The Boeing CQM-121 Pave Tiger was an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Boeing for use by the United States Air Force. Intended for the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) role, the drone reached the flight-test stage before cancellation.

Design and development

The CQM-121 program began in 1983, with Boeing being awarded a contract for the development of a small drone aircraft that was intended for the suppression of enemy

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

s.USAF to accelerate drone
. ''Flight International''. July 16, 1983. p.123. The resulting YCQM-121A, given the code name "Pave Tiger", was a tailless aircraft powered by a two-stroke engine. The drones were to be fitted in 15-cell containers with wings folded; the sides of the container would open to allow for launch on a rail using a solid-fuel rocket booster. The aircraft would then follow a pre-programmed route, and could either use electronic countermeasures to suppress air defense systems, or use a small warhead to directly destroy them.Parsch, Andreas.
Boeing CQM-/CGM-121 Pave Tiger/Seek Spinner
. ''Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles''. Designation-Systems. 2002. Accessed 2014-04-08.

Operational history

Flight testing of the 13 YCQM-121A aircraft began in 1983, however the following year the project was terminated. The aircraft was resurrected in 1987, however, as an alternative to the

AGM-136 Tacit Rainbow The AGM-136A ''Tacit Rainbow'' was a United States military anti-radiation missile program run from 1982 to 1991. The requirement was for a low-cost air-launchable system to aid in the destruction of enemy air defense networks. The proposed uni ...

anti-radar missile; the anti-radar version, designated YCGM-121B and codenamed "Seek Spinner", first flew in 1988.Boeing flies Seek Spinner
. ''Flight International''. December 3, 1988. p.13. Accessed 2014-04-08. It was equipped with a warhead for the destruction of enemy radars, and could loiter while awaiting detection of an enemy radar set. The program was terminated in 1989.Boeing YCGM-121B Seek Spinner
". National Museum of the United States Air Force. October 11, 2007. Accessed 2014-04-08. Also in 1987, the U.S. Air Force ordered an electronic countermeasure version of the aircraft, given the designation YCEM-138A Pave Cricket. Equipped with an AN/ALQ-176 jammer, the program was also cancelled in 1989.Parsch, Andreas.
Boeing CEM-138 Pave Cricket
. ''Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles''. Designation-Systems. 2002. Accessed 2014-04-08.

Variants

;YCQM-121A Pave Tiger :Original radar jamming variant; 13 built. ;YCGM-121B Seek Spinner :Loitering anti-radar missile variant. ;YCEM-138A Pave Cricket :Electronic countermeasures version of YCGM-121B.

Specifications (YCQM-121A)

References

{{US missiles CQM-121 1980s United States special-purpose aircraft Single-engined pusher aircraft Low-wing aircraft Canard aircraft Unmanned military aircraft of the United States Aircraft first flown in 1983