Raytheon, a business unit of RTX (NYSE: RTX), has successfully completed three developmental tests of its new Coyote Block 2C+RM interceptor upgrades, marking a major milestone in counter-drone technology.
The program advanced from concept to testing in just 15 months, reflecting an accelerated push to meet urgent U.S. military requirements against evolving drone threats on modern battlefields.
Raytheon is self-funding the development of the Coyote Block 2C+RM upgrades, underscoring the company’s commitment to delivering rapid capability improvements without waiting for government contracts.
The upgraded interceptor builds on the combat-proven performance of existing Coyote variants, which have already intercepted hundreds of drones in operational environments around the world.
Key enhancements include the integration of a rocket motor designed to enable faster launch and flight, dramatically reducing the time needed to engage and neutralize incoming drone threats.
A new seeker and warhead are also being incorporated into the Block 2C+RM design, intended to defeat all classes of current and emerging drone threats across multiple mission environments.
The initial test series featured several first-of-its-kind events, including confirmation of initial integration with the current counter-drone architecture used by U.S. military forces.
Tests also included the first launches of a Coyote effector equipped with a tactical rocket motor, which improves threat engagement times and enables faster successive shots against multiple targets.
Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, highlighted the strategic value of the program’s common platform approach to scaling counter-drone capability quickly and efficiently.
“With a common backbone, Raytheon can rapidly scale the Coyote family across counter-drone missions — so we’re accelerating the pace of innovation,” said Laliberty.
“Coyote Block 2C+RM is the latest example of how we’re investing to deliver critical upgrades to combat-proven technology that give service members a decisive advantage on the battlefield,” Laliberty added.
RTX employs more than 180,000 people globally and reported 2025 sales of more than $88 billion, with its headquarters located in Arlington, Virginia.
