Beechcraft AQM-37 Jayhawk

Lore & Background

The AQM-37 was developed in response to a 1959 joint US Navy and US Air Force request for a high-speed expendable target. Beechcraft won the competition, producing a small delta-winged drone with wingtip fins and a liquid rocket motor. The original version, the AQM-37A or Beech Model 1019, was followed by numerous subvariants intended to simulate different threats, such as sea-skimming antiship missiles or high-altitude naval attack missiles. One high-performance variant achieved Mach 4.7 and over 112,000 ft on a ballistic trajectory.

The US Army evaluated the AQM-37A in the late 1960s and bought a small initial batch of recoverable Model 1100/1101 variants fitted with parachute systems, some for low-altitude operation with radar altimeters and others for high-altitude operation with barometric altimeters. The Army later ordered over 400 improved non-recoverable Model 1102 variants. The USAF evaluated the AQM-37 in the early 1970s but was slow to adopt it; records of USAF procurement are sketchy, though it appears to be currently part of the Air Force target inventory. Small quantities were sold to Italy, Israel, and France, while Shorts in Britain built several hundred under licence as the Shorts SD.2 Stiletto. Meteor of Italy also built a number under license.

All variants are air-launched, with the US Navy traditionally using the F-4 Phantom and the British using the Canberra. The engine uses storable hypergolic liquid propellants: inhibited red fuming nitric acid (IRFNA) as oxidizer and MAF-4 (hydyne) as fuel, a mixture of 60% unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) and 40% diethylenetriamine.

Reader's Guide

The AQM-37 Jayhawk served as a primary target drone for the US Navy for nearly six decades, with more than 5,000 units delivered since the early 1960s. Its ability to simulate a variety of threats—from sea-skimming antiship missiles to high-altitude naval attack missiles and ICBM warhead packages—made it a versatile tool for fleet shoot-down exercises. The final US Navy variant was the AQM-37C, and the last two remaining targets were launched on 22 September 2022, marking the end of its operational service.

The AQM-37 also influenced later development efforts. The US Air Force investigated an alternate propulsion scheme under project 'Sandpiper' in the late 1960s, fitting a few AQM-37As with hybrid rocket engines. This led to the High Altitude Supersonic Target (HAST) program and eventually the Teledyne Ryan AQM-81A Firebolt, which first flew in 1983 but never entered production. The AQM-37's legacy includes its long production run, international sales and licensed production, and its role as a benchmark for supersonic target drones.

Did You Know?

• The AQM-37 was originally designated KD2B by the US Navy and Q-12 by the US Air Force before the joint designation scheme.
• The engine is sometimes credited to Harley Davidson due to a sequence of company buyouts.
• The final US Navy launch of the AQM-37 occurred on 22 September 2022.

Gallery