The US Air Force successfully tested a classified LRSO missile designed for nuclear warheads at least 9 times in 2022
The US Department of Defense has announced that the classified Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile is successfully testing. Last year, the US Air Force conducted about a dozen test launches.
A new Pentagon report indicates that during 2022, the US Air Force was able to successfully conduct at least nine test launches of the LRSO. The series of tests culminated in a major test of all key components in October 2022.
Apparently, the program is developing according to the schedule. Although the project is classified, and the US Department of Defense has decided not to publicly announce the planned date of the missile’s commissioning.
Last year, the US Air Force and Raytheon tested the LRSO engine four times. The B-52H Stratofortress strategic bomber, which will be in service until the middle of this century due to modernization, was used for the tests.
LRSO is an air-launched cruise missile that is part of the nuclear triad. It will replace the AGM-86B battery. In addition to the B-52, the carrier of the new cruise missile will be the sixth-generation B-21 Raider aircraft. The bomber is due to make its first flight by the end of 2023.
There is currently no current information on how many cruise missiles the US Air Force intends to receive. Previously, we were talking about 1087 units, including 67 for testing. In the early stages of the project, the target date for initial operational readiness was May-November 2030. The US Air Force then refused to release the estimate because it could reveal confidential details of the program.
The service life will be 30 years. The decision to approve full-scale production, referred to as Milestone C, is expected to be made in late 2027.
