A new U.S. weapon could change the future of drone warfare. Meet the Coyote Block 3NK—an interceptor drone that can disable enemy UAVs without firing a missile or exploding on impact. Recent U.S. Army tests show entire swarms dropping from the sky after encountering it. Recoverable, reusable, and designed to defeat saturation attacks, this system could reshape air defense against China, Russia, or Iran. But how exactly does it knock drones out of the sky?
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#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #military #modernwarfare #militaryanalysis
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00:01Picture the scene. Tensions flare in the South China Sea, and shots are fired between the U.S. and China.
00:08A Chinese Zhuqian drone mothership takes off and releases a stream of dozens of deadly UAVs,
00:14which streak towards a U.S. military base somewhere on the first island chain.
00:20Air raid alert sirens blare at the base, and U.S. air defense forces scramble into action.
00:25But instead of the skies being filled with anti-drone missiles and gunfire,
00:30the base simply fires off a handful of UAVs of its own.
00:34It looks like an entirely inadequate response.
00:37How are these few drones going to contend with the massive approaching drone swarm?
00:42But, as the U.S. drones near the swarm, the Chinese drones start falling out of the sky,
00:48disabled and completely useless.
00:50The Chinese commanders are shocked.
00:52Their swarm has been defeated, and they can only watch as U.S.-guided missiles begin streaking towards the hastily retreating
01:00duty end.
01:01It sounds like science fiction, but it's all too real.
01:05The U.S. has successfully tested and is busy deploying a new anti-drone system
01:10that can literally knock enemy drones out of the sky without firing a shot or ramming them directly.
01:16The Coyote Block 3NK.
01:19So, here's the inside scoop on this innovative and futuristic weapon,
01:24and how it could prove decisive in a clash between the U.S. and China, Russia, or Iran.
01:30Footage released of U.S. Army tests at the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona in early 2026
01:37shows the Coyote Block 3NK, which stands for non-kinetic, zapping a swarm of drones out of the sky.
01:45The tests of what is known as the LOW, Slow Small Unmanned Aircraft, Integrated Defeat System, or LIDS,
01:53were intended to validate the latest Coyote variant under stress-level drone saturation attacks.
01:59Around 10 drones approach from different directions to test the supporting radar's Q-band radio frequency sensor
02:07and its ability to track them, as well as the Coyote's ability to lock on, make decisions, and engage.
02:14And based on the footage provided by manufacturer Raytheon, the tests were a resounding success.
02:19In the footage, the incoming drones simply tumble out of the sky as they come into proximity of the Coyote.
02:26None escapes.
02:28Then, the cherry on top, with its mission complete, the Coyote is guided into a large net
02:33from where it can be recovered intact and then reused.
02:37The tests indicate that the Coyote Block 3NK drones are likely ready for deployment
02:42if they haven't been deployed already.
02:44That would bring to fruition a process that started in earnest half a decade ago.
02:50In February 2021, the U.S. Defense Department, recently redubbed the Department of War by President Donald Trump,
02:58announced that it awarded Raytheon a $33 million contract to develop a Coyote Block 3 autonomous strike capability.
03:06The award, intended to support the Navy's Future Advanced Strike, or FAST, initiative,
03:12included work to achieve operational launch capability from unmanned surface vessels, or USVs,
03:19and unmanned underwater vessels, or UUVs, and had an expected completion date of February 2024.
03:27Substantial progress was evidently made because in April 2022,
03:32the Defense Department announced a $10 million modification to the contract,
03:36specifically to design, build, and integrate the Coyote Block 3 launch tube assembly into a UUV.
03:43The contract also required Raytheon to procure and deliver the air systems needed for the UUV demonstration,
03:50and to provide systems engineering, integration, and test support for both high-volume long-range precision strike,
03:57HVL-RPS, from USVs, and fires, HVL-RPF.
04:03Raytheon was also tasked with providing field support personnel,
04:07test readiness, safety coordination, and program management,
04:11and optional integration of government-furnished equipment for forward payloads and tests.
04:16All of that was expected by the end of November 2023.
04:20Then in May 2023, Raytheon received a further cost-plus-fix-fee contract
04:26worth up to $147 million to complete these modifications.
04:31The work was now expected to be complete by Christmas Day 2024.
04:36Now, the Coyotes in the footage from the latest test show the drones being fired from ground-based launchers.
04:42More about those in a minute.
04:44So it's not clear if they've been tested or deployed on the Navy's USVs, or UUVs, yet.
04:50But the timing of this latest test, and its success, is poignant.
04:54Not just for its military implications, but for Trump and the shareholders of RTX Corp, Raytheon's holding company.
05:02In January 2026, Trump issued an executive order threatening to restrict dividends and stock buybacks of US defense contractors
05:10unless they improve delivery performance.
