Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., doing business as, Launch Vehicles Division, Chandler, Arizona, is awarded a $79,278,808 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract. This modification exercises an option to procure 28 GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea-skimming targets and associated technical and administrative data in support of full rate production Lot 16 deliveries for the Navy. Work is expected to be completed in March 2026. Fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $50,964,948; and fiscal 2022 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $28,313,860 will be obligated at the time of award. The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
The GQM-163 Coyote is a Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) built by Northrop Grumman (formerly Orbital ATK) and used by the U.S. Navy as a successor to the MQM-8 Vandal. Orbital was awarded their contract for the development of the Coyote SSST in June 2000. The Coyote is initially boosted by a Hercules MK-70 booster, of similar design to those used by the now obsolete RIM-67 Standard ER missiles. After the booster stage is expended the missile switches to an Aerojet MARC-R-282 solid-fuel rocket /ramjet engine for sustaining its flight. The Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) system is a capable of speeds of Mach 2 or greater and can be used as sea skimming target with terminal altitudes from 13.0 to 66.0 feet or as a diving target with a maximum altitude of 52,000 feet
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