Japan To Acquire Sea-Skimming Targets

Sea-skimming target drones made by Kratos Defense that can emulate anti-ship missiles are set to be acquired by Japan in deal worth $113 million.

The BQM-177A is used by the U.S. Navy for training missions as a next-generation Sub-Sonic Aerial Target (SSAT) which can mimic the flight characteristics of anti-ship cruise missiles.

A little more than 5 metres long and with a wingspans of just over 2 metres, it can fly at a maximum velocity just below the speed of sound (Mach 1) and as low as approximately 2 metres above the surface of the ocean.

The Kratos Defense website notes: "This highly-versatile aerial target supports various mission requirements by carrying a wide array of internal and external payloads, including scoring, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), passive and active RF augmentation; infrared (IR) augmentation (plume pods), chaff and flare dispensers; and towed targets."

A recent press statement from the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said its State Department had approved the potential sale of the two target vehicles, as well as associated equipment and GQM-163A target drones made by Northrop Grumman, to the Japanese government in a deal estimated to be worth $113 million.

The DSCA statement noted: "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a major ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific region.

"The proposed sale will improve Japan’s capability to meet current and future threats by ensuring the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s (JMSDF) Aegis fleet remains ready to provide critical capabilities in the defence of Japan."

• You can read more details of the potential sale on the DSCA website and more about the drone on the Kratos Defense website