Raytheon Coyote

Last updated
Coyote
Coyote UAS in flight over Avon Park (cropped).jpg
Coyote UAS on test flight in 2016
RoleSmall, expendable unmanned aerial vehicle
National originUnited States
Manufacturer Raytheon Company
Raytheon Technologies
Introduction2014
StatusOperational
Primary user National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration

The Raytheon Coyote is a small, expendable, unmanned aircraft system built by the Raytheon Company, with the capability of operating in autonomous swarms. It is launched from a sonobuoy canister with the wings deploying in early flight phase.

Contents

The system can operate up to one hour and is designed for interchangeable payloads. It is used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for hurricane tracking, [1] and is being assessed by the United States Air Force and Army as an intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance asset, as well as for delivering explosive missiles. [2]

Design and development

A company named 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]

C-UAS

The U.S. Army developed the Coyote with a counter unmanned air system (C-UAS) capability to intercept other small UAVs. The Coyote Anti-UAS is 24 in (600 mm) long with a 58.0 in (1,473 mm) wingspan and is launched from a pneumatic box launcher with 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] [6] [7] [8] By 2018, the U.S. Marine Corps was deploying a C-UAS that had been in development for two years. The Ground-Based Air Defense (GBAD) Counter-UAS system consists of the RPS-42 S-band radar, the Modi electronic warfare system, visual sensors and the Coyote anti-drone UAV 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. [9] 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 an RF seeker and proximity warhead and works in conjunction with Raytheon’s Ku band radio frequency system (KuRFS) radar to intercept Class I and II drones; [10] [11] [12] the KuRFS can detect Class I UAS out to 9.9 mi (16 km) [8] and can even detect objects as small as a 9 mm bullet. [13] 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. [14]

Raytheon then developed a Block 2 variant equipped with a jet engine, improving speed and loiter time to engage larger and further targets. [10] [11] The Coyote Block 2 features improved sensors and a turbine engine to increase speed to 345–370 mph (555–595 km/h). [8] [15] [16] 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. [17] [18] 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. [16] [19] It has a loitering with re-engagement capability and is able to remain airborne for up to four minutes. [20]

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 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. [13] [21]

Block 3

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). [22] 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. [23] The Block 3 Coyote has a more traditional UAV design with wings and an electric motor similar to the original Coyote Block 1, but is bigger in size. [8] [24]

Operational history

The Coyote is launched from a NOAA P-3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft, and provides NOAA hurricane forecasters with real-time data on atmospheric air pressure, temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction as well as surface temperature. The Coyote collects this essential data at altitudes too low for manned aircraft to safely navigate in the hurricane environment. [25] Its first operational deployment was an investigation of Hurricane Edouard on 16 September 2014. [26]

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. [27] [28]

Specifications

Joe Cione of NOAA with a Coyote Joe cione and coyote uas in noaa aircraft operation center credit- noaa.jpg
Joe Cione of NOAA with a Coyote

General characteristicsPerformance

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-ballistic missile</span> Surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles

An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to counter ballistic missiles. Ballistic missiles are used to deliver nuclear, chemical, biological, or conventional warheads in a ballistic flight trajectory. The term "anti-ballistic missile" is a generic term for a system designed to intercept and destroy any type of ballistic threat; however, it is commonly used for systems specifically designed to counter intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk</span> Unmanned surveillance aircraft

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft introduced in 2001. It was initially designed by Ryan Aeronautical, and known as Tier II+ during development. The RQ-4 provides a broad overview and systematic surveillance using high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors with long loiter times over target areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AAI RQ-7 Shadow</span> American unmanned aerial vehicle

The AAI RQ-7 Shadow is an American unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used by the United States Army, Australian Army, Swedish Army, Turkish Air Force and Italian Army for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition and battle damage assessment. Launched from a trailer-mounted pneumatic catapult, it is recovered with the aid of arresting gear similar to jets on an aircraft carrier. Its gimbal-mounted, digitally stabilized, liquid nitrogen-cooled electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera relays video in real time via a C-band line-of-sight data link to the ground control station (GCS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MIM-104 Patriot</span> American surface-to-air missile system

