The US Navy will order the development of the HALO hypersonic missile for the fifth-generation F-35C Lightning II deck fighters

The US Navy's Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) intends to order the development of a hypersonic missile for F-35C deck-mounted fighters. The weapon is called Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare (HALO).

Here's What We Know

NAVAIR wants to issue an engineering and development tender for HALO in the first half of fiscal year 2024, which begins on 1 October 2023. The hypersonic missile will be designed for decked aircraft. It will primarily target the fifth-generation F-35C Lightning II fighter aircraft.

The US Navy intends to commission HALO by fiscal year 2029 so that it can achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) within three years. The missile will provide the service with the capability to engage surface targets at long ranges.

Currently, the US Navy's primary deck fighter is the F/A-18 Super Hornet. It is armed with the AGM-158C LRASM anti-ship missile. According to different data, it has a maximum launch range of 560 kilometres or 930 kilometres. The missile with a warhead weighing more than 450 kg was developed by Lockheed Martin and is capable of destroying a ship with a displacement of up to 9,000 tonnes.

The main disadvantage of LRAMS is its subsonic speed, which makes the missile vulnerable to enemy air defence systems. That is why the U.S. Navy wants to learn a more effective weapon. In addition, in the next decade the main deck aircraft will be the fifth-generation fighter F-35C.

In March, we wrote that Raytheon and Lockheed Martin signed parallel contracts with the US Navy to develop HALO prototypes. The companies are working on competing projects, receiving a total of $116 million.

The first phase of the programme will run for 21 months. The funding will provide preliminary rocket motor design for HALO. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are expected to show the US Navy the result of their work by December next year.

The final requirements for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) will be outlined in a request for proposals. It is expected that the US Navy will want a turnkey project with systems engineering, support for all testing and evaluation. It is also likely that the EMD requirements will include procedures to start production of HALO hypersonic missiles.

Source: Naval News