This move would be the first major Biden administration action to field replacements to America’s ageing nuclear Arsenal. The long-range standoff weapon (LRSO) will be manufactured in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in February 2027, Raytheon said.

It will form the basis of a production decision later that year, the Air Force said Thursday. The missile would be paired up with a new W80-4 warhead under development by the Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration.