RTX's Raytheon launches new Coyote variant from helicopter

Raytheon, an RTX business, fired a new version of the company's combat-proven Coyote family of products from a helicopter during a recent test at Nine Mile Training Center, giving military forces a new capability to detect, identify, locate and defeat threats on the battlefield.

The new variant, Coyote LE SR, is part of a line of unmanned aerial systems called launched effects, which are fired from the air, ground, or sea and can perform a variety of missions. Previous variants have been used with significant success in combat as a counter-drone system; Coyote has successfully intercepted hundreds of drones. This new variant can perform reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition; electronic warfare; precision strike; and communications.

“Building on Coyote's combat-proven capabilities, this new variant will provide a significant battlefield advantage,” says Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “The Coyote LE SR is a low-cost, flexible system that equips troops with a new tool to outpace constantly evolving threats.”

Coyote LE SR uses collaborative autonomy allowing it to connect with other nearby sensors and systems to adjust its tactics and more efficiently and effectively achieve mission objectives based on real-time battlefield insights.

This test marked the first Coyote launch from a helicopter and is one of many demonstrations of Coyote's capabilities, expanding upon previous successful tests. Additional tests of Coyote LE SR will be held throughout 2025.