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.