Breaking News: US Air Force develops new AGM-181 LRSO cruise missile to carry undetected nuclear strikes
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On June 9, 2025, the US Air Force released the first official rendering of the AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, reportedly developed by Raytheon Technologies to replace the aging AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). The rendering provides a visual reference for the missile, though its accuracy is uncertain due to the classified nature of the program and the likelihood of omitted features for operational security. The image shows a missile with a trapezoidal fuselage, wedge-shaped nose and tail sections, folding wings, and a vertical tail located on the underside. Notably absent is the air inlet, which may have been deliberately excluded or placed on the upper side of the airframe to reduce radar signature or protect classified design elements.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile is designed to be a long-range, survivable, nuclear-armed standoff weapon capable of engaging strategic targets while remaining outside the reach of modern integrated air defense systems. (Picture source: US DoD)
The AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missile is intended to be deployed from both the upgraded B-52J Stratofortress and the new B-21 Raider bomber. These platforms will form the airborne component of the U.S. nuclear triad alongside intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The AGM-181 is designed to be a long-range, survivable, nuclear-armed standoff weapon capable of engaging strategic targets while remaining outside the reach of advanced integrated air defense systems. The missile is powered by a Williams F107-WI-106 turbofan engine and is expected to cruise at subsonic speeds. Its projected operational range exceeds 2,500 kilometers, although exact figures remain classified. The LRSO will incorporate low-observable technologies and operate with strict emissions control to reduce detectability across radar and infrared spectrums. The Air Force has indicated that the missile is intended to function in environments characterized by degraded or denied GPS access, electromagnetic interference, and dense electronic warfare activity. Autonomous threat response and adaptive flight path capabilities are also expected. These features aim to ensure the LRSO’s ability to reach its target under complex and contested operational conditions.
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin were initially awarded parallel development contracts worth $900 million each in August 2017. Lockheed Martin developed the YAGM-180A prototype, while Raytheon produced the YAGM-181. In April 2020, the Air Force selected Raytheon as the sole-source contractor for further development. On 1 July 2021, Raytheon was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract covering the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, which included options potentially raising the contract’s value to $2 billion. The LRSO program entered a key testing phase in 2022, during which nine major flight tests were conducted using B-52 aircraft. These tests demonstrated missile separation, engine performance, flight control deployment, and navigation functionality. In October 2022, the system completed a power-on free-flight test covering warhead-arming procedures, route navigation using a mission data file, and environmental data collection. In March 2023, the missile passed its Critical Design Review (CDR), confirming the design’s maturity and allowing preparations for production.
The AGM-181 LRSO will be equipped exclusively with the W80-4 thermonuclear warhead, a life-extended version of the W80-1. This warhead features selectable yields of either 5 or 150 kilotons and does not introduce new explosive capabilities but improves safety, security, and component reliability. It measures approximately 80 centimeters in length, has a diameter of 30 centimeters, and weighs about 130 kilograms. The warhead was originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, with W80-4 refurbishment managed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Production of the first W80-4 warheads is scheduled for 2027. Earlier versions of the W80 were used on the AGM-86B, the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM), and the Navy’s BGM-109A Tomahawk. The Mod 0 variant for the Tomahawk featured “supergrade” plutonium to minimize crew exposure to gamma radiation. Production of the W80 series was completed by 1990, with the W80-4 now forming the core of the LRSO’s nuclear payload.
Initial concepts for a conventionally armed variant of the LRSO were discussed but later abandoned. Instead, the U.S. Air Force opted to meet conventional long-range strike needs using the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) and its successor, the AGM-158D JASSM-XR (Extreme Range). Congress repealed the requirement for a conventional LRSO variant in the FY2020 defense authorization bill. The Air Force plans to procure 1,087 AGM-181 missiles, including 67 for testing. A low-rate initial production decision, designated Milestone C, is scheduled for the third quarter of fiscal year 2027. The missile’s initial operational capability is projected for 2029 or 2030, ahead of the full retirement of the AGM-86B, which has been in service since 1982 and was originally planned for deactivation in the 1990s. In 2007, the Air Force reduced the ALCM inventory to 528 missiles from the original 1,715 produced. The LRSO is also part of the Long Range Strike family of systems, which includes the B-21, space-based sensors, command-and-control infrastructure, and potentially classified airborne support platforms.
