LRSO will replace the AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile, pictured being loaded onto a USAF B-52H Stratofortress. (Photo: USAF/Senior Airman Lillian Miller)
The Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) air-launched cruise missile for the USAF is now in the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase, after sole contractor Raytheon Missiles and Defense obtained a $2 billion deal from the US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center.
‘During the EMD phase, manufacturing processes will continue to mature and the manufacturing environment will be demonstrated and transitioned to a pilot line readiness state,’ the DoD announced on 1 July.
Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by February 2027.
‘The objective at the end of EMD is to demonstrate full production readiness,’ the DoD added. Shephard reported in April 2020 that each LRSO missile would cost $10 million to produce.
The nuclear-capable LRSO will replace the 1980s-vintage AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile. The new missiles could be launched from B-52, B-1, B-2 or B-21 bombers.
The DroneShield US subsidiary is rapidly expanding its manufacturing footprint in the country and has expedited the process to double its domestic production capacity in at least four months.
The Pentagon has sent an amendment to the Office of Management and Budget, according to Pete Hegseth, including funds for the procurement of E-7 Wedgetails in FY2027.
As Europe confronts its most unstable security environment since the Cold War, defence planners recognise that advanced, dependable and flexible Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) are central to a force that competes and prevails on today’s battlefield.
The country could be on the cusp of finalising an historic deal with Saab for up to 150 aircraft, with Belgium also increasing its number of donated F-16 aircraft to 53 with refreshed delivery timelines.
The USAF intends to conduct the second phase of the DRAGON programme from FY2026 to FY2030, while the future of the E3 replacement remains unknown.
Indonesia’s purchase of 12 drones with options for an additional 48 is the third deal in as many years between Indonesian and Turkish defence industries, bolstering the former’s plans to strengthen its own domestic production and defence industry.
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