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Raytheon Coyote

2014 MODERN AIRCRAFT DRONE TECHNOLOGY

The Thor Coyote Story

As drones continue to proliferate on the modern battlefield, efforts to counter the threat of "swarms" of dozens or more of these aircraft, especially the more maneuverable quadrotors, also Increase. The Raytheon Coyote, a man-portable, one-time-use counter-drone system developed for this purpose, will enter service with the U.S. Army by the end of 2018.

The Coyote system will be loaded with traditional UAS quality of threat assessment, damage assessment, targeting and surveillance, all touted - all in real time.

The swarm concept is called "LOCUST", which stands for "Low Cost UAV Swarm Technology".

Tests conducted in 2016 demonstrated the Coyotes ability to reach formation target areas over an autonomous network after launching as a swarm (from an MLRS-style transmitter package). In 2017, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) successfully used six vehicles to collect data on Hurricane Maria.

This "small group" entered the hurricane and faced winds of over 100 mph. So, in addition to military value, the coyote certainly has scientific and humanitarian capabilities for interested customers.

Similar to an Anti-Tank Missile (ATGM), the Coyote is launched from a tube with a full seeker and warhead. Its mission duration window is about one hour, and its mission payload is variable to match threats and battlefield requirements. The hull is plate-side and the front end is rounded. Wing main aircraft are straight attachments mounted above the front, while horizontal stabilizers are mounted low and far in the fuselage. A pair of vertical stabilizers are used for the desired control.

All wings are spring-loaded and spring up after takeoff, keeping the plane in a compact form during transport. At the rear of the vehicle is a two-bladed propeller unit that provides the necessary propulsion.

Coyotes are just one part of the defense system against drones. It is coupled to KFRS' Ku-band Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) radar, which handles acquisition and tracking of the entire system - which is already in use with artillery, missile and mortar units.