US President Donald Trump’s highly classified nuclear missile has reportedly been captured in a photograph for the first time. Aviation enthusiast Ian Recchio spotted an unusual weapon while taking pictures of military aircraft over California’s Owen Valley. The images, dated October 29, reveal a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress carrying a mysterious weapon under its right wing, speculated to be the AGM-181 Long Range Stand Off Weapon (LRSO), as per The Aviationist.
The AGM-181 LRSO, promoted as the Air Force’s advanced stealth nuclear cruise missile, is set to equip both the B-52 and the recently developed B-21 stealth bomber. The weapon onboard the aircraft bears a striking resemblance to the sole public depiction of the AGM-181 LRSO unveiled in June, according to sources.
The B-52 bomber also showcases the traditional orange markings linked with test missions, The Aviationist added. Although the specific missile could not be independently confirmed, the B-52 has served as America’s key strategic long-range bomber for almost seven decades.
The AGM-181 LRSO, presently undergoing testing, is anticipated to carry the W80-4 warhead with a reported yield ranging from 5 to 150 kilotons, making its maximum detonation approximately ten times that of the Hiroshima bomb in 1945. The missile, slated for operational readiness by 2030, is designed to replace the Cold War-era AGM-86 ALCM, a subsonic air-launched cruise missile.
Recchio shared with The Aviationist: “I was plane spotting in the Owens Valley with a friend when we heard ‘Torch52’ entering low-level at ‘point Alpha’ on the scanner. It’s always exciting to witness a heavy aircraft flying low, and by the time Torch reached our position, it had ascended to about 5,000 feet, offering a good photographic opportunity. We managed to capture images revealing some intriguing ordnance attached to one of the weapons pylons.”
This discovery coincides with reports of the US intensifying efforts to modernize its nuclear arsenal in response to escalating threats from Russia and China. In late October, Russia conducted a test of its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, touted for its potential to evade missile defenses and possess virtually limitless range.
Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin in a televised meeting, “We have launched a multi-hour flight of a nuclear-powered missile covering a 14,000km (8,700-mile) distance, and this is not the limit.”
Recently, Trump stated on Truth Social that he instructed defense officials to “commence testing our nuclear weapons on a fair basis” compared to rival nations. Energy Secretary Chris Wright later clarified that the US has no plans for nuclear detonations, emphasizing that any tests would involve “non-critical explosions.”
Nations generally keep their nuclear stockpiles confidential. According to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia possesses approximately 5,459 warheads, the US holds 5,177, and China has an estimated 600 warheads.
