US Army Wants More Coyote Anti-Drone Systems

The U.S. Army is looking to counter rising loitering munitions threats by acquiring 6,000 Coyote Block II anti-drone interceptors and, potentially, 700 Block III variants with non-kinetic payloads.

The service branch also wants to buy hundreds of launchers and radar systems, The Defense Post reported.

A request for information indicates that the U.S. expects to select original Coyote maker Raytheon for the project but is open to receiving bids from other companies.

The chosen contractor will have five years to produce, integrate and validate the anti-drone systems. It will also handle maintenance services for Coyote systems deployed outside the continental United States.

Interested parties have until Jan. 2, 2024, to submit white papers.

Raytheon, a business of RTX, holds a $237 million contract with the Army to provide Coyote systems and a Ku-band Radio Frequency System. The two capabilities underwent testing in the summer of 2023 to measure their ability to take down drones in different formations.