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Raytheon Coyote

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Coyote
Coyote UAS on test flight in 2016
General information
TypeSmall, expendable unmanned aerial vehicle, Loitering Munition, Interceptor drone
National originUnited States
ManufacturerRaytheon Company
Raytheon Technologies
StatusOperational
Primary usersU.S. Army
ServiceU.S Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corp
History
Introduction date2014

The Raytheon Coyote is a small, expendable, unmanned aircraft system and counter drone interceptor built by RTX (formerly the Raytheon Company), with the capability of operating in autonomous swarms.

The system is in its third generation, and it has been used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Navy, and Army as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset, as well as for delivering explosives and counter drone attacks.[1][2]

Design and development

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Advanced Ceramic Research of Tucson, Arizona, originally developed the Coyote, Manta and Silver Fox UAS under small business contracts from the U.S. Office of Naval Research. British defense contractor BAE Systems acquired the company in 2009, then sold it back to one of the former owners under the name Sensintel. Raytheon acquired Sensintel in 2015 and folded the company into its Tucson-based Raytheon Missiles & Defense business.[3][4]

The Coyote first flew in 2007 while still under ACR development, being launched from a Beechcraft C-12 Huron.[5]

This first generation was developed to meet specification from the Office of Naval Research for a drone that could be deployed using standard sonabouy launchers[6]. It had folding wings so it could fit in the launch tube, caried a 0.9kg payload and was propeller driven. NOAA became involved as an additional customer and developed a sensor package for the drone to collect weather data.

After being acquired by Raytheon the radio data links were significantly upgraded in 2016 improving its abilities to collect weather data[7]. Raytheon also used the platform for its entry in the ONRs Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology (LOCUST) program and it was determined that multiple Coyotes could communicate with each other to function as an autonomous swarm[8]. This corresponded with NOAA's funding for the Coyote coming to an end and represent the transition of the platform from atmospheric data collection to combat applications.

C-UAS

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Starting in 2016 Raytheon worked with the U.S. Army to develop a new version of the Coyote with a counter unmanned air system (C-UAS) capability to intercept other small UAVs. The first generation of Coyote Anti-UAS was similar in size to the original model developed for the Navy but could hold a 1.8kg payload and was deployed from a pneumatic box launcher. It had a maximum speed of 81 mph (130 km/h). It weighs 13 lb (5.9 kg) and delivers a kinetic effect by crashing into enemy drones or exploding near them and dispersing blast fragments from its 4 lb (1.8 kg) warhead.[4][9][2][10]

By 2018, the U.S. Marine Corps was using the Coyote Block 1 as part of their Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) Counter-UAS system which pair it with the RPS-42 S-band radar, the Modi electronic warfare system, and visual sensors to detect, track and destroy hostile drones. The system can operate out of a forward operating base or from vehicles such as an M-ATV or a pair of MRZR off-road vehicles.[11]

In July 2018, Raytheon announced the Army had awarded it a contract to deliver the Coyote for C-UAS missions, with deliveries starting by the end of the year. The Coyote Block 1B is equipped with a radio-frequency seeker and proximity warhead working in conjunction with Raytheon’s Ku band radio frequency system (KuRFS) radar to intercept Class I and II drones;[12][13][14] the KuRFS can detect Class I UAS out to 9.9 mi (16 km)[10] and can even detect objects as small as a 9 mm bullet.[15] In June 2019, the Coyote-KRFS radar system, dubbed Howler C-UAS, achieved Initial Operational Capability with the U.S. Army after just 17 months of development.[16]

Raytheon Coyote Block 2

Raytheon then developed a Block 2 variant equipped with a jet engine, improving speed and loiter time to engage larger and further targets.[12][13] The Coyote Block 2 features improved sensors and a turbine engine to increase speed to 345–370 mph (555–595 km/h).[10][17][18] On 17 March 2020, Raytheon was cleared to sell the Coyote Block 2 interceptor as part of the Howler system after entering U.S. military service. Leveraging commercial off-the-shelf components, the interceptor is cheap enough to be used against large drone swarms. Four control fins pop out around the tail to make it maneuverable enough to close in on evading targets. It is fitted with a warhead producing a fragment field of small, fast-moving shrapnel optimized to destroy small drones.[19][20] Using a rocket booster with a turbine sustainment motor, it can engage threats at ranges of 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi), and can even re-attack if it misses on the first pass.[18][21] It has a loitering with re-engagement capability and is able to remain airborne for up to four minutes.[22]

In November 2022, the U.S. approved the sale of 10 Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small UAV Integrated Defeat Systems (FS-LIDS) to Qatar in a $1 billion deal. A system includes the AN/TPQ-50 counterfire radar and electro-optic cameras to detect and track small UAVs and engages them with EW or interceptors; the sale includes 200 Coyote Block 2s.[15][23]

In January 2024 Raytheon was awarded a US$75 million U.S. Army contract to produce 600 Coyote 2C Interceptors for C-UAS use.[24]

Block 3/Coyote LE SR

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USS Bainbridge
USS Bainbridge equipped with the 2 x 4-cell Block 3/Coyote Launchers placed on the aft of the superstructure.
USS Carl M. Levin
USS Carl M. Levin equipped with the 1 x 8-cell Block 3/Coyote Launchers placed on the aft of the superstructure between the port-side torpedo tubes and VLS launchers.