Budget documentation confirms that the LRSO program is progressing within its current cost parameters. As of late 2022, the total program acquisition cost was estimated at $16 billion for 1,020 operational missiles. Sustainment over a 30-year period is expected to require an additional $7 billion. Unit cost projections have increased from $10 million to $13–14 million. Procurement funding is scheduled to rise significantly: from $67 million in FY2024 to $135.2 million in FY2025, then to $295.1 million in FY2026, and finally to $1.01 billion in FY2027. Procurement is expected to peak at $1.7 billion in FY2028, with an additional $6.5 billion projected thereafter. Research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funding peaked in FY2023 at $928.9 million and is set to decline annually, falling to $76.4 million by FY2028. Military construction costs are approximately $6 million below baseline estimates. The Air Force reports that the missile is meeting or exceeding all six defined key performance parameters and has stated that no significant software or design risks exist as of the latest updates.
To support long-term affordability and lifecycle management, the AGM-181 is being developed with a modular open-system architecture. This approach facilitates future technology insertion, upgrades, logistics, and competitive contracting. The Air Force is investing in digital engineering infrastructure to ensure ownership of the technical baseline, enable collaborative development, and reduce production costs. In FY2024, program tasks include finalizing control test vehicle flights, validating manufacturing plans, coordinating with the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and integrating launch systems for both the B-52 and B-21. Additional work includes the development of support equipment, trainers, carriage and launcher devices, and nuclear certification activities. The missile is expected to serve for three decades and will be a central asset in U.S. nuclear force posture adjustments in response to evolving strategic threats posed by Russia, China, North Korea, and other nuclear-armed actors. According to senior defense officials, the LRSO fills a critical capability gap by preserving the standoff nuclear strike option that had become increasingly obsolete with the aging AGM-86B and the earlier cancellation of the AGM-129 ACM.
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On June 9, 2025, the US Air Force released the first official rendering of the AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, reportedly developed by Raytheon Technologies to replace the aging AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). The rendering provides a visual reference for the missile, though its accuracy is uncertain due to the classified nature of the program and the likelihood of omitted features for operational security. The image shows a missile with a trapezoidal fuselage, wedge-shaped nose and tail sections, folding wings, and a vertical tail located on the underside. Notably absent is the air inlet, which may have been deliberately excluded or placed on the upper side of the airframe to reduce radar signature or protect classified design elements.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
The AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile is designed to be a long-range, survivable, nuclear-armed standoff weapon capable of engaging strategic targets while remaining outside the reach of modern integrated air defense systems. (Picture source: US DoD)
The AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missile is intended to be deployed from both the upgraded B-52J Stratofortress and the new B-21 Raider bomber. These platforms will form the airborne component of the U.S. nuclear triad alongside intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The AGM-181 is designed to be a long-range, survivable, nuclear-armed standoff weapon capable of engaging strategic targets while remaining outside the reach of advanced integrated air defense systems. The missile is powered by a Williams F107-WI-106 turbofan engine and is expected to cruise at subsonic speeds. Its projected operational range exceeds 2,500 kilometers, although exact figures remain classified. The LRSO will incorporate low-observable technologies and operate with strict emissions control to reduce detectability across radar and infrared spectrums. The Air Force has indicated that the missile is intended to function in environments characterized by degraded or denied GPS access, electromagnetic interference, and dense electronic warfare activity. Autonomous threat response and adaptive flight path capabilities are also expected. These features aim to ensure the LRSO’s ability to reach its target under complex and contested operational conditions.
