Raytheon’s reusable drone drops swarms without a bang

Raytheon’s non-kinetic Coyote intelligently responds to the growing threat of drone swarms. Companies and militaries are looking for cost-effective solutions to deal with large numbers of cheap, off-the-shelf drones. The Raytheon division of RTX has truly created a new variant that shows what all the fuss is about.

The Coyote Block 3 Non-Kinetic variant simply shoots out of a tube and flies through the air. It’s powered by a small turbine engine and before you know it, it’s flying at high speeds and altitudes, allowing it to quickly approach targets. Once airborne, it simply hovers over the disputed area, waiting for danger to appear. When the drones arrive, usually in large groups intended to overwhelm defenses, the Coyote springs into action.

Unlike its explosive counterparts or missiles, which simply crash into targets, this Coyote has a non-kinetic charge, known as an invisible burst of electricity, that instantly damages the drone’s circuitry. Circuits fail, the controls lock up and the enemy plane falls from the sky. There is no fireball or shrapnel; the attacking drone simply falls to the ground and the Coyote continues flying.
This capability was tested during recent demonstrations for the US military. In an exercise at Yuma Proving Grounds, operators launched drone swarms directly at the defense setup. The Coyote Block 3 Non-Kinetic then fought many incoming drones at once. Footage from that exercise shows the interceptor speeding past its targets, followed by the drones plunging through the air without any sign of an explosion or hit. According to reports, at least ten drones were destroyed in one attack, including the troublesome Group 1 and Group 2 types that the adversary likes to deploy in large numbers.

The recovery function is another key benefit of this device, as the Coyote simply returns to base and falls into a net. The ground crew can then inspect the airframe, perform some basic maintenance and prepare it for the next voyage. Because it is reusable, you save a lot of money compared to building and launching single-use interceptors that go up in a cloud of smoke after one task. Instead of having to build a new lap every time, the main expenses are now fuel and the occasional revamp.

Raytheon is building both kinetic and non-kinetic variants of the Coyote, with the kinetic versions relying on direct impact or a nuclear warhead to completely destroy the target. The non-kinetic Block 3 variant has the same fast, jet-powered body and can fly faster and higher than many comparable aircraft, but replaces the explosive end with an electronics-focused defeat. This makes all the difference when drone swarms arrive in waves. Conventional missiles or cannons will simply run out of ammunition if the attacks continue for long periods of time, but an available platform with a reusable effect is a completely different problem.
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