AGM-86 ALCM: The weapon that made the B-52H a symbol of sky dominance.

Thanks to the AGM-86 ALCM, the B-52H can launch missiles from distances of thousands of kilometers, thereby defining the dominant role of American bombers in the skies.

According to Military , the AGM-86 ALCM is an air-launched cruise missile developed by the United States during the Cold War, designed to strike long-range targets with high accuracy, while allowing the launching aircraft to avoid penetrating deep into enemy air defenses.

Developed by Boeing (formerly General Dynamics), the missile officially entered service in the early 1980s and still plays a significant role in the US Air Force's arsenal today.

With the AGM-86 ALCM, the B-52H can hit strategic targets without penetrating deep into enemy territory.

The missile is approximately 6.3 meters long, 620 mm in diameter, weighs about 1,430 kg, and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, serving a strategic deterrent role. The AGM-86 has a range of approximately 2,400 km, flies at a maximum speed of about Mach 0.73, allowing it to attack targets from outside enemy air defense zones. This missile is primarily launched from Boeing B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers, significantly expanding the operational radius of the US Air Force.

On the B-52H, AGM-86 ALCM missiles are carried via underwing pylons and rotating launch systems in the fuselage, allowing each aircraft to carry up to 20 missiles. This arrangement enables the B-52H to conduct long-range attacks from outside enemy air defense zones, while maximizing its strategic deterrence role.

The AGM-86 ALCM transforms the B-52H into an effective long-range strike platform, allowing the US Air Force to maintain strategic air superiority.

Other American bomber aircraft such as the B-1B Lancer or B-2 Spirit are not equipped with the AGM-86 ALCM, but use other weapons suitable for their own combat doctrines. Therefore, it can be asserted that the B-52H Stratofortress is the "exclusive launcher" for the AGM-86 ALCM in the US Air Force's inventory.

The AGM-86 ALCM was developed in multiple variants to simultaneously meet the US requirements for strategic deterrence and long-range precision conventional warfare. Among these, the AGM-86B, carrying a nuclear warhead, played a core role in the nuclear deterrence strategy for decades, allowing B-52H bombers to attack strategic targets from outside enemy air defense zones.

Additionally, the AGM-86C (CALCM) is a conventional version equipped with an inertial guidance system combined with GPS, offering high accuracy and having been deployed in major military operations such as the Gulf War.

The combination of the B-52H and the AGM-86 ALCM creates an attack capability beyond defensive ranges.

Further developed from the AGM-86C, the AGM-86D is equipped with a penetrating warhead, specifically designed to destroy fortified targets, bunkers, or underground structures. The clear differentiation between variants makes the AGM-86 ALCM a versatile family of cruise missiles, serving both as a nuclear deterrent and meeting the precision strike requirements of modern warfare.

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