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin were initially awarded parallel development contracts worth $900 million each in August 2017. Lockheed Martin developed the YAGM-180A prototype, while Raytheon produced the YAGM-181. In April 2020, the Air Force selected Raytheon as the sole-source contractor for further development. On 1 July 2021, Raytheon was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract covering the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase, which included options potentially raising the contract’s value to $2 billion. The LRSO program entered a key testing phase in 2022, during which nine major flight tests were conducted using B-52 aircraft. These tests demonstrated missile separation, engine performance, flight control deployment, and navigation functionality. In October 2022, the system completed a power-on free-flight test covering warhead-arming procedures, route navigation using a mission data file, and environmental data collection. In March 2023, the missile passed its Critical Design Review (CDR), confirming the design’s maturity and allowing preparations for production.
The AGM-181 LRSO will be equipped exclusively with the W80-4 thermonuclear warhead, a life-extended version of the W80-1. This warhead features selectable yields of either 5 or 150 kilotons and does not introduce new explosive capabilities but improves safety, security, and component reliability. It measures approximately 80 centimeters in length, has a diameter of 30 centimeters, and weighs about 130 kilograms. The warhead was originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, with W80-4 refurbishment managed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Production of the first W80-4 warheads is scheduled for 2027. Earlier versions of the W80 were used on the AGM-86B, the AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM), and the Navy’s BGM-109A Tomahawk. The Mod 0 variant for the Tomahawk featured “supergrade” plutonium to minimize crew exposure to gamma radiation. Production of the W80 series was completed by 1990, with the W80-4 now forming the core of the LRSO’s nuclear payload.
Initial concepts for a conventionally armed variant of the LRSO were discussed but later abandoned. Instead, the U.S. Air Force opted to meet conventional long-range strike needs using the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) and its successor, the AGM-158D JASSM-XR (Extreme Range). Congress repealed the requirement for a conventional LRSO variant in the FY2020 defense authorization bill. The Air Force plans to procure 1,087 AGM-181 missiles, including 67 for testing. A low-rate initial production decision, designated Milestone C, is scheduled for the third quarter of fiscal year 2027. The missile’s initial operational capability is projected for 2029 or 2030, ahead of the full retirement of the AGM-86B, which has been in service since 1982 and was originally planned for deactivation in the 1990s. In 2007, the Air Force reduced the ALCM inventory to 528 missiles from the original 1,715 produced. The LRSO is also part of the Long Range Strike family of systems, which includes the B-21, space-based sensors, command-and-control infrastructure, and potentially classified airborne support platforms.
Budget documentation confirms that the LRSO program is progressing within its current cost parameters. As of late 2022, the total program acquisition cost was estimated at $16 billion for 1,020 operational missiles. Sustainment over a 30-year period is expected to require an additional $7 billion. Unit cost projections have increased from $10 million to $13–14 million. Procurement funding is scheduled to rise significantly: from $67 million in FY2024 to $135.2 million in FY2025, then to $295.1 million in FY2026, and finally to $1.01 billion in FY2027. Procurement is expected to peak at $1.7 billion in FY2028, with an additional $6.5 billion projected thereafter. Research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) funding peaked in FY2023 at $928.9 million and is set to decline annually, falling to $76.4 million by FY2028. Military construction costs are approximately $6 million below baseline estimates. The Air Force reports that the missile is meeting or exceeding all six defined key performance parameters and has stated that no significant software or design risks exist as of the latest updates.
To support long-term affordability and lifecycle management, the AGM-181 is being developed with a modular open-system architecture. This approach facilitates future technology insertion, upgrades, logistics, and competitive contracting. The Air Force is investing in digital engineering infrastructure to ensure ownership of the technical baseline, enable collaborative development, and reduce production costs. In FY2024, program tasks include finalizing control test vehicle flights, validating manufacturing plans, coordinating with the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and integrating launch systems for both the B-52 and B-21. Additional work includes the development of support equipment, trainers, carriage and launcher devices, and nuclear certification activities. The missile is expected to serve for three decades and will be a central asset in U.S. nuclear force posture adjustments in response to evolving strategic threats posed by Russia, China, North Korea, and other nuclear-armed actors. According to senior defense officials, the LRSO fills a critical capability gap by preserving the standoff nuclear strike option that had become increasingly obsolete with the aging AGM-86B and the earlier cancellation of the AGM-129 ACM.
