At a test range in the US state of Arizona, a new weapon specially developed to bring drones out of the sky has recently been tested. During trials at Yuma Proving Ground, various kinds of unmanned aircraft were intercepted and destroyed, ranging from small commercial drones to larger military UAVs. The tests show how seriously armies worldwide now take the threat from the air.
Since the war in Ukraine, the use of drones has accelerated. They are used for reconnaissance, directing artillery and direct attacks. That makes them effective, but also hard to counter. Traditional air defence missiles are often too expensive and unsuitable for stopping large numbers of small drones. As a result, the search for affordable and specialised solutions is in full swing. Below a video of the Raytheon Coyote
Missiles are too expensive for cheap drones
Practice on the battlefield shows that the classic air defence concept is under pressure. Firing a missile costing hundreds of thousands of euros at a drone that sometimes costs no more than a small car is not sustainable in the long run. Certainly not when drones are used in groups or even swarms. Yet that is exactly what happens in Ukraine every day.
This has led to a new generation of weapons specifically designed to take out drones. These systems are smaller, cheaper and quicker to deploy than traditional air defence. They form an extra layer of defence, aimed at low altitudes and short to medium ranges.
One of the best-known examples is the Raytheon Coyote.
Raytheon Coyote: small, fast and targeted
The Coyote once started as a compact reconnaissance drone, but has since been developed into an interceptor specifically intended to counter other drones. During the tests at Yuma Proving Ground, the system showed that it can effectively take out different types of UAVs, even when they move fast or unpredictably.
The Coyote is launched from a tube and first gets a short rocket boost. It then switches to its own propulsion, quickly building up altitude and speed. Depending on the version, the interceptor can reach speeds of over five hundred kilometres per hour. This allows it to keep up with and intercept even faster drones.
The effective interception range is roughly up to about fifteen kilometres from the launch point. Within that area, the Coyote can be guided to a target on its own, being updated via sensors and data links. In some scenarios it can even stay in the air for a short time to wait for a suitable moment to intercept.
Instead of a heavy explosive charge, the Coyote uses a relatively small warhead tailored to destroying fragile drone structures. That limits collateral damage and makes the system suitable for use near friendly troops, ships or critical infrastructure.
Image RTX: the Coyote can also be fired from a helicopter.
Part of a larger defence system
What sets the Coyote apart is that it does not stand alone. The system is part of a broader defence set-up in which radar, sensors and command and control work together. Enemy drones are first detected and tracked, after which it can be determined automatically which threat has priority.
This makes it possible to tackle several drones at once, even when they fly low or appear in a short time. That is particularly relevant in attacks with several UAVs, something that is happening more and more often in recent conflicts.
Raytheon stresses that the Coyote has been developed as an affordable and scalable solution. Not as a replacement for traditional air defence, but as a supplement to it. According to the manufacturer, the system is intended to fill exactly the gap where heavy missile systems are too expensive or too slow.
That vision is supported by the contracts signed. The US Department of Defense has concluded multi-year agreements for the delivery of large numbers of Coyote interceptors, including launch systems and sensors. The system is now in use with army units and on naval ships. See below a video of the Roadrunner-M.
Other solutions are gaining ground
Raytheon is not the only player in this field. Defence companies worldwide are working on alternatives. A striking example is the Roadrunner-M from Anduril Industries. This system takes off vertically, flies autonomously towards the target and, if no interception takes place, can return to base. That reusable character considerably lowers the cost per use.
Anduril has received a large contract for this from the US Department of Defense and also works intensively with the US Marine Corps in the field of drone and air defence.
Steps are also being taken in Europe. MBDA developed DefendAir, a missile specifically intended for taking out drones and light air objects. It can be integrated on the Skyranger air defence system, among others. There are also smaller manufacturers, such as Frankenburg with the Mark 1, which focus on compact interceptors for short ranges.
Counter-drone warfare as a permanent part of warfare
The tests in Arizona make clear that counter-drone warfare is not a temporary trend, but a permanent part of modern warfare. Drones are cheap, quickly adaptable and hard to stop with traditional means. That forces armies to look at air defence differently.
