B-52 with a Nuclear Missile for Moscow Noticed in the Sky 0 13

The strategic bomber B-52 was spotted with a pair of nuclear long-range cruise missiles AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) or their prototypes in the sky over the Mojave Desert (California, USA). This was reported by the portal TWZ.

"Now we can get a good look at how the missile's retractable main wings appear in the folded position before launch," the publication states.

According to the publication, the B-52 aircraft with AGM-181 LRSO missiles took off from Edwards Air Force Base (California), where it might have been undergoing flight tests. The AGM-181 LRSO missile is intended to replace the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM).

Alongside the B-52 bomber, an F-22 Raptor 2.0 fighter and an NKC-135 tanker were also spotted in the sky over the Mojave.

In July 2021, Popular Mechanics noted that the nuclear cruise missile AGM-181 LRSO, being developed by Raytheon for the U.S. Air Force, is designed to destroy strategic enemy targets and could become a bargaining chip between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing regarding nuclear disarmament.

The AGM-181 LRSO will be equipped with a thermonuclear warhead W80-4. The missile's range will exceed 2,400 kilometers. Small-scale production of the new weapon is planned to begin in the 2027 fiscal year, with large-scale production in 2029. The AGM-181 LRSO will be carried by the strategic bombers B-52H and B-21 Raider.