05:13The Pentagon has subsequently announced comprehensive performance evaluations of its contractors,
05:19with RTX Corp, named as one of the main companies, being targeted.
05:23The company, along with other major defense firms like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman,
05:28is thus under pressure to increase weapon production while maintaining investor returns,
05:33which in recent years have been juicy, to say the least.
05:36The RTX share price may have fallen by almost 1% in the weeks following Trump's announcement,
05:42but it's up over 60% compared to a year ago, and 175% compared to five years ago.
05:49So, successfully delivering the Coyote Block 3NK, even if these tests come more than a year past the expected delivery
05:56date,
05:57should go a long way to offset Raytheon's other recent high-profile delivery delays,
06:02with AGM-154C joint stand-off glide bombs and SM-6 missiles.
06:07And that should keep both Trump and investors happy, especially when you consider the military potential.
06:13That's because right now, the Coyote 3 is a unique weapon,
06:17with capabilities and use cases that set it apart from others in its class.
06:22And showcasing the most interesting and consequential new weapon systems is what we specialize in here at the military show,
06:29along with cutting-edge reporting and analysis of the latest military development in all the major hotspots on the planet.
06:36So, subscribe to the channel for the inside scoop of what's really going on in global military affairs.
06:42Now, as the name suggests, the Coyote Block 3 is the third evolution of the Coyote platform.
06:49Both previous evolutions, Coyote Block 1 and Coyote Block 2, already used with the U.S. military,
06:55underscoring just how highly the platform is regarded.
06:58The original Block 1 was the product of a 2004 U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research, or ONR, specification,
07:06for a Sonoshoot Launch Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, or SLUAV.
07:11This was to be an expendable vehicle, stored in and launched from a standard airborne Sonoboy dispenser,
07:17whose primary mission was to provide P-3C Orion Patrol aircraft with standoff surveillance capability.
07:24Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc., which was subsequently taken over by Raytheon,
07:29was awarded the contract and delivered the Coyote with the maiden flight in 2007.
07:35The Coyote comes packed in a canister,
07:37which can either be launched from ships with standard Sonoboy dispensers,
07:41or ground launch using a pneumatic tube launcher.
07:44Once the canister has been ejected from the dispenser,
07:47a parachute deploys, and the canister is drawn away from the airframe.
07:51Then, the UAV's two pairs of wings, the twin vertical tails, and the propeller blades are extended,
07:58the small electric motor is started, and the autopilot initiates a pull-up maneuver.
08:03The Coyote also has a GPS-based navigation system to fly completely automatic missions,
08:09but can also be controlled via line-of-sight data link.
08:12While its initial, and indeed current, primary usage was for ISR,
08:17it can also be equipped with a kinetic warhead and converted into a loitering munition.
08:21What's more, Raytheon has successfully demonstrated the Coyote's swarming capabilities
08:26as part of ONR's low-cost UAV swarming technology, or LOCUS, program,
08:32where several UAVs operate together autonomously as a team.
08:36And that capability also extends to the Block 2 and Block 3 variants.
08:41As an aside, whoever it is inside the US Navy, and particularly the ONR,
08:46who devises the names for these programs, they don't get the credit they deserve.
08:50LOCUS as a name for a drone swarm, where the acronym fits the word so precisely,
08:55is sensational work by the designation department.
08:58But be that as it may, while the Coyote's ability to swarm made it a contender for the LOCUS program,
09:05its relatively slow speed put it at somewhat of a disadvantage,
09:09especially when quick engagement of fast-moving incoming adversary drones is needed.
09:14With a length of 3 feet, wingspan of just under 5 feet, and a weight of 13 pounds without a
09:20warhead,
09:21it's a good size for a canister-launch UAV.
09:24And its 30,000 feet ceiling and 80-mile link range make it very useful for ISR across an extended
09:30area.
09:31However, its maximum speed of 80 miles per hour and cruising speed of 63 miles per hour
09:37are just not fast enough to effectively take on, say, a Russian Geren drone.
09:42Nonetheless, the Coyote Block 1, or rather the upgraded Block 1B,
09:47became a key component of the US Army's Howler C-UAS system, which has been operational since 2019.
09:54The Army procured thousands of them for use in its Mobile Low Slow Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System,
10:01or M-LIDS, and fixed Sight Low Slow Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or FS-LIDS.
10:09And the US Marine Corps also began using the Block 1B as part of its Ground-Based Air Defense,
10:15or GBAD, counter-UAV defense system in 2018.
10:19However, in the meantime, no doubt inspired in part by experiences from the war in Ukraine,
10:25Raytheon developed a jet-powered derivative called Coyote Block 2.
10:29Unlike the original, which is intended for ISR missions and as a loitering munition,
10:34Block 2 is an interceptor drone, effectively an anti-drone surface-to-air guided missile.
10:41It uses a rocket-assisted launch and is powered in flight by a small turbojet engine.
