The U.S. Army is purchasing 600 Coyote drone-killing interceptors from defense contractor RTX for $75 million, fortifying its ability to counter unmanned aerial systems. Led by the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, the Army used rapid acquisition authority to secure the counter-drone munitions in less than 30 days.
The Army already deploys some Coyote systems in mobile and stationary setups, but this latest purchase marks growth in demand and production. A contracting notice describes the military’s intent to obtain and deploy thousands of Coyote interceptors and hundreds of their associated launchers and radars in the next five fiscal years.
Days before the deal with RTX, Iran-backed militants killed three soldiers and injured dozens more with a one-way attack drone at the Tower 22 installation in Jordan. This incident underscored the pressing need to combat drones, which can be relatively cheap to assemble with off-the-shelf parts.
RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies, is the second largest defense contractor in the world based on defense-related revenue, making $39 billion in 2022 and $41.8 billion in 2021.
Colin Demarest is a reporter at C4ISRNET, covering military networks, cyber, and IT, as well as the Department of Energy and its National Nuclear Security Administration.
