FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW: The US Army, witnessing the expanding use of commercial and light miltiary drones around the world, has bought Raytheon’s tube-launched Coyote drone to find, target and destroy them. The contract includes Raytheon’s KRFS radar. The Army is deploying the system.
The company would not say how large the contract is, but it’s believed to be less than $100 million.
The Army issued a Joint Urgent Operational Needs (JUON), clearing the way for the contract announcement.
“Enemy unmanned aircraft are among the biggest threats facing our ground troops today,” Thomas Bussing, a Raytheon vice president said in a statement. “Our small, expendable Coyote provides the Army with an affordable and highly effective solution for countering the growing UAS threat.”
Coyote uses a proximity warhead to destroy an enemy drone. They demonstrated their effectiveness recently at Yuma Proving Ground, destroying 11 drones. They can be flown in swarms, where say 10 would be equipped with ISR sensors to find the target, 10 with laser designators to fix the target and 10 with warheads to destroy them. The Navy also is buying some Coyotes, Bussing said, but it is not being deployed. The Navy is using them to test. Presumably, this is through the JUON.
Raytheon plans to boost Coyote’s capabilities, equipping them with jet engines. This will allow them to attack larger and faster drones.
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