Raytheon to develop USAF LRSO missile
Raytheon has been selected by the USAF to continue developing its Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, which will replace the legacy Air-Launched Cruise Missile.
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin were both selected during the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase of the programme in 2017. Raytheon passed the preliminary design review and is due to complete the acquisition process by January 2022.
Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defence, said: ‘LRSO will be a critical contributor to the air-launched portion of America’s nuclear triad… Providing a modernised capability to the USAF will strengthen our nation’s deterrence posture.’
Negotiations over the engineering and manufacture of the LRSO are expected to begin in FY2021 with a final contract award due in FY2022.
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