USAF Awards Contract for Continued HALO Gen 3 Development

Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions (CMPS) has been awarded a follow-on research and development contract to continue to build technology that will enable an Aerial Layer Mesh Network with its HALO software-defined digital beam-forming communication system. The project advances technology that could advance the U.S. Air Force (USAF) High-Capacity Backbone (HCB).

This award adds scope to develop an Advanced Networking capability and a Unified User Experience (UUX) to simplify the task for Airmen to setup Common Data Links (CDL) using HALO. 

Following last year’s successful flight of the prototype HALO system on a NASA WB-57 communicating simultaneously with multiple ground stations, Cubic conducted an initial demonstration of technology that will enable an HCB solution with an open air, full duplex CDL link between next generation HALO (Gen 3) systems. This represents a significant milestone resulting from its partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to reduce risk for HCB by demonstrating the building blocks before final integration with the full HALO System.

Cubic will leverage its expertise in protected communications solutions to develop and demonstrate a leading-edge capability for the USAF that features significant size, weight, power, and cost reduction.

“Cubic’s HALO Team is making exceptional progress in building the Gen 3 HALO despite a pandemic and a global shortage of electronic parts,” said David Harris, vice president of Cubic Mission and Performance Solutions. “Verifying the Gen 3 building blocks’ design is a significant milestone toward network demonstration and production.”