The US Air Force has bid farewell to the AGM-86C conventional air-launched cruise missile after the last package was downloaded and disassembled at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, on November 20.
Initially beginning design in 1974, the CALCM missile has been employed in combat operations to include Desert Storm, Desert Strike, Desert Fox, Allied Force, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Decades later, the final missile package was disassembled to become demilitarized.
“It’s incredible to see the tail end of a weapons system come full circle,” Tech. Sgt. Carlos Solorza, 2nd Munitions Squadron weapons system bay chief said during the final upload of the CALCM weapon system. “I don’t think I’ll ever be apart of another weapon retirement and the fact that I’m here right now is pretty special.”
The CALCM missile is a small, winged missile powered by a turbofan jet engine, able to fly complicated routes through terrain with the guidance of a GPS aided inertial navigation system. It has folded wings, tail surfaces and a deployable engine inlet.
Although missile design began in the mid-1970s, CALCM wasn’t employed in combat until January of 1991, during operation Secret Squirrel, a mission in which seven B-52G Stratofortresses took off from Barksdale toward Iraqi targets, launching 35 CALCM missiles.
Opening the first strikes of operation Desert Storm, the then-new CALCM missiles marked the first time GPS has been used to guide a missile to a target.
Former members of the mission, retired Cols. Trey Morriss and Warren Ward alongside LaFlame were in attendance for the final download of the last CALCM missiles.
“It’s awesome to see these young Airmen, it makes me feel young,” said Ward. “It’s always great to interact with young troops, they’re phenomenal. It’s great to see the Air Force still moving along seamlessly, with great people who still get the job done,” LaFlame added.
The CALCM weapon system is succeeded by the AGM-158 Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) which has stealth features and a range of over 900 kilometers.