On 28 February 2021, Raytheon received a contract from the U.S. Navy for the Coyote Block 3 to provide an ISR and strike capability when launched from unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).[25] Raytheon announced in August 2021 that a demonstration of the Block 3 in an air intercept test had used a non-kinetic warhead to defeat a swarm of 10 drones. This type of payload reduces potential collateral damage and enables the variant to be recovered and reused.[26] The Block 3 Coyote was originally intended to have a more traditional UAV design with wings and an electric motor similar to the original Coyote Block 1, but bigger in size.[10][27] By 2025 Coyote Block 3 had been renamed Coyote Launched Effect Short Range (Coyote LE SR), initially referred to by the Army only as a "670".

In March 2025, RTX successfully test-fired a Coyote LE SR from an unmodified M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle's TOW missile launcher, as well as from a Modular Effects Launcher rack mounted on a Bell 407 helicopter in a separate test.[28][29] Compared to the original Coyote Block 3 design, the TOW-launched version had been redesigned without visible wings or strakes, instead featuring new triple pop-out grid fins at the rear and no other visible control surfaces.[28] Dropping any mentions of the Coyote Block 3's anti-air capabilities, the Coyote LE SR is marketed as a multi-launch platform, recoverable, reusable system that can be configured for surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare, signal relay, or as a one-way munition in the form of a suicide drone.[28]

In June 2025, during the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, the Arleigh Burke-class (Flight IIA) destroyers, USS Bainbridge and USS Winston S. Churchill, had both been pictured equipped with a pair of Block 3 Coyote launchers on the aft superstructure on both ships. [30]

On April 8, 2026, USS Carl M. Levin was seen in the Pacific Ocean with a new unknown launcher on her aft, between her port-side torpedo tubes and VLS launchers.[31] Following the sighting, a U.S. Navy spokesperson revealed the launcher was an upgraded version of the Block 3/Coyote LE SR launcher previously seen on the Bainbridge and Winston S. Churchill. The Coyote launcher design had received four more cells, totaling to eight cells.[32]

Operational history

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The original Coyote weather drone was used by NOAA starting with Hurricane Edouardo in the 2014 Atlantic Hurricane Season[33] until funding for it ran out after the 2017 hurricane season. It was deployed by P-3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft, to collect data on atmospheric air pressure, temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction as well as surface temperature. Its role was to collect data at altitudes too low for manned aircraft to safely navigate in the hurricane environment.[34]

In December 2023, the U.S. Army disclosed plans to purchase 6,700 Coyote interceptors from 2025-2029 for the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS) and FS-LIDS, as well as associated launch platforms and radars. 6,000 jet-powered radar-guided Coyote Blocks 2s will be procured costing an estimated $100,000 each, while 700 electric motor-driven pusher propeller Block 3s will be bought which uses an unspecified non-kinetic payload (likely an electronic warfare system or high-power directed energy weapon) which enables it to be recovered and refurbished for reuse. The M-LIDS configuration consists of one M-ATV with a turret with electro-optical sensors to spot and track incoming drones and armed with a two-round Coyote launcher and a 30 mm XM914 automatic cannon as well as a mast-mounted Ku-band radar, and a second M-ATV equipped with additional sensors and EW capabilities. The FS-LIDS is a palletized system, with one having a four-round Coyote launcher and sensor array, and the other with a larger and more capable Ku-band radar.[35][36]

In July of 2026 Raytheon representatives said the Coyote C-UAS system is now in wide use and "has been significantly successful combating Class 1 through 3 drones" and that the U.S. Army was willing to disclose 600 successful combat intercepts by the Coyote system as part of Operation Epic Fury.[37] Which is the first confirmed use of the system in an active combat setting.

Specifications

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Joe Cione of NOAA with a Coyote

General characteristics Performance

  • Airspeed: 55 knots (102 km/h) cruise, 70 knots (130 km/h) kts dash[33]
  • Deployment altitude: up to 30,000 feet (9,100 m) MSL (in non-icing conditions)
  • Comms range: 50 nautical miles (93 km) (May 2016); 70 nautical miles (130 km) (ground test October 2016)
  • Endurance: 1 hr+ @ cruise (May 2016); 2h (2017)
  • Weight: 13 pounds (5.9 kg)
  • Length: 36 inches (0.91 m)[38]
  • Wingspan: 58 inches (1.5 m)