The MIM-104 Patriot is a mobile interceptor missile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary such system used by the United States Army and several allied states. It is manufactured by the U.S. defense contractor Raytheon and derives its name from the radar component of the weapon system. The AN/MPQ-53 at the heart of the system is known as the "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target," which is a backronym for "Patriot". In 1984, the Patriot system began to replace the Nike Hercules system as the U.S. Army's primary high to medium air defense (HIMAD) system and the MIM-23 Hawk system as the U.S. Army's medium tactical air defense system. In addition to these roles, Patriot has been given a function in the U.S. Army's anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system. As of 2016, the system is expected to stay fielded until at least 2040.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missile Defense Agency</span> Agency of the US Defense Department

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is a component of the United States government's Department of Defense responsible for developing a comprehensive defense against ballistic missiles. It had its origins in the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) which was established in 1983 by Ronald Reagan and which was headed by Lt. General James Alan Abrahamson. Under the Strategic Defense Initiative's Innovative Sciences and Technology Office headed by physicist and engineer Dr. James Ionson, the investment was predominantly made in basic research at national laboratories, universities, and in industry. These programs have continued to be key sources of funding for top research scientists in the fields of high-energy physics, advanced materials, nuclear research, supercomputing/computation, and many other critical science and engineering disciplines—funding which indirectly supports other research work by top scientists, and which was most politically viable to fund from appropriations for national defense. It was renamed the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in 1993, and then renamed the Missile Defense Agency in 2002. The current director is U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Jon A. Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missile defense</span> System that destroys attacking missiles

Missile defense is a system, weapon, or technology involved in the detection, tracking, interception, and also the destruction of attacking missiles. Conceived as a defense against nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), its application has broadened to include shorter-ranged non-nuclear tactical and theater missiles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel</span> American short-range air defense radar

The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel is an X-band electronically steered pulse-Doppler 3D radar system used to alert and cue Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) weapons to the locations of hostile targets approaching their front line forces. It is currently produced by Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing Insitu MQ-27 ScanEagle</span> Reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle

The Boeing Insitu ScanEagle is a small, long-endurance, low-altitude unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aerial vehicle built by Insitu, a subsidiary of Boeing, and is used for reconnaissance. The ScanEagle was designed by Insitu based on the Insitu SeaScan, a commercial UAV that was intended for fish-spotting. The ScanEagle continues to receive improvements through upgrades and changes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout</span> 2000s American unmanned autonomous helicopter developed by Northrop Grumman

The Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout is an unmanned autonomous helicopter developed by Northrop Grumman for use by the United States Armed Forces. The Fire Scout is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness, aerial fire support and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces. The initial RQ-8A version was based on the Schweizer 330, while the enhanced MQ-8B was derived from the Schweizer 333. The larger MQ-8C Fire Scout variant is based on the Bell 407.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper</span> American unmanned aerial vehicle

The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of remotely controlled or autonomous flight operations, developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) primarily for the United States Air Force (USAF). The MQ-9 and other UAVs are referred to as Remotely Piloted Vehicles/Aircraft (RPV/RPA) by the USAF to indicate ground control by humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle</span> Unmanned reconnaissance and strike aircraft system

The General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagle is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). It was developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) for the United States Army as an upgrade of the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RIM-161 Standard Missile 3</span> Kinetic surface-to-air missile (Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System)

The RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) is a ship-based surface-to-air missile used by the United States Navy to intercept short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles as a part of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. Although primarily designed as an anti-ballistic missile, the SM-3 has also been employed in an anti-satellite capacity against a satellite at the lower end of low Earth orbit. The SM-3 is primarily used and tested by the United States Navy and also operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multiple Kill Vehicle</span> U.S. missile defense program

The Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV) was a planned U.S. missile defense program whose goal was to design, develop, and deploy multiple small kinetic energy-based warheads that can intercept and destroy multiple ballistic missiles, including possible decoy targets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-176 Griffin</span> American-made air-to-surface and surface-to-surface guided missile

The AGM-176 Griffin is a lightweight, precision-guided munition developed by Raytheon. It can be launched from the ground or air as a rocket-powered missile or dropped from the air as a guided bomb. It carries a relatively small warhead, and was designed to be a precision low-collateral damage weapon for irregular warfare. It has been used in combat by the United States military during the War in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack</span> Unmanned air vehicle by Boeing Insitu

The Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack, company name Integrator, is an American unmanned air vehicle designed and built by Boeing Insitu to meet a United States Navy requirement for a small tactical unmanned air system (STUAS). It is a twin-boom, single-engine monoplane, designed as a supplement to the Boeing Scan Eagle. The Integrator weighs 61 kg (134 lb) and uses the same launcher and recovery system as the Scan Eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AeroVironment Switchblade</span> American loitering missile

The AeroVironment Switchblade is a miniature loitering munition designed by AeroVironment and used by several branches of the United States military. Small enough to fit in a backpack, the Switchblade launches from a tube, flies to the target area, and crashes into its target while detonating its explosive warhead. The name Switchblade comes from how the spring-loaded wings are folded inside a tube and flipped out once released.

