According to a report on the Hong Kong Asia Times website on April 21, the US Navy has terminated its next-generation hypersonic missile program. Due to soaring costs and unstable performance, the US Navy has hit the brakes on this once promising development project. This month, the French Naval News website reported that the US Navy had terminated the Hypersonic Air-Launched Offensive (HALO) missile program due to difficulties in overcoming budget issues and poor missile performance. This plan was originally part of the "Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Incremental Program 2." Vice Admiral Stephen Tedford, the Navy's Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, confirmed that the Navy canceled this project in the fall of 2024 after a fiscal analysis deemed the system infeasible in terms of budget and operations. The HALO program originally planned to have "early operational capability" in the 2029 fiscal year and "initial operational capability" in the 2031 fiscal year. It was capable of striking high-value surface targets from long distances. As part of the "Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Incremental Program 1," Lockheed Martin's Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) will undergo significant upgrades to hardware and software to improve precision and effectiveness. Tedford emphasized that the US Navy is committed to developing long-range weapons and prioritizing existing systems to align with defense objectives. Industry insiders, including executives from Northrop Grumman, pointed out the challenges facing the HALO program at the U.S. Marine Aerospace Expo, focusing discussions on feasibility and cost issues. The decision to abandon the HALO program reflects broad adjustments in the US military-industrial complex in terms of finance and strategy. It highlights the challenges of developing new high-cost systems under defense budget constraints. This may also indicate that the US military lacks the ability to swiftly, rapidly, and precisely strike well-defended naval targets. However, the Asia Times noted that compared to hypersonic weapons, LRASM combines low radar cross-sections and minimal infrared signatures along with advanced semi-automatic navigation systems, providing distinct advantages. These features ensure the missile's survivability and accuracy in contested electromagnetic warfare environments, where reliance on external intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms may be affected. The stealth characteristics of LRASM make it harder to detect and intercept. In contrast, hypersonic weapons generate detectable plasma trails and optical radiation. LRASM further enhances its effectiveness by having the ability to share data and conduct coordinated swarm attacks. Its stealth and autonomous targeting capabilities provide effective tactical solutions to offset some of the advantages lost by canceling HALO. However, operationally, canceling HALO could create a capability gap, preventing the thwarting of anti-access/area-denial strategies. A January 2023 report by the Congressional Budget Office mentioned that hypersonic weapons' atmospheric flight trajectories exceed the operational range of anti-access/area-denial systems and can evade midcourse missile defense systems designed to intercept space targets. The report stated that hypersonic missiles' low altitude and unpredictable trajectories increase the difficulty for shipborne and short-range defense systems to detect and intercept them, potentially rendering coastal air defense systems, over-the-horizon radars, and strike systems ineffective early in a conflict. However, despite these advantages, the US's weak hypersonic weapons industrial base may hinder the widespread adoption of such weapons. A report released this month by the Congressional Research Service mentioned that the Department of Defense has not established records, indicating that hypersonic weapons lack approved mission requirements or long-term procurement plans. The report also noted that the US's test infrastructure remains limited, and currently, there are no facilities in the US capable of simulating full-scale, time-varying flight environments exceeding Mach 8. Furthermore, the report also pointed out that due to limited hypersonic flight corridors, insufficient test sites, and limited support assets, flight test schedules have been repeatedly delayed, affecting efforts to transition hypersonic prototypes into deployable weapon systems. (Compiled/Translated by Qing Songzhu) Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497438529912357414/ Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's views. Please express your opinions by clicking the "like/dislike" buttons below.