The Air Force said Wednesday it awarded $1.8 billion to two defense contractors for development of a new nuclear cruise missile.
The so-called Long Range Standoff weapon could be used by its nuclear bomber fleet, including the B-21 Raider bomber now being developed, the service said.
Lockheed Martin and Raytheon each won $900 million to develop and demonstrate the new missile over the next four and a half years.
“This weapon will modernize the air-based leg of the nuclear triad,” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a released statement. “Deterrence works if our adversaries know that we can hold at risk things they value. This weapon will enhance our ability to do so, and we must modernize it cost-effectively.”
After the demonstrations by Lockheed and Raytheon, a single contractor will be chosen to manufacture and deploy the missile, which will replace the service’s aging AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile.
