Historical Essay © Andreas Parsch

Martin Marietta AQM-127 SLAT

In late 1983, the U.S. Navy issued a new requirement for a low-level, high-speed aerial target to simulate anti-ship missile threats. The new program was called YAQM-127A SLAT (Supersonic Low-Altitude Target). After a competition with LTV and Teledyne Ryan, Martin Marietta was awarded a contract to develop the AQM-127 in September 1984. The SLAT requirement called for a parachute-recoverable and reusable target, which can be launched from DC-130, A-6, F/A-18 and P-3 aircraft.

The YAQM-127A design was derived from the ASALM (Advanced Strategic Air-Launched Missile) vehicles, which were flight-tested in the 1978/80 time frame. Like ASALM, it used a hybrid rocket/ramjet propulsion system to propel the missile to a speed of Mach 2.5 at very low altitudes of 9 m (30 ft) above the sea surface. In the hybrid propulsion system, the rocket booster becomes an intergral part of the ramjet engine once its solid propellant is all burnt. The YAQM-127A was to fly a pre-programmed course with optional manual override. Main equipment were to be multi-band radar augmentors, a radar seeker emulator, and scoring equipment.

It was originally planned to build 15 YAQM-127A test vehicles with the first flight scheduled for 1987. Initial Operational Capability was planned for 1991, but the SLAT program was cancelled in 1991 before any vehicle was flown. After the cancellation of the earlier BQM-90 and BQM-111 Firebrand programs, this was the Navy's third consecutive failure to develop a dedicated high-speed anti-ship missile threat simulator. The current effort in this area is the GQM-163 SSST (Supersonic Sea-Skimming Target) program.

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for YAQM-127A:

[1] Kenneth Munson: "World Unmanned Aircraft", Jane's, 1988

Manufacturer: Martin Marietta. Boost Propulsion: Solid rocket. Cruise Propulsion: Ramjet. Guidance: Autopilot. Maximum speed: 2,900 kph (1,800 mph). Floor: 10 m (32 ft).