Boeing CQM-121 Pave Tiger
Boeing · United States · first flew 1983 · reconnaissance aircraft
The CQM-121 Pave Tiger was a small expendable decoy drone developed for the US Air Force in the early 1980s as part of the Pave Tiger programme to confuse and saturate enemy air defence radars. It was air-launched and designed for single use.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 2.12 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Very small US Air Force decoy drone from the 1980s
- Designed to saturate enemy air defences as a decoy
- Air-launched expendable unmanned vehicle
Identified by its very small size, mid-mounted straight wings, single engine buried in the fuselage, and expendable drone construction typical of 1980s decoy vehicles.
Specifications
- The Boeing CQM-121 Pave Tiger has a length of 2.12 m (7 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 2.57 m (8 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 322 km/h (200 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by Boeing under USAF contract and first flown in 1983, the Pave Tiger was intended to accompany strike packages and draw enemy radar and missile fire away from crewed aircraft. The programme was not taken to full production.
Variants
The design was primarily a single configuration tested during the evaluation programme.
Where you'll see it
Used only in test and evaluation flights by the US Air Force; operational deployment did not occur before the programme concluded.
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