Raytheon’s Coyote Block 2 counter-drone system approved for export
Raytheon has announced that the U.S. government has given approval for its Coyote Block 2 counter-drone weapon to be sold to approved allied nations as part of the Howler counter-drone system.
The Coyote Block 2 is an improvement of the original Coyote Unmanned Aircraft System, which, among other missions, can also be used in a counter-drone role when equipped with an advanced seeker and warhead.
The U.S. Army has selected, and in 2019 deployed the Howler, as its counter-drone system. The Howler is a combination of the Ku-band Radio Frequency System radar and Coyote Block 1.
The Coyote Block 2 is powered by a small jet engine and is designed to use Raytheon’s KuRFS multi-mission radar as its fire control source. It can be launched from the ground to destroy drones and other aerial threats.
The company describes the Block 2 in a press release as “high-speed, highly maneuverable” and expects to achieve full-rate production of Coyote Block 2 in 2020, having recently completed developmental, operational and customer acceptance testing on the system.
“Delivering this enhanced version of the combat-proven Coyote strengthens our allies’ defenses against enemy drones,” said Sam Deneke, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. “Block 2 is fast, effective and protects troops on the battlefield.
In a related development, Raytheon announced earlier that it has completed the first round of testing of the first partially populated radar antenna array for the U.S. Army’s Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS. The milestone comes less than five months after the U.S. Army selected Raytheon to build LTAMDS, a next-generation radar that will defeat advanced threats like hypersonic weapons.
