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Home» News»U.S. Navy Launches 1st GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target from U.S. East Coast
A GQM-163 “Coyote” Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) launches from Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia Sept. 12 as part of the fleet missile exercise (MSLEX). (NASA photo)

U.S. Navy Launches 1st GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target from U.S. East Coast

The U.S. Navy conducted the first East Coast launch of the GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Sept. 12 as part of a fleet missile exercise, known as MSLEX.

Xavier Vavasseur 24 Sep 2019

The U.S. Navy successfully launched its first GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia Sept. 12 to meet expanding fleet training requirements on the East Coast.

The Navy’s aerial targets program office (PMA-208) worked with multiple stakeholders to launch two GQM-163A targets, demonstrating operational capability and completing the WFF site activation for an East Coast supersonic target capability in support of a fleet missile exercise (MSLEX) training.

“This site activation established a MSLEX capability in support of operational readiness and certification of deploying carrier strike groups. We are committed to providing the most advanced training and weapons in the security of our Sailors and in the defense of our nation.”


Tracy Carver, the SSST assistant deputy program manager

MSLEX is a live exercise designed to increase fleet lethality and tactical proficiency by providing operators a venue to execute their procedures in real-time. U.S. Fleet Forces Command plans to execute two to three events per year to meet the intent of the Chief of Naval Operation’s directive for all carrier strike groups to complete MSLEX training prior to deployment.

GQM-163A, managed by PMA-208, is a supersonic aerial target capable of Mach 2-plus at altitudes ranging from 15-to-52,000 feet.  The Coyote replicates a family of supersonic sea skimming anti-ship cruise missile threats for fleet training and test and evaluation of ship self-defense systems.

The #Navy conducted the first East Coast launch of the GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target from @NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Sept. 12 as part of a fleet missile exercise, known as MSLEX https://t.co/wyeUFeLg5v pic.twitter.com/OBF7vsrUR7

— NAVAIR (@NAVAIRNews) September 24, 2019
GQM-163A Coyote US Navy 2019-09-24
Tags GQM-163A Coyote US Navy
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Authors

Posted by : Xavier Vavasseur
Xavier is based in Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Xavier has been covering naval defense topics for nearly a decade.

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