Lockheed, Raytheon Awarded US$900 Million Each To Develop Long Range Standoff Nuclear-tipped Cruise Missile

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon have been awarded a $900 million contract each for the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) weapon's technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) acquisition phase, a US DoD release said.

The contract supports replacement of the AGM-86B air-launched cruise missile. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by 2022. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Air Delivered Capabilities Directorate, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Eventually, one of the two will be selected to manufacture the air-launched cruise missile.

"LRSO will provide the next generation strategic deterrent missile for the air-launched portion of the nuclear triad," said David Helsel, LRSO program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

A Lockheed Martin release said terms of the TMRR contract were not disclosed. The TMRR phase of the program is a critical step in advancing technologies, systems and subsystems for the weapon program, leading up to the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development milestone expected in 2022.

LRSO is a replacement for the U.S. Air Force's AGM-86 Air Launched Cruise Missile that has been operational since 1986. The LRSO weapon system will be capable of penetrating and surviving advanced integrated air defense systems from significant standoff range to prosecute strategic targets in support of the U.S. Air Force's global attack capability and strategic deterrence core function.