Raytheon Completes Technical Review of US Navy’s HALO Hypersonic Missile Prototype

Defense News ,U.S :- Raytheon has successfully concluded the technical evaluation of the prototype for the US Navy's groundbreaking Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO) system. HALO, designed as an advanced air-to-surface weapon, boasts an impressive capability to travel at Mach 5, equivalent to a staggering 6,174 kilometers or 3,836 miles per hour.

The primary purpose of HALO's development is to enhance long-range firing operations, ensuring the Navy's dominance over contested battlespaces. The recent technical review of the HALO testbed marked a crucial milestone in the initial phase of the program. This assessment followed Raytheon's use of cutting-edge digital and model-based manufacturing methods for the prototype fabrication.

In a significant move, Raytheon conducted a fit-check of HALO on an F/A-18 Hornet supersonic fighter jet last year. This step aimed to validate the missile's interoperability with the aircraft and its compatibility with existing support equipment.

Colin Whelan, President of Raytheon Advanced Technology, emphasized the importance of this achievement, stating, "This is a key step in fielding the Navy’s first anti-ship hypersonic missile. It’s critical that our warfighters have proven technology that can address advanced threats in contested environments, and they need this technology now."

Raytheon and its industry partner, Lockheed Martin, were awarded $116 million in contracts in March of the previous year to undertake the HALO program's first phase. This stage focuses on the technical maturation of the missile, including the preliminary design review of its propulsion system, ensuring its compatibility with naval carriers.

The work on HALO's development is being carried out in Tucson, Arizona, with expectations that the system will achieve operational capability by the late 2020s. As Capt. Richard Gensley, the US Navy Precision Strike Weapons Program Manager, highlighted at the contract award ceremony, "As threat capability continues to advance, additional range, warfare capability, and capacity are required to address the more demanding threat environment." HALO is part of the Navy’s Long Range Fires investment approach, aligning with the objectives of the National Defense Strategy where hypersonic weapons stand as a top priority.