Matthew Nelson
Northrop Gruman has secured a $57.1M contract to commence full-rate production of 19 GQM-163A Coyote supersonic sea skimming targets for the U.S. Navy and the government of Japan.
The company will also provide related administrative and technical information as part of the firm-fixed-price contract, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Northrop will carry out most of the work in Camden, Arkansas; and Chandler, Arizona; and is expected to wrap up all tasks by December 2023.
The Navy awarded the full rate production Lot 14 contract on a sole-source procurement basis and obligated $9M from foreign military sales funds and $48.1M from the service branch's fiscal year 2020 weapons procurement budget.
Coyote features a four-inlet solid-fuel ducted-rocket ramjet propulsion system and can reach cruise speeds of over Mach 2.5.
