AGM-181A cruise missile bolsters US air-based nuclear deterrent and aims to give China pause on Taiwan and in South China Sea
The US has just tested a new type of nuclear-tipped air launch cruise missile, reaffirming the viability of the air-based leg of its nuclear triad against evolving threats from near-peer adversaries China and Russia with profound implications for regional stability and global non-proliferation norms.
This month, The Warzone reported that the US Air Force had conducted nine flight tests of its future nuclear-tipped AGM-181A Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) cruise missile prototypes, including one test with a mock nuclear warhead.
The Warzone notes that the milestones were reported in a 2022 Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) released last month, with the tests aiming to gauge the missile’s stealthy capabilities.
The report mentions the US Air Force has selected Raytheon to develop the AGM-181A LRSO missile, which will replace the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). The missile is part of the Long Range Strike family and has reportedly undergone nine successful major flight tests, demonstrating its high survivability with a stealthy airframe.
The Warzone says the Pentagon’s 2022 acquisition report classified all nine test events as flight tests, but not all involved independent missile flights. It notes that captive carry sorties were conducted for safety and that four powered-flight tests were deemed successful, including a Controlled Test Mission (CTM-1) test demonstrating the design’s maturity, manufacturing processes and navigation system performance.
The Warzone report also says that the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has revealed that the first powered flight test of an AGM-181A LRSO Cruise Missile with a W80-4 nuclear warhead launched from a B-52 bomber was conducted, with a decision about low-rate initial production expected in 2027.
The AGM-181A LRSO with the variable yield W80-4 warhead may be crucial for the US to fill a perceived nuclear deterrence gap resulting from the downsizing of its nuclear arsenal after the previous Cold War while its near-peer adversaries, China and Russia, continued to develop tactical nuclear weapons.
In a January 2021 article for The Heritage Foundation, Patty-Jane Geller mentions that the US AGM-86B ALCM has been upgraded to be operational until 2030, 38 years beyond its intended lifetime.
Source : Asia Times
