Coyote Block 3NK is a counter-unmanned aircraft system designed to loiter in the battlespace and engage drone swarms using a non-kinetic payload. This approach aims to neutralize hostile unmanned aircraft while reducing the risk of collateral damage in complex operational environments.
After an engagement, operators can recall the Coyote Block 3NK and prepare it for additional missions. The recoverable design supports repeated use, which is intended to reduce overall system costs and improve availability for sustained operations.
Raytheon produces both kinetic and non-kinetic Coyote variants to counter small, medium, and larger unmanned aircraft systems. According to the company, these effectors can defeat targets at longer ranges and at higher altitudes than other systems in a similar class, giving operators more flexibility in how they respond to evolving air threats.
"Coyote provides warfighters a cost-effective defense for individual drones and swarms," said Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. "We continue to invest in Coyote's combat-proven capabilities, ensuring that allies around the globe gain an affordable operational advantage over sophisticated and evolving drone threats."
Raytheon recently received its largest counter-drone contract to date under the U.S. Army's Low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or LIDS, program. The award supports the service's effort to field layered defenses against small unmanned aircraft that can threaten deployed forces, fixed sites, and critical infrastructure.
To meet growing international demand for counter-drone technologies, Raytheon has increased investment in its kinetic Coyote production line and in performance upgrades. The company reports that recent enhancements support faster launches, higher speeds, and greater engagement ranges.
These improvements are intended to help Coyote variants intercept unmanned aircraft that operate at higher altitudes and carry heavier payloads over longer distances. By expanding the engagement envelope, Raytheon aims to ensure that the Coyote family can keep pace with rapidly advancing unmanned aircraft systems and emerging swarm tactics.
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