A loitering munition, also known as a suicide drone, kamikaze drone, or exploding drone, is a kind of aerial weapon with a built-in warhead that is typically designed to loiter around a target area until a target is located, then attack the target by crashing into it. Loitering munitions enable faster reaction times against hidden targets that emerge for short periods without placing high-value platforms near the target area and also allow more selective targeting as the attack can be changed mid-flight or aborted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-Mission Launcher</span> United States Army missile launching system

The Multi-Mission Launcher (MML) is an open-systems architecture multi-role missile launching system created by the United States Army's Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center.

The MARSS Interceptor is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed by MARSS Group for counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System</span> Drone defence system

Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS).. is a mobile counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) developed for the United States Army. It is designed to detect, track, and neutralize small unmanned aerial systems, commonly known as drones.

References

  1. ↑ "Coyote UAS". Raytheon Company. Retrieved 2017-09-23.
  2. ↑ 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.
  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. Aviation International News. 17 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "BAE Systems' Coyote UAV flies". Flight Global. 21 January 2010. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
  6. ↑ Army and Air Force's Coyote UAV for ISR and Offensive Roles. Real Clear Defense. 16 January 2017.
  7. ↑ Army's air, missile defense countering UAS threat in multiple ways. Army.mil. 29 March 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Raytheon: C-UAS capabilities move to the next level. European Defence Review. 17 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Marines Forward-Deploy Portable Drone-Killing System. USNI News. 4 June 2018.
  10. 1 2 Army to Buy Raytheon's Coyote Expendable UAS for Drone-Killing Mission. Defense Tech. 17 July 2018.
  11. 1 2 Raytheon to Provide Army with Drones for Killing Other Unmanned Systems. National Defense Magazine. 17 July 2018.
  12. ↑ Army, Navy Buy Raytheon’s Coyote Drone Weapon. Breaking Defense. 17 July 2018.
  13. 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.
  14. ↑ US Army Deploys Howler C-UAS System into Battlefield. UAS Vision. 20 June 2019.
  15. ↑ How to Defeat a Drone Attack: Raytheon Shows Off New Tech in Tabletop Exercise. Military.com. 24 January 2020.
  16. 1 2 C-UAS Strikes Back. Armada International. 30 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Coyote Block 2 counter-drone weapon approved for international sales. PRNewswire . 17 March 2020.
  18. ↑ See Raytheon’s Jet-Powered Interceptor Drone In Action. Forbes . 7 May 2020.
  19. ↑ Raytheon To Establish Laser Integration Center in UK. Aviation International News. 19 July 2022.
  20. ↑ WDS 2024: Raytheon showcases Coyote Block 2+ kinetic effector for C-UAS. Army Recognition. 5 February 2024.
  21. ↑ US approves potential $1 billion counter-drone tech sale to Qatar. Breaking Defense. 1 December 2022.
  22. ↑ Raytheon is awarded a contract with Office of Naval Research. Navy Recognition. 1 March 2021.
  23. ↑ Raytheon Coyote Block 3 non-kinetic effector defeats swarm of drones in US Army tests. Air Recognition. 2 August 2021.
  24. ↑ This Footage Of Jet-Powered Coyote Drones Obliterating Other Drones Is Incredible. The Drive/The War Zone. 10 January 2022.
  25. ↑ "NOAA and Raytheon improve unmanned aircraft to collect hurricane weather data". NOAA. 12 January 2016. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  26. 1 2 Joseph J. Cione (25 October 2016). "The Coyote Unmanned Aircraft System" (PDF). NOAA. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
  27. ↑ "US Army details acquisition plans for Coyote C-UAS capability". Janes Information Services . 27 December 2023. Archived from the original on 29 December 2023.
  28. ↑ Drastic Increase In Army Coyote Drone Interceptor Purchase Plans. The Drive/The War Zone. 20 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "BAE Systems/Sensintel Coyote". UAVGlobal. Retrieved 2017-09-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.