U.S. Air Force picks Raytheon, Lockheed for next-gen cruise missile
Source: Reuters
#POLITICS AUGUST 23, 2017 / 6:40 PM / 2 HOURS AGO
U.S. Air Force picks Raytheon, Lockheed for next-gen cruise missile
Mike Stone
3 MIN READ
(Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Co separate $900 million contracts to continue work on a replacement for the AGM-86B air-launched nuclear cruise missile, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.
Although the award for the new Long Range Standoff weapon (LRSO) comes amid rising tensions with North Korea, the Air Force had asked the defense industry last summer for proposals to replace the aging nuclear cruise missiles and intercontinental ballistic missile system as the military moved ahead with a costly modernization of its aging atomic weapons systems.
"This weapon will modernize the air-based leg of the nuclear triad," said Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson in a statement.
LRSO, which is a plane launched weapon, "will be capable of penetrating and surviving advanced integrated air defense systems from significant standoff range" Lockheed Martin said in its statement about the award.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/us-lockheed-pentagon-lrso-idUSKCN1B32OB