Iraq while the Marine Corps would use a number of their AGM-72s to target Iraqi landing ships.

Once a foothold was secured, AGM-117s were deployed to the front and began targetting tanks and armored vehicles.
Eastern European War
At the onset of the US-involvement in the Eastern European War, the USAF would deploy AGM-117 missiles against Yugoslavian and Serbian defenses set up in the lowlands. The AGM-72 would see less use following Yugoslavian defenses successfully shooting down a number of them in the early engagements.
Afghanistan and Iraq
The ADC-130H and ADC-130J were two of the most commonly used Coalition weapons, as they could be deployed to the center of either country and deploy the AGM-117 against any target anywhere in the theater. The OBU-4 was used throughout the campaigns in areas where the ADC-130 was present.

Variants

*YDC-130E:Test variant, fitted strictly for radio-guided cruise missile operations. One built, on display at Edwards AFB as a gate guard.
*ADC-130Eroduction variant of the test aircraft, included the General Dynamics Optic-Guided Weapons System. Four long hardpoints on the wings for weapons.
*ADC-130F:C-130F upgrades applied. Added GPS suite for improved missile guidance.
*ADC-130G:Incorporated the heightened gear body housing for the addition of the retractable munitions hardpoints. These could be rearmed from within the aircraft off of a weapons rack. Retained all four missile hardpoints.
*ADC-130H:C-130H upgrades applied
*ADC-130J "Super Missileer":Shortened the external hardpoints following the planned retirement of the AGM-72. Included the C-130J upgrades.

Description
Note: this is a fictional what-if scenario. I based this off of a precision radio-guidance attack missile system I saw that relied on short-range radio triangulation for strikes. The idea behind this is that it would be used to guide missiles to targets. As for optic-guided bombs, I had it as an inexpensive competitor to laser-guidance weapons where the bomb is guided from the plane itself to the target, making it great for counter-insurgency operations.

The Lockheed ADC-130 "Missileer" (later produced by Lockheed Martin) is a modified DC-130 drone-carrier aircraft that is capable of firing short-range, radio-guided cruise missiles as well as Optic-guided Munitions (more to come on this later) from overhead. The low-cost, radio-guidance system enabled the bombers to provide accurate close-air-support, airstrike, and weapons deployment from a distance, making it relatively popular over the laser-guidance and optic-guidance bombs can provide up-close engagements. The aircraft's advantage stems from the low price of its operations versus laser-guidance, GPS-guidance, and trajectory planning munition systems already in service.

Origins

Prior to the end of World War II, the Boeing DB-38 Missilefortress was tested with the ability to launch the V-1 missile clone, the Republic-Ford JB-2 Loon. The aircraft was fitted with a pair of radio trangulation sensors on the wings and one on the top of the tail, allowing the aircraft to communicate and guide missiles based on an accurate aircraft positioning. While the early systems suffered from slight innaccuracies that occured due to the bombardier's manual input, by Korea the DB-38 was using ship- and land-based relays to accurately triangulate the bomber, then use this to relay to the missiles.

Because of the DB-38's success, rigidity, and ease of maintenance, the aircraft would continue to serve on, seeing significant action in the Vietnam War. Following the Operation Halfback Disaster, where an AGM-72 missile was clipped on the wing by machine gun fire and crashed into the densely populated French Quarter and killing an estimated 700 civilians, the DB-38 began its decline as a combat aircraft and a replacement was required in order to extend the aircraft's operations. The largest contender was the C-130, which was fitted with a comparable configuration while allowing for more crew space, more sensors, and more equipment.

Lockheed would begin testing the YDC-130E "Missileer" in California, launching the AGM-72 using a new triangulation method called "Grouping". "Grouping" was the process of getting directional vectors off of all of the aircraft's sensors, then use them (often removing the largest outlying result) to generate a point in 3D space where the missile was. In order to do this, the aircraft employed a pair of radio-triangulation pods on both the top and bottom of the wings, with each pod angled to be planar with a pod on the opposite wing on the opposite side. This was essentially the same as the DB-38, but where the YDC-130E took it one step further was the fact that the other pair would take a similar reading and calculate the point based on its position and it would incorporate the highly sensitive radial sensor on the top of the tail. With all of these results, the suite would select the strongest results and use them, generating a velocity vector for the aircraft that could then be adjusted based on the target data. Unlike the DB-38, the YDC-130 also employed highly-accurate GPS tracking, allowing it to remove the ground station requirements for its position.

Operational History
The first ADC-130Es were entered into service at Selfridge AFB in 1976, replacing the DB-38 as a radio-guidance missile plane in the active role. The aircraft would carry the same AGM-72 Anvil (also known as "Exploding Pencil"), but it also would carry the General Dynamics OBU-4 Kinetic, which could be dropped using a kick-off charge to get it up to Mach 1 from lower altitudes.
Grenada
The first use of the ADC-130 was the ADC-130G over Grenada in 1983, when the plane was used to target AA gun positions with the AGM-72 and the newer AGM-117 before overflying the combat zone and employing OBU-4s on vehicles.
Gulf War
The Missileer was used by the US Air Force to target satellite-marked targets, such as tanks, boats, and gun placements. The Air Force would rely heavily on the AGM-72 stockpiles left over from the Cold War which they used to target airfields in Southern Iraq while the Marine Corps would use a number of their AGM-72s to target Iraqi landing ships.

Once a foothold was secured, AGM-117s were deployed to the front and began targetting tanks and armored vehicles.
Eastern European War
At the onset of the US-involvement in the Eastern European War, the USAF would deploy AGM-117 missiles against Yugoslavian and Serbian defenses set up in the lowlands. The AGM-72 would see less use following Yugoslavian defenses successfully shooting down a number of them in the early engagements.
Afghanistan and Iraq
The ADC-130H and ADC-130J were two of the most commonly used Coalition weapons, as they could be deployed to the center of either country and deploy the AGM-117 against any target anywhere in the theater. The OBU-4 was used throughout the campaigns in areas where the ADC-130 was present.

Variants

*YDC-130E:Test variant, fitted strictly for radio-guided cruise missile operations. One built, on display at Edwards AFB as a gate guard.
*ADC-130Eroduction variant of the test aircraft, included the General Dynamics Optic-Guided Weapons System. Four long hardpoints on the wings for weapons.
*ADC-130F:C-130F upgrades applied. Added GPS suite for improved missile guidance.
*ADC-130G:Incorporated the heightened gear body housing for the addition of the retractable munitions hardpoints. These could be rearmed from within the aircraft off of a weapons rack. Retained all four missile hardpoints.
*ADC-130H:C-130H upgrades applied
*ADC-130J "Super Missileer":Shortened the external hardpoints following the planned retirement of the AGM-72. Included the C-130J upgrades.