The United States Navy is enhancing its offensive prowess and strategic vision by developing the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (OASuW) HALO Weapon System, marking a substantial increase in its combat capabilities.

In a notable progression of this initiative, Raytheon Technologies Corp. has completed a significant phase one technical review and a successful prototype fit-check, signifying a major stride in the U.S. Navy’s hypersonic program.

On January 9, 2024, it was announced that Raytheon completed the first phase of the technical review and seamlessly conducted a prototype fit-check for HALO, a decisive step towards augmenting the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft.

The hypersonic missile is poised to fortify the Navy’s ability to assert dominance and operate effectively in anti-access/area denial scenarios, reflecting a critical component of the Navy’s long-range fires strategy.

Raytheon, demonstrating its prowess in defense solutions, has utilized digital and model-based engineering techniques to create digital and physical design concepts and models of the HALO prototype in a matter of months.

This swift and precise approach has accelerated the development pace, aligning with the Navy’s urgent operational needs. Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon, acknowledged the urgency and the significance of the HALO program: “It’s critical that our warfighters have proven technology that can address advanced threats in contested environments, and they need this technology now. We’re leveraging our expertise in hypersonics to deliver a straightforward and mature, digitally engineered system at the pace the Navy needs.”

HALO’s innovative design and rapid development phase signal a momentous shift in naval warfare capabilities. Hypersonic speeds, exceeding five times the speed of sound, promise to provide the Navy with unprecedented strike capabilities against high-value targets, including enemy capital ships, command posts, and forward-staging areas.

These advancements are set to potentially augment or replace current carrier-based anti-ship missile systems such as the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), Harpoon, and Penguin missiles.

The missile’s integration into the F/A-18 Super Hornet was verified in the fall, ensuring compatibility with the aircraft and existing support equipment. HALO’s phase one contract was awarded to Raytheon in March 2023, cementing the company’s role in delivering this state-of-the-art weapon system.

The Navy’s Precision Strike Weapons Program Office (PMA-201) at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, which has been overseeing the preliminary development of HALO, has set ambitious timelines for the hypersonic weapon, targeting early fielding by 2029 and the first operational capability by 2031.

With a draft request for proposal for HALO engineering manufacturing and development issued by the end of December 2023, and the final request for proposal set by March 2024, the Navy’s commitment to modernizing its strike capabilities is manifestly clear.

Key to the weapon system’s development are HALO engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) efforts, which encompass the design, development, and testing of the HALO system, including system security, operational test and evaluation, and the transition of the HALO system into production.

Relevant articles:
– Navy to approach industry by end of the year for carrier-based hypersonic anti-ship missiles for combat jets, Military Aerospace
– RTX completes technical review for prototype of U.S. Navy’s HALO missile, RTX, Jan 9, 2024
– US Navy sets out plan for HALO Hypersonic Missile EMD, Naval News, Jul 24, 2023