Raytheon conducts first helicopter launch of new Coyote LE SR unmanned aerial system.

On March 26, 2025, Raytheon, part of RTX Corporation, conducted the first recorded launch of the Coyote LE SR unmanned aerial system (UAS) from a helicopter. The test occurred at Nine Mile Training Center and forms part of a broader effort to expand the operational use cases of the Coyote unmanned aerial system (UAS) family. The new variant, designated Coyote LE SR, is part of a category referred to as “launched effects,” which describes small uncrewed aircraft deployable from air, ground, or maritime platforms.
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The Coyote LE SR is designed to perform a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA); electronic warfare; precision strike; and tactical communications. (Picture source: Raytheon)

The Coyote LE SR is designed to perform a range of missions, including reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA); electronic warfare; precision strike; and tactical communications. It introduces collaborative autonomy functionality, enabling the system to interact with nearby sensors and platforms in real-time, adapt to evolving battlefield conditions, and autonomously modify mission tactics based on situational inputs. This helicopter-based test marks the first demonstration of this variant from a rotary-wing platform, following earlier demonstrations from other launch platforms. Further testing is scheduled to continue throughout 2025.

This development follows Raytheon’s participation in the U.S. Army’s Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event (EDGE) in October 2024, where both Raytheon and Collins Aerospace, also under RTX, presented autonomy systems designed for launched effects. At that event, Collins demonstrated its RapidEdge mission system enabling multi-UAV coordination, while Raytheon applied autonomy technologies developed under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) program. These demonstrations validated interoperability through open system architectures and mesh networks and were conducted under the sponsorship of the U.S. Army Futures Command’s Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team.

The Coyote LE SR builds on previous Coyote variants that have been used extensively in counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) roles. Earlier Coyote variants, such as Block 1B and Block 2, were used to intercept drones using kinetic means, including proximity warheads and direct collisions. The Block 2 variant introduced a jet engine, enabling speeds of up to 595 kilometers per hour, and included improvements for rapid target engagement. A later version, the Block 2+, was displayed at the 2024 World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia and included enhancements such as a thrust jet engine, data link, MP-7U guidance unit, and adaptive autopilot. This version is capable of intercepting Group 1 to Group 3 UAS threats at distances exceeding 10 kilometers and can engage both single drones and drone swarms with reduced engagement timelines.

Coyote systems are typically integrated with Raytheon’s Ku-band Radio Frequency Sensor (KuRFS), which provides detection and tracking of low, slow, small UAS threats. KuRFS can detect Class I UAS threats at distances up to 16 kilometers and track objects as small as 9 mm. Together with the Coyote interceptor, this forms the basis of the U.S. Army’s Low, slow, small, unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System (LIDS). LIDS configurations are available in both fixed-site (FS-LIDS) and mobile (M-LIDS) formats. The FS-LIDS includes palletized Coyote launchers and sensor arrays, while M-LIDS platforms are mounted on M-ATVs and incorporate electro-optical sensors, KuRFS radar, and two-round Coyote launchers.

Earlier Coyote variants, such as Block 1B and Block 2, were used to intercept drones using kinetic means, including proximity warheads and direct collisions. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The Coyote system originated with Advanced Ceramic Research in Arizona and underwent multiple ownership changes before being acquired by Raytheon in 2015. It was first developed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance roles and has since evolved into a multi-role UAS with kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities. Non-kinetic versions are designed for electronic warfare or directed energy missions and can be recovered and reused. The Block 3 variant, under contract with the U.S. Navy since February 2021, is equipped with a non-kinetic payload and can be launched from unmanned surface or underwater vehicles.

The U.S. Army has procured Coyote systems through multiple contracts. In January 2024, RTX received a $75 million contract to produce 600 Coyote 2C interceptors. In April 2024, a separate $237 million contract was awarded to provide KuRFS and Coyote systems for use in U.S. Central Command operations. In September 2024, the Department of Defense announced a $197 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to Raytheon for additional Coyote systems, with work scheduled through September 30, 2027. The U.S. Army’s fiscal year 2025 budget request includes $116.3 million for Coyote interceptor procurement.

Looking ahead, the Army plans to acquire a minimum of 6,000 Coyote Block 2 kinetic interceptors and 700 non-kinetic Block 3 interceptors from 2025 to 2029, along with 252 fixed-site launcher systems, 25 mobile launchers, 118 fixed-site KuRFS units, and 33 mobile KuRFS units. The system is integrated into a broader Army effort to develop maneuver short-range air defense (M-SHORAD) capabilities and counter-drone “system of systems” approaches. Operational deployment of the Coyote platform has included hurricane data collection for NOAA and counter-UAS missions for the U.S. military. In 2022, the U.S. approved the sale of 10 FS-LIDS systems, including 200 Coyote Block 2s, to Qatar in a $1 billion agreement. In December 2023, the Army confirmed plans to acquire 6,700 Coyote interceptors through 2029, indicating sustained demand for the system.