Asia Times reported on the closure of the US hypersonic missile program

The US Navy has closed a program to develop a new generation of hypersonic missiles, citing budget problems, low development efficiency, and China's growing military potential. This was reported on April 21 by the Hong Kong newspaper Asia Times.

Information about the termination of the hypersonic offensive air-launched missiles (HALO) project, which was originally part of the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 2 (OASuW Inc 2) program, was confirmed by Rear Admiral Stephen Tedford, head of the US Navy's unmanned aircraft and weapons program.

According to him, this program was closed in the fall of 2024, as a financial audit showed that further development was "financially and operationally unviable."

The termination of the program highlights the difficulties of developing expensive systems against the background of limited defense budgets, and also indicates the inability of the US Armed Forces to quickly launch high-speed and accurate strikes against well-protected naval targets, the authors of the publication note.

On February 19, the United States conducted a test launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) without a warhead. During the launch, performance and other key data were analyzed to assess the accuracy of the missile system. It was clarified that the launch was not Washington's reaction to any global events.