10:46Instead of flip-out wings, it uses strakes on the body and four flip-out fins for lift and maneuverability.
10:52The tungsten fragmentation warhead is optimized for use against small drones,
10:57which can engage at a range of up to 9 miles, with a re-attack capability in case the target
11:02evades a hit on the first try.
11:05Moreover, with a speed of 345 miles per hour, it's rapid enough to intercept most large incoming drones.
11:12As a result, the US Army has upgraded its Howler, M-LIDS, and FS-LIDS systems to use Block 2
11:19and Block 3 Coyotes instead.
11:21In December 2023, the Army revealed plans to purchase 6,000 Block 2s and 700 Block 3s,
11:28along with 252 fixed launchers, 52 mobile launchers, 118 fixed Kuban radars, and 33 mobile radars.
11:38Raytheon was also contracted to provide support for the maintenance and repair of at least 15 Coyote systems,
11:44both in the US and unspecified forward-deployed locations around the world.
11:49The current M-LIDS configuration consists of a 4x4 M-ATV mine-resistant vehicle,
11:55with a turret armed with a two-round Coyote launcher alongside a 30mm XM914 automatic cannon.
12:03The turret has electro-optical sensors to help spot and track incoming drones,
12:08as well as a mass-mounted Kuban radar to cue the Coyotes.
12:11The complete M-LIDS system also includes a second M-ATV vehicle,
12:16equipped with additional sensors and electronic warfare capabilities.
12:21FS-LIDS, on the other hand, is a two-part palletized system,
12:25with the first pallet containing a 4-round Coyote launcher and a sensor array,
12:30and the second a Q-Band radar.
12:32The Q-Band radio frequency system, or Q-RFS radar,
12:36is larger, more capable than the Q-720 radar used in the M-LIDS configuration.
12:42While both share common software and architecture,
12:45Q-720 quadrant arrays are a quarter the size of the Q-RFS arrays,
12:51providing a scaled radar for mobile needs.
12:53In addition to these primarily ground-based use cases for the Army,
12:58the Coyote 2's original mission profile of naval anti-drone defense is still in play.
13:03In March 2025, the US Navy announced its intention to equip some Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
13:09with Coyote Block 2s, together with Anduril's Roadrunner M,
13:13another promising innovative interceptor drone.
13:16This should give the ships a more cost-effective defense option
13:19against low- and medium-performance attack drones than full-size surface-to-air missiles.
13:25Block 2s are estimated to cost around $100,000 each,
13:29a small fraction of all the US Navy's surface-to-air missiles.
13:32By comparison, as of 2020, the Navy's SM-3 Block-11A cost in excess of $36 million each,
13:41with the Block-1B version costing almost $12 million.
13:44The SM-6 costs $4.3 million,
13:47SM-2s cost between $1.2 and $2.3 million, depending on the variant,
13:53and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, or E-SSM, costs around $1.8 million.
13:59Even the least pricey arrow in the Navy's quiver,
14:02the Rolling Airframe Missile, or RAM, comes in at around $905,000.
14:08While it's unclear how much Coyote Block 3s cost,
14:11that $100,000 price tag makes the Block 2s much more cost-effective
14:16than missiles against Iranian Shahhead-136 and the derivative Russian Jeren-2 drones,
14:22which cost anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000 each.
14:26The newer jet-powered Jeren-3s cost $100,000 to $150,000,
14:32making the Coyote pretty much a like-for-like countermeasure in terms of cost.
14:36However, there's still a significant price mismatch when it comes to China's range of loitering munitions.
14:42The Delta Wing, gasoline-powered Fei-Long 300D only costs around $10,000 per unit,
14:49while the Shenzhen Sky Wing, which is essentially a clone of the US's Switchblade 300-600,
14:55costs around $13,000 per unit, excluding the warhead and ground control system.
15:00The more advanced, smart-guided Sunflower 200 is likely to be more pricey,
15:05given its more advanced guidance, but it still costs significantly less than $100,000.
15:10While a successful interception of one of these drones by a Coyote Block 2
15:15would prevent the costs of the damage caused if it had hit its target,
15:19there's still a 5 to 10 times price differential between the Interceptor and its target.
15:24And that's where the Block 3NK could make all the difference,
15:28especially against drone swarms launched on the aforementioned Dutian drone mothership
15:33or China's light vehicle-mounted swarm launchers.
15:36Most of the specifications are classified, but from the available footage,
15:40it's clear that the Block 3NK shares the wing layout of the Block 1,
15:44but is launched with rocket boosters and looks to be slightly bigger than the original.
15:49Most intriguingly, Raytheon hasn't disclosed the non-kinetic method
15:52by which the Block 3 sends drones tail-spinning uselessly to the ground or ocean,
15:57as the case may be.
