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Northrop Grumman has successfully launched two GQM-163A “Coyote” supersonic sea-skimming targets from the Hebrides Range in Scotland as part of Formidable Shield 2025, NATO’s premier integrated air and missile defence exercise.
The launches tested allied responses to anti-ship cruise missile threats, reinforcing the multinational force’s readiness for real-world maritime conflict scenarios.
Formidable Shield, held every two years, brings together naval, air and ground units from across the NATO alliance in a three-week-long series of live-fire drills.
The 2025 edition featured complex engagements against a mix of subsonic and supersonic threats. Northrop Grumman’s GQM-163A targets were central to this effort, replicating advanced cruise missile behaviour for training and evaluation purposes.
According to Robin Heard, director of targets at Northrop Grumman, the Coyotes provide a critical testing edge, saying, “Travelling at twice the speed of sound, GQM-163A targets play a crucial role in refining US and allied Navy missile defence capabilities because they simulate realistic threats to challenge the systems and warfighters responsible for countering adversary attacks.”
The GQM-163A Coyote is the only supersonic sea-skimming target manufactured in the United States and is a program of record for the US Navy. It is propelled by a solid-fuel, air-breathing ducted rocket motor and can sustain speeds over Mach 2.5 while flying just five metres above sea level.
This low-altitude, high-speed performance mimics the behaviour of modern anti-ship cruise missiles, providing allied forces with a realistic and cost-effective training threat.
Heard added, “Exercises like Formidable Shield are invaluable opportunities to prepare the multinational force for potential operational threats, improve interoperability and demonstrate the capability of the joint force in can’t-fail environments.”
Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 190 Coyote vehicles since the US Navy first awarded the production contract in 2000. To date, over 135 launches have supported high-stakes missile defence demonstrations around the world. This year’s launch in Scotland marked the company’s third appearance at Formidable Shield since 2021.
The company’s expanding suite of threat-representative target systems includes advanced avionics, adaptable vehicle enhancement kits and payload options that allow each target to be tailored to specific mission profiles.
This adaptability, paired with Northrop Grumman’s leadership in solid rocket propulsion, ensures its targets remain relevant as adversary systems evolve.
