Orbital Sciences Corp. said May 25 that it has been awarded a $26.4 million U.S. Navy contract to build seven Coyote supersonic sea-skimming target missiles and related equipment. The order represents the fifth production contract the Dulles, Va.-based missiles and space company has received since completing a five-year development and flight test program in 2005.
The 5.5-meter target missile incorporates a four-inlet, solid-fuel ducted-rocket ramjet propulsion system that enables it to achieve cruise speeds of more than Mach 2.5 following the separation from a Navy MK70 solid-rocket booster. The target missile can travel roughly 90 kilometers at altitudes of less than six meters above the sea surface.
