US Navy Cancels High-Priority HALO Missile Program Due To Cost & Performance Issues

The US Navy has officially cancelled its Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive (HALO) missile program, a high-priority effort once seen as vital for future anti-ship warfare capabilities.

The decision was taken because of cost concerns and challenges in the industrial base.

HALO was being developed under the Navy’s Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 2 (OASUW Inc 2) program. It was envisioned as a fast, long range, air-breathing hypersonic missile capable of targeting high-value surface ships from safe distances.

According to Navy officials, the missile was intended to be operational no later than Fiscal Year 2029 to meet Early Operational Capability (EOC) goals, and by FY2031 for Initial Operational Capability (IOC).

The missile was supposed to complement existing anti-surface weapons like Lockhead Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) developed under OASuW Increment 1.

HALO was planned as a “critical” addition to the Navy’s arsenal, especially for contested environments and Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) zones.

A Navy spokesperson confirmed the cancellation in a statement to Naval News, explaining that the program was dropped after a comprehensive analysis of cost trends and performance across the munitions industrial base.

The assessment revealed that budgetary limitations would not allow the Navy to deliver HALO within the planned timeline.

In fall 2024, the Navy officially terminated the solicitation for HALO’s Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase.

Captain Ron Flanders, speaking on behalf of the service, stated that fiscal constraints prevented the Navy from moving forward with the development.

He added that the Navy is now working with its resource sponsors to re-evaluate its long-range strike requirements, with a renewed focus on affordability.

The Navy remains committed to enhancing its long-range strike capabilities and is now prioritising upgrades to the AGM-158C LRASM, which is currently in use by the Navy’s F/A-18 fighters and the Air Force’s B-1B bombers.

Tedford, another Navy representative, also said that HALO was an exotic and expensive weapon system. The Navy now aims to invest in proven systems with sustainable costs and ongoing performance improvements.

LRASM, while not hypersonic, is a stealthy, subsonic cruise missile based on the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) platform.

A new variant of LRASM with extended range and advanced targeting upgrades is currently in development.

Apart from LRASM, the Navy has also deployed the AIM-17B a modified, air launched version of the SM-6 missile. Though officially designed for air and missile defense, this missile can also target threats at sea and on land.

In 2023, Raytheon and Lockhead Martin were awarded initial HALO contracts. Although the exact designs were not made public, it was widely believed that both companies were developing advanced air-breathing missiles powered by ramjet or scramjet engines.

These companies had previously participated in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program alongside the US Air Force.

Raytheon, working with Northop Grumman, later continued into the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) program, launched in 2022.

Initially, HALO was planned to be deployed on F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, with possible future versions adapted for launch from ships and submarines.

Navy Captain Richard Gensley described the missile last year as essential for maintaining superiority in complex naval battles and littoral zones.

Navy budget documents had previously stressed HALO’s importance in countering emerging threats from near-peer adversaries like China and Russia, both of which have been developing their own hypersonic anti ship missiles.

Russia’s Zircon, an air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile, and Chinese anti-ship ballistic missiles have raised concerns within US defense circles.

References: navalnews, twz

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