US to sell sea-skimming aerial targets to Japan
The SSATs should boost Japan's defensive capabilities. (Picture: Credit US Navy/commons.wikimedia.org (Creative Commons)).
The sale is intended to support Japan’s stabilising influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
The US State Department has agreed a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan. The sale of subsonic sea-skimming aerial targets (SSATs) would include technical support and related equipment, and cost around US$113 million (estimated at the highest value of the contract).
The sale to Japan would break down into lots of up to two BQM-177A SSATs for Aegis system equipped vessels (ASEVs), as well as an as-yet unspecified number of GQM-163 target drones and the follow-on technical support necessary to operate the ASEVs.
That support would include combat systems sea qualification trials (CSSQT) and sustainment support services, Aegis computer software updates, combat systems integration, system integration, testing, overhauls and upgrades.
Related Articles
Kratos delivers first production BQM-177A Subsonic SSAT
Development, familiarisation, operational and maintenance support, as well as classified books and other publications (both technical and non-technical) would also be included in the estimated price, along with adaptation data, annual service agreements, test support, technical documentation, personnel training, and engineering, technical and logistical support from both the US Government and the relevant contractors.
The rationale behind agreeing the potential sale, the State Department said, was to improve the security of a major US ally in the Indo-Pacific region and thereby improve the stability of the region as a whole.
The principal contractor for the BQM-177A SSATs would be Kratos Defense, located in Sacramento, Califonia, and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The principal contractor for the GQM-163A target drones would be Northrop Grumman, located in Chandler, Arizona, and the principal contractor for the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) would be Lockheed Martin Corporation, located in Moorestown, New Jersey.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Navantia combat systems selected for Chinese-built Thai LPD]()
Navantia combat systems selected for Chinese-built Thai LPD
The landing platform dock, believed to be the largest naval vessel that China has exported, will see the Chinese-built vessel embrace Western technology.
-
![Why USNORTHCOM would struggle to defeat China in the Arctic]()
Why USNORTHCOM would struggle to defeat China in the Arctic
Not having enough naval and C4ISR capabilities to patrol and monitor the region would the US at risk in a conflict with China in the Arctic region.
-
![Singapore to add two more submarines to fleet as it hikes defence spending]()
Singapore to add two more submarines to fleet as it hikes defence spending
Singapore’s army and navy look set to benefit from increases in the country’s defence budget, with submarines and IFVs on the shopping list.
-
![How will NATO’s Baltic Sentry work to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea?]()
How will NATO’s Baltic Sentry work to protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea?
The rise in incidents of damage to subsea cabling in the Baltic Seahas driven NATO to commit to bolstering the action of local navies. But how effective can it be?
-
![GAO recommends better oversight of support for shipyards in the face of capacity concerns]()
GAO recommends better oversight of support for shipyards in the face of capacity concerns
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) believes the US industrial base will struggle to meet US Navy (USN) requirements. This follows recent warnings from USN heads of a decline in resources and that the industrial base is under strain.
-
![Lockheed Martin wins three new DoD naval contracts including on Littoral Combat Ships]()
Lockheed Martin wins three new DoD naval contracts including on Littoral Combat Ships
Lockheed Martin has won contracts and contract modifications on systems and platforms ranging from missile systems and naval helicopters to Littoral Combat Ships.
