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Kratos BQM-167 Skeeter

2008 MODERN AIRCRAFT DRONE TECHNOLOGY

History of Kratos BQM-167 Skeeter

Aerial drones have a long and healthy life in the military and their value lies in providing pilots with active weapons clearance training. Kratos Unmanned Systems offers several products to meet this requirement, one of which is the BQM-167 "Skeeter" (aka Air Force Small Scale Air Target (AFSAT).

Air Force), valued for its "fighter-like" qualities, similar to the 4 combat mounts in service with the U.S. Air Force, Skeeter succeeded Beach's MQM-107 "streaker" in the same role.

NOTE: BQM-167 is a genuine Composite Engineering, Incorporated product purchased from Kratos Defense and Security Solutions.

The aircraft has a traditional exterior layout with a centralized fuselage and a sleek, streamlined design for all relevant mission, avionics, fuel and propulsion components. The tail is in a traditional single tail configuration with a lower horizontal plane. All tail surfaces are swept back. The main planes of the wings are set low on the sides of the fuselage and also swept aft. Sleeves are attached to each wingtip.

The vehicle is assisted by a rocket and launched into the air via a ramp. It is parachuted back to the ground for recovery and reuse.

A prototype of the BQM-167 first flew in 2001 and attracted the interest of the US Air Force in 2002. After that, test items were delivered, which led to the first series purchase in March 2006. Initial Operating Capability (IOC) was completed in 2008.

The main BQM-167A model has an overall length of 20 feet and a wingspan of 10.5 feet. The curb weight is 700 lbs and the maximum weight is 2,050 lbs. It is powered by a French-made Safran micro-turbocharged TR-60-5 series air-breathing turbojet engine, delivering 990 lbf of thrust, enabling the aircraft to reach speeds of Mach 0.91 and maneuvering power up to 9 grams.

The aircraft can reach altitudes of nearly 50,000 feet - a quality seen in many modern 4th generation fighter types. The system can mount payloads both internally and externally, and can support passive radar, ECM (electronic countermeasures) tuning, defensive chaff and flare dispensers, and identification friend or foe capabilitiesall designed to better mimic modern military aircraft ability.

The overseas version of the BQM-167 was called the BQM-167I. The collection has not been exported yet (2018).

December 2017 - Under a contract with the US Army announced on December 27, 2017, the service plans to procure a total of approximately 70 to 80 target UAVs to replace its dwindling MQM-107 "Streaker" Drone inventory. The first batch of BQM-167 drones are scheduled for delivery in 2018.