BQM-167 Skeeter
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions · United States · first flew 2002 · reconnaissance aircraft
The BQM-167 Skeeter is an American subscale aerial target drone used by the US Air Force to simulate high-performance jet aircraft for missile and weapons system testing. Designed by Composite Engineering and later produced by Kratos, it replaced the older MQM-107 Streaker.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Rear-fuselage-mounted turbojet exhaust nozzle |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Compact swept-wing subscale aerial target drone with no landing gear
- Rocket-assisted rail launch with parachute recovery
- Rear-fuselage-mounted turbojet exhaust nozzle
A small, sleek swept-wing jet drone with no undercarriage. It launches from a zero-length rail using a solid-fuel booster rocket that drops away, and is recovered by parachute. The narrow composite fuselage and rearward-swept wings give it a dart-like appearance.
Specifications
- The BQM-167 Skeeter has a length of 6.1 m (20 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 3.2 m (10 ft).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Composite Engineering of Sacramento won the USAF contract for the Subscale Aerial Target (SCAT) programme in the late 1990s. The BQM-167A entered service around 2002 and has since accumulated thousands of flight hours supporting weapons tests at ranges including Eglin AFB and White Sands. Kratos acquired the programme when it purchased Composite Engineering.
Variants
The BQM-167A is the standard production variant; incremental avionics upgrades have been made without changing the basic designation.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the USAF as an aerial target at test ranges across the continental United States and overseas test sites.
Related aircraft
- Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie
- IAI I-View
- Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle
- Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk
- Northrop Grumman EQ-4B Global Hawk
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.