Raytheon said Oct. 12 that it has finished three tests of upgrades to its Coyote counter-drone interceptor, known as Coyote Block 2C+RM, taking the project from concept to testing in about 15 months.
The company paid for the developmental tests itself and said the work supports an urgent U.S. military effort to counter drones. The upgrade adds a rocket motor to make the interceptor faster at launch and in flight, plus a new seeker and warhead intended for current and emerging drone threats. Raytheon said earlier Coyote versions have shot down hundreds of drones in combat.
According to the company, the first round of tests confirmed early integration with the existing counter-drone system and marked the first time a Coyote was launched with with a tactical rocket motor, which is meant to shorten the time to engage a target and allow quicker follow-up shots.
"With a common backbone, Raytheon can rapidly scale the Coyote family across counter-drone missions," said Tom Laliberty, who leads Raytheon's Land & Air Defense Systems business. The announcement, issued from Tucson, did not say where the tests took place or give detailed results.