Profile
- Type
- Counter-UAS interceptor drone
- Conflict side
- United States
- Origin
- United States
- Service note
- 2010s-present
Air Defense
Coyote counter-UAS interceptor / drone
The Coyote is a combat-proven, rail-launched counter-UAS effector from RTX/Raytheon. In the United States-Iran Conflict, U.S. forces used it to help defend Gulf air bases against short-range drone attacks, while the family continues to evolve into launched-effects variants.
- Conflict side
- United States
- Built by
- Raytheon
- Built in
- United States
Service History
- Used by
- United States Army
- Wars
- United States-Iran Conflict
Production History
- Built by
- Raytheon
- Built in
- United States
- Variants
- Coyote Block 2, Coyote Block 2C, Coyote Block 3, Coyote LE
Specifications
- Launch method
- Rail-launched from mobile and fixed-site platforms
- Propulsion
- Boost rocket motor with turbine engine
- Payload
- Kinetic and non-kinetic payloads
- Mission
- Short-range counter-UAS and launched effects
Conflict Usage
- United States-Iran Conflict
- Side: United StatesRole: Counter-UAS base defense
Reuters reporting said U.S. forces used RTX-made Coyote interceptors at Prince Sultan Air Base in the United States-Iran Conflict to combat short-range drone attacks.
Coyote counter-UAS interceptor / drone Images
Related Weapon Systems
Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system / C-RAMLand-based close-in weapon systemCounter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar system (C-RAM), also known as the land-based Phalanx Weapon System, is a U.S. fixed-site air-defense suite built around a 20 mm rapid-fire gun, sensors, and fire control to intercept rockets, mortars, and small drones. In the United States-Iran Conflict, U.S. forces used it around Baghdad to defend a diplomatic facility against drone and rocket attacks.
Merops counter-drone interceptorCounter-drone interceptor systemMerops is a U.S.-developed mobile counter-drone interceptor from Perennial Autonomy that launches small autonomous drones from a truck-mounted system. Combat-tested in Ukraine and rapidly fielded to the Middle East as the United States-Iran Conflict escalated, it gave U.S. forces a lower-cost way to counter Iranian drones.
Mesbah 123 mm anti-aircraft gun systemMesbah 1 is an Iranian short-range anti-aircraft gun system built around 23 mm autocannons, radar, and optical guidance for low-altitude threats. Open reporting describes it as part of Iran's gun-based air-defense layer against cruise missiles, helicopters, and drones, with production starting in 2010.
Mutabar-1 improvised air-defense systemImprovised short-range air-defense systemThe Mutabar-1 is Hamas's locally manufactured improvised air-defense system, publicly revealed in October 2023 and associated with attempts to engage low-flying Israeli aircraft and drones during the Israel-Hamas War.
Stunner interceptorMissile interceptorThe Stunner interceptor is the hit-to-kill missile used by David's Sling, Israel's medium-range air-defense layer co-developed by Rafael and Raytheon. During the Israel-Hamas War, the IDF said David's Sling used the system to intercept a surface-to-air missile fired toward an Israeli Air Force UAV operating in Lebanon, underscoring its role in layered air defense against rockets, missiles, and drones.
AN/TPQ-53 multimission radarMobile multimission counterfire and air-surveillance radarThe AN/TPQ-53 is a Lockheed Martin mobile active electronically scanned array radar originally fielded for counterfire target acquisition and later adapted for multimission sensing. In the United States-Iran Conflict, reporting on Operation Epic Fury credited the radar with ground-based tracking of rockets, missiles, and unmanned systems inside joint sensor networks.Sources
Coyote C-UASPublisher: RTX | Note: Supports manufacturer background, Coyote family specifications, and image provenance for the RTX product image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Army's air, missile defense countering UAS threat in multiple waysPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the public-domain Army image and background on the Coyote Anti-UAS role in Army counter-drone defense. | Accessed: 2026-06-20U.S. Army Taps Three Companies for Cutting-Edge Launched Effects DemonstrationPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the public-domain Army image and background on the Raytheon Coyote Block 3 launched-effect variant. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Exclusive: US turns to Ukrainian counter-drone tech after Iran attacks, sources sayPublisher: Reuters | Note: Supports United States-Iran Conflict direct-use reporting that U.S. forces used RTX-made Coyote interceptors at Prince Sultan Air Base in the United States-Iran Conflict to combat short-range drone attacks. | Accessed: 2026-06-20