The top-secret nuclear missile belonging to US President Donald Trump has been captured in a photograph for the first time. Aviation photographer Ian Recchio spotted an unusual weapon attached to a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress while taking pictures of military aircraft over the Owen Valley in California on October 29. Experts suggest that the weapon could possibly be the AGM-181 Long Range Stand Off Weapon (LRSO).
The AGM-181 LRSO is being touted as the Air Force’s upcoming stealth nuclear cruise missile, set to equip both the B-52 and the newly constructed B-21 stealth bomber. The jet carrying the warhead bears a striking resemblance to the only publicly released image of the AGM-181 LRSO from June and features the classic orange markings commonly seen on test flights.
Currently undergoing testing, the AGM-181 LRSO is anticipated to carry the W80-4 warhead, with a reported yield ranging from 5 to 150 kilotons, making its maximum blast approximately ten times that of the Hiroshima bomb in 1945. Scheduled for deployment by 2030, this missile is designed to replace the AGM-86 ALCM, a subsonic air-launched cruise missile from the Cold War era.
Amid rising threats from Russia and China, the US is reportedly intensifying efforts to modernize its nuclear arsenal. In a recent development, Russia tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile in late October, claiming an impressive range of 14,000km (8,700 miles) with potential for further distance.
President Trump’s directive to defense officials to conduct nuclear weapons testing at a comparable level to other nations recently stirred discussions. Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified that the US does not plan to conduct nuclear explosions, indicating that any tests would involve “non-critical explosions.”
Nuclear stockpiles are generally kept confidential by each nation. According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia possesses an estimated 5,459 warheads, the US has around 5,177, and China maintains approximately 600 warheads.