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Shot across the bow
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The rocket-boosted, ramjet-powered GQM-163A was developed to simulate supersonic cruise missiles like the SS-N-22 Sunburn, Kh-31 (aka. AS-17 Krypton, which also has an anti-air AWACS-killer version), the Indo-Russian PJ-10 Brahmos, et. al., which are proliferating throughout the world. Their speed and evasive maneuvers compress the amount of time a defense system has to deal with them once they’re detected, and a training target that can simulate their performance is critical to both proper preparedness and pursuant performance. This DID article covers developments in the Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) program, including the latest news which is an order from the USA for limited production.

Despite this growing need, the SSST program moved very slowly in the 1990s, with false starts that included a Boeing-Strela Kh-31 Krypton variant before the decision was made to develop a new SSST. Orbital Sciences won the contract in June 2000, but the BQM-163 suffered a number of program delays before its final developmental test flight eventually took place in in April 2005. The latest development is a small full-rate production contract, which will last until 2012…

The GQM-163 Coyote SSST

Coyote cutaway
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The Coyote target missile design integrates a four-inlet, solid-fuel ducted-rocket ramjet propulsion system into a compact missile airframe 18 feet long and 14 inches in diameter. Rail-launched from Navy test and training ranges, the highly maneuverable Coyote achieves cruise speeds of over Mach 2.5, with a range of approximately 50 nautical miles at altitudes of less than 20 feet above the sea surface. Designation Systems writes:

“The GQM-163A is launched from the ground with the help of a Hercules MK 70 rocket booster (left over from obsolete RIM-67 Standard ER missiles). The MK 70 is externally identical to the older MK 12 booster of the original specification. The sustainer propulsion system consists of an Atlantic Research Corporation (now Aerojet) MARC-R-282 solid-fueled ducted rocket/ramjet engine, which can propel the Coyote to speeds of up to Mach 2.8 at sea level. In the terminal approach phase, the GQM-163A will fly at Mach 2.5 at 5 m (16 ft) altitude. To save costs, the missile’s flight control avionics and its front end structure are taken from the [DID: Beech/Raytheon] AQM-37D target.”

Orbital Sciences says that:

“Orbital’s major subcontractors include Aerojet Corporation in Gainesville, Virginia and Sacramento, California, for the solid-fuel ducted-rocket motor, and CEi, Inc. in Sacramento, California, for the vehicle’s avionics system.”

The GQM-163A Coyote has entered operational service at the Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) in Point Mugu, CA, and is replacing the MQM-8 VANDAL that was based on the liquid-fuel ramjet-powered Talos missile.

Contracts and Key Events

GQM-163A launch
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Unless otherwise noted, contracts were issued by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md. to Orbital Sciences Corp. Launch Systems Group in Chandler, Ariz., USA.

May 28/09: Orbital Sciences Corp. in Chandler, AZ received a $41.8 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-07-C-0031) for full-rate production of 14 GQM-163A SSST targets, including associated hardware, kits, booster kits and sustaining engineering.

Orbital Sciences will perform the work in Chandler (98%); and South Bend, IN (2%) and expects to complete it in March 2012.

August 2008: The US Navy announces that Alliant Techsystems (ATK) had won the separate GQM-173 MSST competition.

Jan 24/08: Jane’s International Defense Review reports that US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has extended the deadline for bids on the Multi-Stage Supersonic Target (MSST) program until Feb 11/08, from the original January 28/08 deadline.

Note that the MSST is a separate program designed to address the USN’s emergent requirement for a cost-effective aerial target system to simulate a multistage anti-ship cruise missile known as Threat D. That missile is Russia’s 3M54E Klub-S (SS-N-27 Sizzler), a subsonic cruise missile with a supersonic terminal stage capable of evasive maneuvers.

Sept 25/07: A $37.4 million modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N00019-07-C-0031), covering 13 GQM-163A supersonic sea skimming vehicles, including support equipment, spare parts, technical data, and technical assistance.

