America's latest nuclear-armed delivery platform breaks cover as the US Air Force releases a rendering of its cutting-edge AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missile. The missile that has recently undergone flight testing is set to replace its Cold War predecessor.
The world's military inventories have a strange mix of old and new. In some areas, all the equipment is brand spanking new and state-of-the-art, while in others soldiers are handling equipment that their grandfathers used.
Case in point is the US Air Force's venerable B-52 Stratofortress bombers that were introduced in the 1950s and some of which will still be flying as the aircraft reaches its century mark. During the Cold War back in the 1980s, it looked as if the B-52 had seen its last days because it was no longer capable of penetrating Warsaw Pact air defenses to carry out its deterrent bombing mission.
Then the Air Force introduced the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) that turned the B-52 from a heavy bomber into a stand-off strategic weapon platform. Armed with a W80 nuclear warhead with a yield of up to 150 kilotons, it allowed the B-52 to remain over 1,300 nautical miles (1,500 miles, 2,400 km) from the target and, hopefully, out of harm's way.
Astonishingly, not only is the B-52 still in frontline service, but so is the AGM-86B. Unfortunately, after over four decades things have changed and the pace of change is overtaking the missile that was introduced when the Walkman was the latest thing. And that's the problem when it comes to maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent.
Not only is the AGM-86B getting old, so is the infrastructure to support it. Its components are aging and hard to replace, with increasing maintenance costs. Worse, its ground-hugging flight technology to avoid enemy defenses is becoming increasingly obsolete and distinctly less stealthy against satellites and other sophisticated sensors – not to mention electronic warfare countermeasures. In addition, the range of the missile is no longer sufficient and it lacks the needed mission flexibility for modern battle environments.
As a result, the old cruise missile has been folded into the general US effort to modernize its nuclear deterrent forces while making them more cost effective in the long term.
Like its 1980's predecessor, the new AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) is an air-breathing cruise missile that is capable of navigating to its intended target without supervision. Developed by Raytheon Technologies, it's designed to launch from not only the B-52, but the new B-21 raider bomber.
It's armed with the latest W80 Mod 4 thermonuclear warhead, which can be programmed with an explosive yield between five and 150 kilotons, yet weighs only 287 lb (130 kg) and incorporates new safety and security features. Unlike the previous missile, there will not be a conventionally armed version.
The missile itself is powered by a Williams F107-WI-106 turbofan, giving it a range of over 1,350 nautical miles (1,550 miles, 2,500 km) at subsonic speeds. That may not seem like much of an improvement, but the upper level of the range is expected to be easier to achieve in hostile environments than before.
The upgraded guidance system is designed to work in degraded or denied GPS areas and to resist electromagnetic interference. It's also expected to have the ability to autonomously respond to threats and modify its flight path as required.
The new image doesn't tell us a lot about the AGM-181A, but it is much more streamlined, with a trapezoidal fuselage, wedge-shaped nose and angled tail section along with folding wings and a folding vertical tail mounted on the ventral part of the airframe. Its appearance strongly suggests a much more effective stealth capability to absorb or spoof radar signals over a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum. Also, its modular design will allow for much more rapid upgrades in the future.
Production of the AGM-181A is expected to begin by 2027 and it will enter service around 2030. The Air Force wants over 1,000 of the missiles at an estimated cost of US$16 billion with an additional $7 billion for 30 years of support.
Source: US Air Force
