Raytheon is increasing manufacturing of its Coyote missile to meet demand from the U.S. Army’s integrated counter-unmanned aircraft system program. The company stated on July 20 that it has tripled production over the past year and intends to double that output again by the end of next year, reaching approximately 300 missiles per month.
The Coyote missile, used alongside a Ku-band radio frequency sensor, functions as the primary interceptor for the Army’s Low, Slow, Small, Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System. The system is designed to detect and destroy drones and is currently deployed under Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The Army recently authorized the release of data showing 600 combat intercepts since the system’s deployment.
Tom Laliberty, president of Raytheon’s land and air defense systems division, described the Coyote as highly effective against Class 1 through 3 drones during a briefing at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom.
He noted that the company offers two interchangeable variants: the Coyote Block 2, which utilizes a kinetic warhead, and the Coyote Block 3NK, a reusable platform equipped with a high-power microwave module intended to defeat drone swarms.
Laliberty emphasized the necessity of a layered defense strategy, citing coordinated attacks in the Middle East and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. He explained that adversaries often mix high-cost munitions with low-cost systems, requiring defense forces to allocate resources efficiently across different threat levels.
A critical component of this strategy is command-and-control integration, which ensures that the most appropriate weapon is assigned to each threat. Laliberty highlighted the importance of interoperability to prevent the use of expensive systems like the Patriot missile against low-cost targets such as a Shahed drone. The goal is to match specific threats with cost-effective interceptors to preserve high-value assets for more significant dangers.