The Pentagon is taking a crucial first step toward developing a new nuclear-armed cruise missile called the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) weapon, a key component of the Defense Department's plan to modernize its long-range strike capabilities and ensure it can hit targets in well-defended, hard-to-reach areas such as China and Iran/.../
Mark Gunzinger, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, authored a report last year recommending ways in which the Pentagon could sustain its strategic advantage in long-range strike capabilities, including the development of a new cruise missile capable of carrying a range of warheads -- nuclear and conventional.
"A new cruise missile should have the capability to penetrate [and] survive in A2/AD environments," Gunzinger told InsideDefense.com. "An analysis of alternatives should inform decisions on specific performance attributes. Compared to a subsonic missile, supersonic and certainly hypersonic missiles can be much more expensive."
With defense budgets projected to grow more slowly over the next decade compared to previous plans, unit cost is likely to be scrutinized as the Air Force formulates a program over the next year. Tighter future defense budgets were among the reasons Gunzinger cited in saying the Defense Department should "develop a new cruise missile that could be carried by a range of platforms, not just the new bomber and possibly not just Air Force platforms."
The omission of the word "missile" from an effort to recapitalize a missile may not be significant, said Gunzinger. "If anything, the Air Force may be trying to make the point that it will look at a wide range of potential capability solutions to meet its future needs for a survivable standoff attack weapon."