Operators

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Current Operators

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Future Operators

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References

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  1. ↑ Geoff Fein (16 January 2017). "Surface Navy 2017: Coyote earmarked for ISR and offensive roles". IHS Jane's International Defence Review. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  2. 1 2 "Army's air, missile defense countering UAS threat in multiple ways". www.army.mil. 2018-04-16. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  3. ↑ "Raytheon's enhanced Coyote UAV flies into hurricanes for NOAA". Raytheon. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  4. 1 2 "Raytheon Further Develops Multi-Mission Coyote UAS | AIN". Aviation International News. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  5. ↑ "BAE Systems' Coyote UAV flies". Flight Global. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
  6. ↑ Coppinger, Rob (2008-06-11). "US Navy sonobuoy deployed UAV flight test this year". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  7. ↑ Communications, AOML (2016-01-08). "NOAA Advances Hurricane Research Technology with Improved Unmanned Aerial Vehicles - NOAA/AOML". NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  8. ↑ Hodge, Hope (2016-06-25). "Navy to Demo Swarming Drones at Sea in July". Military.com. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  9. ↑ Fein, Geoff; January 16, Jane's 360; 2017. "Army and Air Force's Coyote UAV for ISR and Offensive Roles | RealClearDefense". www.realcleardefense.com. Retrieved 2026-07-30. {{cite web}}: |last3= has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. 1 2 3 4 Valpolini, Paolo (2019-09-17). "Raytheon: C-UAS capabilities move to the next level". EDR Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  11. ↑ Marines Forward-Deploy Portable Drone-Killing System. USNI News. 4 June 2018.
  12. 1 2 Army to Buy Raytheon's Coyote Expendable UAS for Drone-Killing Mission. Defense Tech. 17 July 2018.
  13. 1 2 Raytheon to Provide Army with Drones for Killing Other Unmanned Systems. National Defense Magazine. 17 July 2018.
  14. ↑ Army, Navy Buy Raytheon’s Coyote Drone Weapon. Breaking Defense. 17 July 2018.
  15. 1 2 "US approves FS-LIDS counter-UAV system for Qatar". Janes Information Services. 1 December 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022.
  16. ↑ US Army Deploys Howler C-UAS System into Battlefield. UAS Vision. 20 June 2019.
  17. ↑ How to Defeat a Drone Attack: Raytheon Shows Off New Tech in Tabletop Exercise. Military.com. 24 January 2020.
  18. 1 2 C-UAS Strikes Back. Armada International. 30 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Coyote Block 2 counter-drone weapon approved for international sales. PRNewswire. 17 March 2020.
  20. ↑ See Raytheon’s Jet-Powered Interceptor Drone In Action. Forbes. 7 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Raytheon To Establish Laser Integration Center in UK. Aviation International News. 19 July 2022.
  22. ↑ WDS 2024: Raytheon showcases Coyote Block 2+ kinetic effector for C-UAS. Army Recognition. 5 February 2024.
  23. ↑ US approves potential $1 billion counter-drone tech sale to Qatar. Breaking Defense. 1 December 2022.
  24. ↑ "Army announces rapid acquisition authority contract for Coyote Interceptors". www.army.mil. 9 February 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  25. ↑ Raytheon is awarded a contract with Office of Naval Research. Navy Recognition. 1 March 2021.
  26. ↑ Hughes, Robin (2 September 2021). "Coyote Block 3NK demonstrates swarming drone defeat". Janes.com. Retrieved 30 March 2025.
  27. ↑ This Footage Of Jet-Powered Coyote Drones Obliterating Other Drones Is Incredible. The Drive/The War Zone. 10 January 2022.
  28. 1 2 3 Trevithick, Joseph (2025-04-14). "Mysterious Weapon Fired From M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Identified". The War Zone. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  29. ↑ "RTX's Raytheon launches new Coyote variant from helicopter". United Technologies. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  30. ↑ "Coyote Loitering Drone Interceptors Have Arrived On U.S. Navy Destroyers". twz.com. August 2025.
  31. ↑ Trevithick, Joseph. "U.S. Navy Destroyer Equipped With New Launcher For Unknown Weapons". twz.com.
  32. ↑ Johnston, Carter. "Mystery U.S. Navy Launcher Identified as Upgraded Coyote Missile Launcher". navalnews.com. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
  33. 1 2 Joseph J. Cione (25 October 2016). "The Coyote Unmanned Aircraft System" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  34. ↑ "NOAA and Raytheon improve unmanned aircraft to collect hurricane weather data". NOAA. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  35. ↑ "US Army details acquisition plans for Coyote C-UAS capability". Janes Information Services. 27 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023.
  36. ↑ Drastic Increase In Army Coyote Drone Interceptor Purchase Plans. The Drive/The War Zone. 20 December 2023.
  37. ↑ "Raytheon Ramps Up Coyote Counter-Drone Missile Production After U.S. Army Reports 600 Successful Combat Intercepts During Iran Conflict". The Defense News. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
  38. ↑ "BAE Systems/Sensintel Coyote". UAVGlobal. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  39. ↑ "United Arab Emirates – Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System". US Department of State.
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