Nuclear Missiles Are Intended to Be Launched From US Warplanes

While railing at other countries like North Korea for developing nuclear-capable missiles, the Pentagon has awarded contracts to two major arms makers, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, to begin preliminary work on nuclear cruise missiles

The Long Range Standoff missiles, or LRSO, are designed to be fired from US warplanes, and are meant to replace the AGM-86B missiles developed in the early 1980s. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said "we are moving forward with modernization of the ground-based leg of the nuclear triad," in a statement on Monday. The Air Force says the contract awards keep the program on track to replace the aging AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile with modernized weapon capabilities designed for its nuclear bomber fleet, including the future B-21 strategic stealth bomber.
The U.S. Air Force awards Raytheon and Lockheed contracts to work on the new Long Range Standoff weapon, the replacement for the AGM-86B air-launched nuclear cruise missile.