US unveils 'city-destroying' nuclear missile after years of secret development
A city-destroying nuclear cruise missile has been unveiled by the United States after years of development in secret.
The first image of the AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) reveals a sleek, stealthy weapon designed to evade modern air defences, with a range said to exceed 1,500 miles. It will be armed with the W80-4 thermonuclear warhead, offering modernized yield, safety, and security features. It is thought the missile will have an adjustable nuclear yield between 5-150 kilotons, allowing uses ranging from tactical effect to destroying cities. A yield of 150 kilotons is ten times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945.
The LRSO is set to replace the Cold War-era AGM-86B and will be carried by both the forthcoming £585m B-21 Raider and upgraded B-52 bombers. Air Force officials confirmed that the LRSO has already undergone a series of successful flight tests is set for frontline service by 2030.
The programme has been a key priority for the United States air force and the new LRSO is expected to replace the US' only nuclear-armed cruise missile, the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) which has been around since the latter days of the Cold War.
It has an inverted tail and appears to have a trapezoidal fuselage cross-section design with a wedge-like nose. At this stage it is not clear how close this design that has been revealed will look like the final product as some features often are omitted for an initial release.
This new advanced missile is due to play a crucial role in the US' strategic defence. It is expected to have stealth capabilities while being resistant to sophisticated electronic attacks.
An advantage of the LRSO is that it is able to penetrate sophisticated air defence systems, as it is more difficult to identify, while it can also be launched from distance and hit targets under contested conditions.
The airborne section of the US' nuclear weapons are the most flexible as they can be positioned in different locations, while also quickly removed, or deployed depending on the circumstances.
It is their ability to be easily manoeuvred that could give them a critical role in a nuclear stand-off and possibly avoid an armageddon scenario.
The LRSO has been made to be just a part of the US' strike force which includes the B-21 Raider, the Air Force's new stealth bomber, and the upgraded B-52 Stratofortress, which will carry the LRSO.
The aim is to provide a deterrent due to its attack capabilities in the modern world as the US restructures due to the threats posed by Russia and China.
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