Air Launched Ballistic Missile

Air-launched ballistic missiles (ALBMs) are a type of ballistic missile launched from an aircraft, allowing the launch aircraft to remain at a distance from its target. This made them nearly immune to interception by anti-aircraft missiles and interceptor aircraft. However, with advancements in surface-to-air missile technology, such as the MIM-104 Patriot and S-300 systems, the effectiveness of ALBMs decreased. The United States Air Force developed the GAM-87 Skybolt missile, but it failed key tests and was ultimately cancelled in favor of the UGM-27 Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missile. The US also experimented with launching Minuteman I/B ICBMs from a C-5A Galaxy transport aircraft, but abandoned the effort.learn more on wikipedia