15:59This has led to much speculation about whether it uses a high-power microwave
16:03or HPM warhead or electronic warfare suite to zap its targets.
16:08The former works by firing a directed burst of electromagnetic energy
16:12that sends a jolt of high-voltage electricity through the target circuits,
16:16similar to how a taser works,
16:18and frying them so fast that the drone drops out of the sky.
16:22The latter simply receives the drone's signals.
16:25Certainly, in the footage from the latest tests,
16:28the drones tumble out of the sky without visible collision,
16:30blast flash, or fragmentation pattern.
16:33That's a signature consistent with electromagnetic or electronic defeat
16:37rather than a proximity warhead,
16:39which would be the next most likely option.
16:42Block 3 offers two highly compelling advantages
16:44as an anti-swarm countermeasure.
16:47Firstly, its ability to take down multiple drones
16:50levels out the cost-effectiveness equation,
16:53and it could even reverse it.
16:54In situations where the downed drones could fall on populated areas,
16:59critical infrastructure, or friendly troop positions,
17:02the fact that they don't explode when hit
17:04should also act to minimize collateral damage.
17:07As evidence in Ukraine,
17:08debris from downed drones can be as destructive as direct hits.
17:12Secondly, it can be recovered and reused.
17:15From a battlefield commander's perspective,
17:18a recoverable non-kinetic interceptor changes
17:21how a defended unit can pace its engagement.
17:24Instead of firing one missile per drone until the launcher is empty,
17:27a loitering effector can be positioned on likely incoming routes,
17:31queued by radar,
17:32tasked to disrupt or disable multiple threats,
17:35then return for rapid turnaround.
17:37Raytheon has also highlighted recent upgrades
17:40that improve launch speed, range,
17:42and high altitude performance across the Coyote line
17:45to keep pace with heavier UAVs carrying larger payloads
17:49and flying longer profiles.
17:51The company has also claimed a 50% reduction
17:53in recovery to return-to-flight timelines for 3NK.
17:57If replicated in field conditions,
18:00that would directly translate into a higher sustained defensive tempo
18:03during repeated attack waves.
18:05In addition,
18:06the Block 3 can also act as a node
18:08in the forward area air defense command and control network.
18:12As noted earlier,
18:13it can also be networked with other Coyotes,
18:15which can then autonomously divide up targets
18:17and decide how to engage them most efficiently
18:20without the need for a human operator.
18:22It can even configure the attack field
18:24to take on several incoming targets simultaneously.
18:27Add it all up,
18:28and the Coyote can loiter an attack
18:30for the cost of its fuel and battery refurbishment
18:33without sacrificing a valuable airframe
18:35and sensor suite after each engagement.
18:38For its part,
18:39even before these latest successful tests,
18:41the Army clearly seems to be enthused
18:43by the potential of the Coyote system.
18:45In October 2025,
18:47the US Department of War announced a contract
18:50valued at nearly $5 billion for Coyote interceptors,
18:53with deliveries running through 2033.
18:56At this point,
18:57the Block 3 and K offers a unique value proposition.
19:01Raytheon's counter-UAS directed energy weapons
19:04and HPM platforms
19:05are designed to disable drones
19:07via electromagnetic pulses,
19:09similar in effect to the Block 3 and K's
19:11non-kinetic payload.
19:13However,
19:13these are mounted systems,
19:15not interceptor drones.
19:16The US Army's DEM Shorrad,
19:19short for Directed Energy Mobile Short-Range Air Defense,
19:22also integrates laser and HPM technologies
19:25to disable drones without explosive warheads,
19:28but it cannot also loiter like the Block 3 and K.
19:32There are also a growing number of interceptor drones
19:34being developed in and for Ukraine,
19:37but most of these are either purely kinetic,
19:39bringing down drones by smashing into them,
19:41or include an explosive warhead.
19:43Most of these don't have the ability to loiter
19:46and are not reusable.
19:47Laser-based systems like the UK's Dragonfire
19:50hold the promise of bringing down drone swarms
19:52for a cost of just $10 a shot,
19:55but they're also ground-based
19:56and have limited range and ceiling
19:58compared to the Block 3 and K.
20:00Take a look at our recent video about the Dragonfire
20:02to learn more about this compelling new system.
20:05With the US's primary adversaries,
20:08China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea,
20:10all actively developing drone swarm technology,
20:13the Coyote Block 3 and K
20:15could be the ultimate monkey wrench in the works,
20:17a smart, cost-effective way
20:19to deal with multiple drones at once
20:21and then come back for more.
20:23With Anduril's Roadrunner M
20:24and other innovative anti-drone systems
20:27also seemingly being implemented at scale,
20:29we'll be keeping a close eye
20:31on developments in the space.
20:33So, make sure you're subscribed to the channel
20:35to keep your finger on the pulse.
20:37Thanks for watching.
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