Aircraft
U.S. Air Force Aims To Advance Long-range Standoff Weapon
The service reiterated its intention to award up to two contracts later this year for the LRSO technology maturation phase.
A B-52H Stratofortress deploys an unarmed AGM-86B cruise missile during a 2014 test over Utah. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)
A B-52H Stratofortress deploys an unarmed AGM-86B cruise missile during a 2014 test over Utah. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

The U.S. Air Force has reiterated its intention to begin developing a new long-range stand off (LRSO) nuclear missile later this year to equip its strategic bomber fleet. The service plans to field the LRSO in 2030 to replace the current, Boeing-built AGM-86B air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) that originally entered service in the 1980s.