Alliant Techsystems GQM-173 MSST

In mid-2007, the U.S. Navy initiated the MSST (Multi-Stage Supersonic Target) program to develop a target missile to simulate the Russian 3M54E (SS-N-27 Sizzler) anti-ship missile. In February 2008, the designation ZGQM-173A was allocated to the planned MSST vehicle. The GQM-173 had to replicate the capabilities of the 3M54E, which is a subsonic cruise missile with a supersonic terminal stage. The latter approaches its target at low-level at Mach 2.8, and can perform high-g evasive maneuvers. In late August 2008, the Navy announced that Alliant Techsystems (ATK) was selected as prime contractor for the MSST.

Image: ATK

ZGQM-173A

The GQM-173 consisted of a subsonic winged "cruise bus", which released a supersonic "sprint vehicle" for terminal approach. The all-new bus was designed by ATK, while subcontractor Composites Engineering Inc. (CEi) provided the "sprint vehicle". The latter was based on the GQM-163 Coyote target vehicle, for which CEi builds the front end.

The initial contract covered the construction of seven flight test articles. The first flight of a GQM-173A occurred in 2011, but the program suffered from repeated test failures and cost overruns. In early 2015, the Navy wanted to restructure the MSST program to concentrate on the development of a rocket-launched "sprint vehicle", and assigned the designation GQM-173B to the revised design. However, only a few months later, in September 2015, the whole MSST effort was terminated.

Photo: U.S. Navy

GQM-173A

Specifications

Detailed physical characteristics of the GQM-173A are not available.

Main Sources

[1] Bill Sweetman: "Simulating Sizzler", Ares Defense Blog, 9 June 2008
[2] Graham Warwick: "ATK Unveils Sizzler Simulator", Ares Defense Blog, 1 September 2008
[3] GlobalSecurity.org Website
[4] Jane's: US Navy rebaselines MSST to focus on sprint vehicle capability, July 2015
[5] Navy Needed Targets To Mimic Supersonic Anti-Ship Missiles So They Bought Real Ones From Russia, May 2020
[6] U.S. Naval Institute, Capt. Richard Burr: A New Model for Developing Aerial Targets, October 2019

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Last Updated: 24 December 2024