Jun 18, 2025 - Technology

U.S. Air Force offers first peek at LRSO nuclear missile

Colin Demarest

An artist's rendering of a missile soaring through blue skies. — An artist's rendering of the Long-Range Standoff Weapon. Illustration: U.S. Air Force

After years of secretive development, the U.S. Air Force last week provided its first look at a nuclear cruise missile expected to be wielded by B-52 bombers.

Why it matters: Imagery like this is not shared carelessly.

Zoom in: The AGM-181 Long-Range Stand-Off missile looks sleek, and sports an inverted fin and swept wings. No air inlet can be seen.

Hans Kristensen, a nuclear-weapons expert at the Federation of American Scientists, likened it to a mix of the AGM-129 and AGM-158.

Catch up quick: RTX is developing the missile. It secured a $2 billion engineering-and-manufacturing contract in 2021.

It is air launched, and it will carry the W80-4 warhead.

Yes, but: Artist renderings can look vastly different than the final, physical product.

Air & Space Forces Magazine in April reported that early depictions of Boeing's F-47 were doctored.

Go deeper: U.S. to spend $1 trillion on nuclear weapons over next decade

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U.S. Air Force offers first peek at LRSO nuclear missile

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