DONALD Trump’s top secret nuclear missile has reportedly been pictured on a test flight for the first time.
The is set to be a direct warning to Washington‘s adversaries including Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.
Donald Trump’s top secret nuclear missile has reportedly been pictured on a test flight for the first timeCredit: SWNS
Pictures snapped late October purportedly show a 20ft long AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) stealth nuclear cruise missile being testedCredit: SWNS
Pictures snapped late October purportedly show a 20ft long AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) stealth nuclear cruise missile being tested.
If the images are accurate, it will mark the first time the devastating nuke has been publicly showcased.
The missile was being carried by a 488,000lb B-52H Stratofortress – known as Torch52 – over California, according to aviation photographer Ian Recchio.
It was first spotted on October 29, 2025, flying over Owens Valley, California where Recchio was able to get several clear images of it.
The pictures are believed to show two unknown missiles attached under the bomber’s right wing which experts have speculated could be LRSOs.
Recchio told The Aviationist : “We heard Torch52 on the scanner and looked up just in time to catch it climbing to about 5,000 feet.
“When we reviewed the photos, the ordnance looked unlike anything we’d seen before.”
Air Force officials have already confirmed the nuke has undergone a series of successful flight tests.
It is officially set for frontline service by 2030.
America’s military bosses have kept the LRSO under wraps for years.
The nuclear cruise missile is said to be among the greatest weapons ever created.
It can evade electronic jamming attacks and features stealth capabilities all while it prepares to unleash thermonuclear warheads on enemies.
Each warhead is expected to have an adjustable nuclear yield from five to 150 kilotons.
This would mean it could produce a blast ten times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945.
One of the main reasons behind its intricate development is in answer to the rapid growth of China’s nuclear arsenal.
The United States has secretly been testing the new nuclear weapon for some time.
Once operational in battle, it’ll be hard for the enemy to spot – and destroy – thanks to its “low-observable design” according to defense and security experts at 19FortyFive .
The AGM-181A will replace the 40-year-old AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile.
Each warhead is expected to have an adjustable nuclear yield from five to 150 kilotons.Credit: SWNS
The missile was being carried by a 488,000lb B-52H Stratofortress – known as Torch52 – over CaliforniaCredit: SWNS
The powerful show of force is set to be a direct warning to Washington’s adversaries including Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Nicolas MaduroCredit: Reuters
Recchio added: “This B-52 was using the callsign ‘Torch’, which is commonly used by Edwards (Air Force Base) bombers.
“By the time it reached me it was at about 4,000-5,000 feet AGL, based on the scanner calls I was listening to and my experience in the field.
“Like most digital photographers I proceeded to zoom into my LCD to see how the images turned out.
“To my delight there were a couple of interesting munitions visible on one of the wing pylons.
“I am by no means an expert in munitions, as I am most concerned with capturing nice images of aircraft, but this was intriguing.”
What are the features of the AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff?
The AGM-181A Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile is set to be the jewel in the US military's arsenal.
What the nuke will offer the U.S. military:
- An adjustable nuclear yield between 5–150 kilotons, allowing uses ranging from tactical effect to destroying cities
- The ability to navigate in any environment
- Subsonic missile – flies at a speed lesser than that of sound
- Perfect for electronic warfare as they can be used where GPS jamming is carried out
- Will feature the updated W80-4 thermonuclear warhead – a type of nuclear warhead carried on air-launched cruise missiles
- Greater range than its predecessors – its stand-off range is expected to be more than (1,500 miles (2,500 km)
BUILT IN U.S.
The experts warned, though, that the concept pic could well be inaccurate, as “some features will be omitted or even misleading for an initial public release.”
They described it as a “critical tool” for American’s nuclear triad – hoped to avert a “nuclear holocaust.”
It’s being built by major American aerospace and defense firm Raytheon, with production slated for 1,020 units, according to 1945.
The nukes will be carried by both the forthcoming £585 million B-21 Raider and upgraded B-52 Stratofortress bombers.
The AGM-181s are expected to replace the AGM-86B missiles by 2030, added TWZ, quoting a Pentagon acquisition report.
The Pentagon’s 2022 acquisition estimates the program will cost $16 billion for 1,020 missiles.
And unit costs are currently projected to be around $14 million.
Interesting Engineering said the LRSO “arrives as the United States recalibrates its nuclear posture in response to rapid advances in Russian and Chinese strategic capabilities.
“With the aging Air-Launched Cruise Missile nearing obsolescence and no other nuclear cruise missile currently in service, the AGM-181A LRSO will fill a crucial gap in US deterrence strategy.”
The LRSO is set to replace the Cold War-era AGM-86B, aboveCredit: SWNS 
