On November 18, the U.S. Air Force received a final proposal for the Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO) and is preparing to seek approval for the system’s engineering and manufacturing development. Scheduled for May 2021, about nine months earlier than expected, the pending authorization would officially create a program of record for the multibillion dollar nuclear modernization effort. The LRSO is a nuclear-armed cruise missile intended to replace the AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) in the U.S. nuclear triad. LRSO is expected to reach initial operational capability by 2029.