The USS Louisiana is out of the shop and ready to return to work patrolling the seas for the United States Navy. There’s no better way for the crew of an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine to prove their worth than with a test launch of their most valuable weapon, the Trident II.
The test launch had been previously scheduled, and was not meant as a message to any particular country. Launches like this are part of what the Navy calls a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO). During DASO 32, the Trident II missile the Louisiana launched was just a test munition, meaning it wasn’t armed. It was the 191st successful launch of the Trident, proving the unmatched reliability of the weapon system.
The Louisiana and other nuclear-armed submarines make up part of what’s called the nuclear triad. It’s a layered approach that the United States uses to project power globally, and hopefully to keep enemies in check.
The sea-based leg of the triad accounts for around 70% of U.S.-deployed strategic nuclear weapons. The Air Force takes care of the other two legs of the triad, which include land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and long-range strategic bombers, like the B-52 Stratofortress.
B-52s first started flying in the 1950s, but they’ve been upgraded multiple times since then. The latest variant under development is the B-52J. Its new kit includes an upgraded radar system to better track air and ground targets. The new B-52J will rely on eight new Rolls Royce engines to achieve flight.
The Air Force’s modernization of the nation’s nuclear bomber fleet doesn’t stop at just the planes, though. Now, USAF’s nuclear-capable cruise missiles are getting an upgrade, too.
A newly released report from the Pentagon shows the Air Force and Defense contractor RTX completed at least nine tests of the new, and still mostly classified, Long-Range Standoff missile. Air and Space Forces Magazine broke the story.
Images of the new LRSO aren’t publicly available, but it is known that the missile successfully performed the basic tasks of a cruise missile: separating from the plane, powering up, arming, and then flying to a designated target.
According to the Selected Acquisition Reports for 2022, which was just released in September, “the first full-system integrated test demonstrating design, manufacturing, and navigation maturing” was completed in October, 2022 by RTX and the USAF. The B-52 was the test platform of choice.
The LRSO will replace the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile. The B-52 will be the first U.S. bomber to carry the weapon. The B-21 Raider will also carry LRSO missiles. The B-21 is the newest stealth bomber to join the triad. Aside from a handful of images, there isn’t much known about the bomber.
It’s reasonable to assume, like the B-21, the new LRSO will be stealthier than its predecessor. It’s also reasonable to assume that it will be able to communicate with the plane that launched it, and other assets in the battlespace, to sense and potentially avoid threats as necessary.
These capabilities already exist in conventional cruise missiles, but putting them on a nuclear device sends a clear message to would-be enemies: Don’t.
