Raytheon has demonstrated a non-kinetic variant of its Coyote counter-UAS system during a recent U.S. Army exercise, where the company said the platform successfully defeated multiple drone swarms.
According to the company, the Coyote Block 3 Non-Kinetic (NK) system showed launch, flight, intercept and recovery capabilities during the demonstration. The variant is designed to loiter before engaging drone swarms using a non-kinetic payload intended to reduce the risk of collateral damage. After an engagement, the system can be recalled and redeployed.
Raytheon produces both kinetic and non-kinetic versions of the Coyote platform, which the company says are capable of countering small to large unmanned aircraft at longer ranges and higher altitudes than similar-class effectors.
“Coyote provides warfighters a cost-effective defense for individual drones and swarms,” said Tom Laliberty, president of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “We continue to invest in Coyote’s combat-proven capabilities, ensuring that allies around the globe gain an affordable operational advantage over sophisticated and evolving drone threats.”
The demonstration follows Raytheon’s recent award tied to the U.S. Army’s Low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System (LIDS) program, described by the company as its largest counter-drone contract to date.
Raytheon said it has increased investment in production of the kinetic Coyote variant and is implementing performance enhancements aimed at addressing next-generation threats. The upgrades are intended to support faster launches, higher speeds and greater range at higher altitudes, particularly against unmanned systems carrying heavier payloads over longer distances.
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Post Image Credit: Raytheon
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