Work will be performed in Chandler, AZ (25%); Camden, AR (25%); Sacramento, CA (20%); Dulles, VA (5%); Ft. Walton Beach, FL (5%); Lancaster, PA (5%); Vergennes, VT (5%); Gainesville, VA (5%), South Bend, IN (3%); and Indian Head, MD (2%), and is expected to be complete in March 2010. Contract funds in the amount of $1,020,727 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The DefenseLINK entry was corrected on Sept 27/07.

Orbital Sciences’ subsequent release adds that total orders for the program currently stand at 61 units (including the early development vehicles), of which 19 have either been launched or delivered to the customer.

March 20/07: Orbital Sciences Corp. in Chandler, AZ received a $9.2 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of one (1) GQM-163A ‘Coyote’ Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) Vehicle, support equipment, spare parts, technical data, and technical assistance for the government of France under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The GQM-163A will support the validation of a French weapons system – exactly which system was not specified.

Work will be performed in Chandler AZ (27%); Ile du Levant, France (18%); Orlando, FL (15%); Philadelphia, PA (15%); Manchester, NH (15%); Dulles, VA (5%); and Indian Head, MD (5%), and is expected to be complete in September 2008. This contract was not competitively procured (N00019-07-C-0031).

Orbital expects to carry out that launch late in 2009.

Feb 13/06: Orbital Sciences Corporation announces that that it has received the first full production order from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, MD for 19 GQM-163A “Coyote” Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target (SSST) missiles. This is the program’s first full-rate production contract, and covers 19 production vehicles. The total contract value of this production order is estimated to be in excess of $20 million.

Including a previously awarded low-rate initial production order (LRIP) of 20 vehicles, Orbital says it is now under firm contract to build and deliver a total of 39 vehicles through early 2008, of which 4 vehicles have already been delivered to the Navy. In addition, 6 previously delivered vehicles were launched in the test program from 2003 – 2005. Orbital Sciences release.

Coyote concept
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April 13/05: Orbital Sciences Corp. in Chandler, AZ received a $12.5 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-00-C-0255) to exercise an option for 10 GQM-163A Supersonic Sea Skimming Targets (SSST). Work will be performed in Chandler, AZ, and is expected to be complete in April 2007. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Nov 5/01: Orbital Sciences Corp. in Chandler, AZ received an $8 million modification, exercising an option to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-00-C-0255) for 10 GQM-163 supersonic sea skimming targets, ancillary equipment, ground and flight testing and testing support and associated data.

Work will be performed in Gainesville, VA (34%); Chandler, AZ (33%); and Wichita, KS (33%), and is expected to be complete in September 2003.

June 29/2000: Orbital Sciences Corp. Launch Systems Group in Chandler, AZ won a $34.2 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for 6 supersonic sea skimming target engineering development models, ground and flight testing and testing support.

Work will be performed in Chandler, AZ (41%); Gainesville, VA (30%); Wichita, KS (28%); and Tucson, AZ (1%), and is expected to be complete by May 2003. Contract funds in the amount of $8 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through an electronic request for proposals and 2 offers were received by the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, MD (N00019-00-C-0255).

Additional Readings

• Orbital – Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) Targets

• US Navy NAVAIR, PMA 208 – Target Systems :: GQM-163A

• Designation Systems – Orbital Sciences GQM-163 Coyote.

• Sacramento Business Journal (March 17/07) – Jet maker set for take off: Composite Engineering expects a new Air Force order in weeks. The order in question actually covers the BQM-167 “Skeeter”.

• Spacewar.com (April 27/05) – Final Developmental Flight For US Navy’s Coyote Target Missile Completed Copy of Orbital Sciences April 26th release.

• NewsMax (Sept 9/04) – Missile Madness. Discusses the technical and political issues surrounding the MA-31 target drone, which was derived from the Kh-31 Krypton. Did US engineers fix a Russian missile’s problems just before it was exported to China? Ironically, follow-up reports indicate that a full production deal for the MA-31 drone may have been choked by the Russian Defense Ministry for reasons of “national security.”