Manufacturer Orbital Sciences Flight ceiling 55,000 feet | Operational
range 45 nmi (84 km) | |
 | ||
Length 5.62m (18 ft 5.2 in) (without booster), 9.56m (31 ft 4.2 in) (incl. booster) Diameter 35 cm (13.8 in), booster: 46 cm (17.99 in) Propellant Aerojet MARC-R-282 solid-fueled ducted rocket/ramjet engine | ||
The GQM-163 Coyote is a supersonic sea skimming target built by Orbital Sciences and used by the United States Navy as a successor to the MQM-8 Vandal. Orbital's proposal was chosen over the MA-31, a joint venture between Boeing and Zvezda-Strela. 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.
Current operators
References
GQM-163 Coyote Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA