AGM-181 LRSO: USAF’s Nuclear Cruise Missile Enters Low-Rate Production in 2025

AGM-181 LRSO: USAF’s Nuclear Cruise Missile Enters Low-Rate Production in 2025

USAF’s Nuclear Cruise Missile Enters Low-Rate Production in 2025

The AGM-181 Long Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO)—the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation air-launched nuclear cruise missile—has entered Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in Q3 2025, marking a pivotal milestone in America’s strategic modernization triad. Developed by Raytheon (RTX), the LRSO will replace the aging AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), in service since 1982, and ensure credible, survivable nuclear deterrence well into the 2050s.

Strategic Imperative

With advances in adversary air defenses—particularly Russian S-500 and Chinese HQ-19 systems—the decades-old ALCM’s subsonic speed, limited stealth, and predictable flight profiles have rendered it increasingly vulnerable. The LRSO addresses this by combining enhanced low-observability, adaptive flight-path AI, and penetrating electronic warfare to defeat integrated air defense systems (IADS) and deliver a W80-4 thermonuclear warhead (yield: 5–150 kt selectable) with pinpoint accuracy.

Key Capabilities (2025 Confirmed)

• Stealth Design: All-aspect radar cross-section (RCS) reduced by >90% vs. ALCM, using next-gen RAM coatings, serpentine engine inlets, and edge-aligned airframe geometry. Exact signature remains classified, but analysts estimate frontal RCS <0.01 m².
• Range: Classified, but officially stated as “greater than 2,500 km”—likely 2,800–3,200 km—enabling B-52H, B-21, and future NGAD platforms to launch from international airspace.
• Propulsion: New F112-WR-100 turbofan (derivative of F112 used in ALCM/JASSM), optimized for ultra-low IR signature and fuel efficiency. Subsonic cruise (~Mach 0.85), with terrain-following down to 30 meters.
• Navigation & Targeting:
• Multi-source PNT: GPS (M-code), inertial navigation (INS), celestial updates, and anti-jam Beidou/Galileo fallback
• AI-enabled mission replanning: In-flight retargeting via secure SATCOM link (e.g., MILSTAR/PTS III)
• Moving Target Engagement (MTE) capability under development for mobile ICBM launchers
• Warhead: W80-4 Mod 1, newly life-extended by the NNSA—featuring enhanced safety (insensitive high explosives), security (permissive action links), and yield flexibility.

Platform Integration

• B-52H Stratofortress: Primary carrier; each can carry 20 LRSOs (12 internal + 8 external) under the Combat Archery integration program. First certified in 2026 (on track).
• B-21 Raider: Designed from the outset for internal LRSO carriage (estimated 16–20 missiles). Will be the penetrating leg of the nuclear triad.
• NGAD (Next-Gen Air Dominance): Future integration planned for the crewed “Penetrating Counter-Air” platform post-2035.

Production & Deployment Timeline

• 2014: LRSO program launched (sole-source to Raytheon after Lockheed dropped out)
• 2022: Critical Design Review (CDR) passed
• 2024: First captive-carry and separation tests from B-52 at Edwards AFB
• Q3 2025: LRIP Lot 1 awarded—$1.1B for 24 missiles and support systems
• 2026–2027: Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on B-52H
• 2028+: Full-rate production (FRP); ~1,000 missiles planned over 20+ years

Controversy and Arms Control Implications

The LRSO has drawn criticism from arms-control advocates, who argue that a new nuclear cruise missile lowers the threshold for use and undermines strategic stability. Russia has explicitly cited the LRSO as justification for its own Kh-102 upgrades and Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. However, the U.S. maintains that modernization is essential: as Gen. Anthony Cotton (STRATCOM) stated in 2024, “Deterrence only works if your adversary believes you can deliver.”

Critically, the LRSO is not dual-capable—it is exclusively nuclear, unlike the conventional JASSM-ER or future C-LRSO concepts, preserving declaratory policy clarity.

Geopolitical Significance

The LRSO ensures the air leg of the nuclear triad remains credible against 21st-century threats—complementing the Columbia-class SSBNs (sea) and LGM-35A Sentinel ICBMs (land). With Russia modernizing its Kh-101/Kh-102 fleet and China fielding the CJ-100, the U.S. cannot afford a capability gap.

As the B-21 Raider enters service in 2026–2027, the LRSO will be its primary stand-off weapon, enabling deep strikes into denied airspace without risking the aircraft. In an era of great-power competition, the message is clear: the U.S. nuclear umbrella remains robust, survivable, and ready.

AGM-181 LRSO Specifications (2025 LRIP Configuration)