The tests of the Block 3 Coyotes were conducted by the Army’s Indirect Fires and Rapid Capabilities Office (IF\/RCO) at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. IF\/RCO is\u00a0concerned with<\/a>\u00a0developing a “systems-of-systems concept to ensure integration and interoperability are achieved between U.S. Army programs.” It’s unclear exactly when the tests took place, but Raytheon\u00a0announced<\/a>\u00a0the successful demonstration on July 21.<\/p>\n In a\u00a0press release<\/a>, Raytheon claims that the Block 3 Coyotes \u201cengaged and defeated a swarm of 10 drones that differed in size, complexity, maneuverability and range\u201d using a \u201cnon-kinetic effector.” In this sense, “non-kinetic” refers to systems that defeat hostile UAVs without using a physical projectile of any kind. That would typically mean the Coyotes used either an\u00a0electronic warfare “jammer,”<\/a>\u00a0or a form of directed energy like\u00a0high-powered microwaves<\/a>. In some ways, drones carrying non-kinetic counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions have an advantage over drones armed with traditional munitions in that they can be reused, as opposed to being destroyed by onboard explosives. In addition, some of these non-kinetic solutions can engage multiple targets without needing to be rearmed.<\/p>\n \u201cThis test demonstrates the effectiveness of Coyote to counter complex, unmanned aircraft systems,\u201d said Tom Laliberty, vice president of Land Warfare & Air Defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense. \u201cAs a non-kinetic variant, we\u2019re offering an effective weapon against the threat and value to the Army in the form of an affordable, reusable asset.\u201d<\/p>\n Raytheon states that the recent tests at Yuma also achieved several firsts for the Coyote aside from air-to-air non-kinetic defeats, including \u201csurvivability, recovery, refurbishment and reuse during the same test event,\u201d successful integration with launchers from the Coyote Block 2 system, and engagement at long range using the\u00a0Ku-band Radio Frequency System<\/a>, a 360-degree radar used for detecting short-range threats like rockets or mortars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).<\/p>\n While the wording of Raytheon’s press release appears to signal that this demonstration only involved one Coyote drone taking on a swarm, previous iterations of the Coyote have been\u00a0tested in swarming operation<\/a>, meaning it’s quite possible the Block 3 versions can operate as a counter-swarm to defeat coordinated groups of hostile UAVs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe demonstration moves the variant closer to deployment and we are planning with our U.S. Army customer to determine timelines,\u201d a Raytheon spokeswoman told\u00a0Inside Defense<\/em>. The company\u00a0declined to comment<\/a>\u00a0about what the \u201cnon-kinetic effector\u201d used in the tests could be when asked.<\/p>\n The Coyote, made by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, is a small, tube-launched UAV capable of being launched from larger aircraft or even\u00a0unmanned underwater vehicles<\/a>\u00a0(UUVs) and\u00a0unmanned surface vehicles<\/a>\u00a0(USVs). While the Army has eyed the Coyote specifically for\u00a0anti-drone roles<\/a>, the small drone has been mainly developed as a\u00a0loitering munition<\/a>, or \u201csuicide drone,\u201d sometimes even referred to as a \u201clow-cost cruise missile<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The Block 1 Coyotes made their first flights in 2007, featuring a rear pusher prop, a set of pop-out wings and a pop-up V-tail. These initial Coyotes were marketed as low-cost intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms, but ended up being somewhat of a testbed for a wide variety of applications including being air-launched by NOAA aircraft in order to\u00a0gather data from inside hurricanes<\/a>\u00a0in 2017.<\/p>\n Block 2 didn\u2019t appear publicly until 2018 sporting a more\u00a0missile-like appearance<\/a>\u00a0without wings. This second block featured an entirely different planform and propulsion system, which combines a rocket booster and a small jet engine. Control surfaces near the tail give the Coyote Block 2 a “dogfight-type of capability<\/a>” in terms of maneuvering, claimed Raytheon VP of mission systems and sensors James McGovern, in 2020. “With a turbine engine, it has controllable thrust throughout the entire engagement, allowing it to close in on small targets that may be evading or jinking,\u201d McGovern explained.<\/p>\n Raytheon has said that both of these first Coyote models could also be reconfigured into\u00a0loitering munitions<\/a>, a unique subclass of weaponry somewhere between a missile and a UAV. The Block 1 Coyotes were also tested in swarming operations as part of the Office of Naval Research\u2019s Low-Cost UAV Swarming Technology program, or\u00a0LOCUST<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fie.undef.edu.ar\/ceptm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/cohete01.jpg\")
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