- Raytheon successfully tested the Coyote Block 3NK, a non-kinetic counter-drone system designed to loiter and defeat drone swarms.
- The system is part of the Coyote family used in the U.S. Army’s LIDS program and has intercepted more than 100 drones in combat settings.
Raytheon announced today that it has successfully tested a non-kinetic variant of its Coyote counter-drone system, known as Coyote Block 3NK.
The company said Coyote Block 3NK is a counter-unmanned air system capable of loitering and defeating drone swarms while using a non-kinetic payload intended to minimize the potential for collateral damage. According to Raytheon, the system can be recalled and redeployed for additional engagements after completing a mission.
Raytheon produces both kinetic and non-kinetic Coyote variants designed to defeat small to large drone systems at longer ranges and at higher altitudes than similar class effectors. The Coyote family has been used in operational settings, and the company states that the system has intercepted more than a hundred drones in combat environments.
“Coyote provides warfighters a cost-effective defense for individual drones and swarms,” said Tom Laliberty, president of Land & 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.”
The Block 3NK variant is intended for defending critical infrastructure and national security assets in populated environments, where kinetic interceptors may not be viable due to the risk of debris or collateral effects. By using a non-kinetic payload, the system is designed to neutralize unmanned aerial threats while reducing unintended damage in urban or sensitive areas.
Coyote is part of Raytheon’s layered counter-drone portfolio and is fielded as an effector within larger integrated air defense architectures. The system is typically launched from ground-based platforms and can engage hostile unmanned aircraft at extended distances compared to short-range interceptors.
Raytheon was recently awarded what the company described as its largest counter-drone contract to date under the U.S. Army’s Low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or LIDS, program. LIDS is designed to detect, track, and defeat Group 1 through Group 3 unmanned aerial systems using a combination of sensors, command-and-control networks, and effectors such as Coyote.
To meet increasing global demand for counter-drone systems, Raytheon said it has invested in production capacity for the kinetic Coyote variant as well as performance enhancements to address next-generation threats.
According to the company, these upgrades enable faster launches, higher speeds, and greater range at higher altitudes to counter unmanned aircraft carrying heavier payloads over longer distances.