The US Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a $127 million contract for the 18th full-rate production lot of GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea-skimming targets (SSST), covering 28 units along with related support services for the US, Japan, and South Korea. Manufacturing will be led in Arizona, with additional work spread across multiple US locations, and is expected to be completed by August 2030. Originally contracted in 2000, the Coyote remains the Navy’s only domestically produced SSST and a critical program of record.
Designed to replicate advanced supersonic anti-ship cruise missile threats, the Coyote serves as a key training asset for naval forces. The expendable target uses a solid-fuel, air-breathing ducted rocket engine, enabling speeds beyond Mach 2.5 while flying as low as 15 feet above sea level. It can execute high-agility maneuvers exceeding 10g, closely mimicking real-world missile behavior. The “High Diver” variant further enhances realism by climbing above 50,000 feet before descending at near-hypersonic speeds, supported by advanced avionics capable of simulating diverse threat profiles.
