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The US Army is upgrading its anti-drone capabilities, securing a deal worth $75 million for 600 Coyote 2C interceptors from defense giant RTX. This acquisition, disclosed on February 9, marks a substantial effort by the Army to enhance its defense mechanisms against unmanned aerial systems, leveraging the Coyote 2C’s ground-launched, radar-guided technology.

This procurement, spearheaded by the Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, utilizes “rapid acquisition authority” to expedite the delivery of these counter-drone munitions within an unprecedented timeframe of less than 30 days. This contrasts with traditional procurement methods, which often extend over months or years.

The Army’s decision to expand its inventory of mobile and stationary Coyote systems underlines a growing demand for effective countermeasures against low, slow, and small unmanned aircraft threats. In a notice, the government disclosed the Army needed “to develop, produce and maintain countermeasures against enemy armed and intelligence-gathering UASs operating at various speeds and altitudes, which are targeting both US and their allies’ interests at home and abroad.”

The timing of this acquisition coincides with the aftermath of a drone attack by Iran-backed militants at the Tower 22 installation in Jordan, near the Syrian border, which inflicted casualties and injuries on US soldiers.