The U.S. Air Force appears to be rapidly accelerating the flight-testing of its next-generation nuclear-armed stealth cruise missile, the AGM-181 Long-Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSO). In early November 2025, a B-52H “Stratofortress” strategic bomber was photographed flying a low-level route over California with what appears to be a prototype of the highly classified missile.
The images, captured by aviation enthusiast Ryan Watamura on November 5, 2025, show the B-52H carrying an inert mockup of the AGM-181 on an external pylon. The sighting is one of the first public glimpses of the weapon, which is being developed by RTX Corporation (formerly Raytheon) to replace the Cold War-era AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM).
The LRSO is a cornerstone of the U.S. nuclear triad’s modernization. It is a long-range, stealthy, subsonic missile designed to penetrate and survive advanced enemy air defense systems, allowing bombers like the B-52H and the new B-21 Raider to strike strategic targets from a safe distance.
The missile’s advanced development, underscored by these new flight tests, suggests the program is moving faster than its initial 2030 service-date target. While the official Initial Operational Capability (IOC) is still slated for “around 2030,” the program passed its critical design review in 2023. Recent reports suggest the missile itself may already be ready for service and is primarily awaiting the production of its new warhead.
The AGM-181 will be armed with the W80-4 nuclear warhead, a new variant with a selectable (“dial-a-yield”) explosive power ranging from 5 to 150 kilotons.
This sighting is a clear signal that the LRSO program is progressing from development into its critical integration and testing phase. The Air Force plans to purchase over 1,000 of the new missiles, which have an estimated range in excess of 1,500 miles (2,400 km).
