raytheon, Company RTX, demonstrated the abilities of two of his own Integrated defense system against small, slow and unmanned aircraft (LID for its English acronym), in the summer testing period united states army, in front of senior officials from various allied international ground forces.
During the C-UAS solution exercise KuRFS and Coyote They met all the necessary requirements for neutralizing high-speed targets and verified their effectiveness against the constantly evolving enemy drones.
High precision multipurpose radar
The Ku-band radio frequency system (part of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range between 11 and 20 GHz) is a 360-degree coverage radar capable of detecting drones, missiles, artillery and mortar projectiles that can be installed in just 30 minutes. in a fixed place or on a vehicle.
Although Raytheon built a solution KuRFS helping the US military defend against various types of attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan, The device is currently still used as a radar for the early detection of unmanned aerial systems. KuRFS uses a radar technique called electronically scanned active matrix, which uses several small antennas instead of one high-powered antenna to provide greater beam control. When operating in Ku-band, the system can acquire higher resolution images, which is an essential characteristic for tracking small aircraft.
The solution works with multiple weapon systems such as Phalanx ground guns caliber 50 and 30 mm guns or high-energy laser and system Coyote.
KuRFS system installed on an armored personnel carrier. Signature: Raytheon
A C-UAS solution with replaceable payloads
The Coyote Unmanned Aircraft System was selected by the United States Army as a short-term anti-UAS solution due to its ability to effectively identify and eliminate threats using an advanced seeker and high-explosive warhead.
Coyote It can fly singly or in a swarm and is designed to carry interchangeable payloads, making it adaptable to a wide range of missions, including surveillance, electronic warfare and attack maneuvers.
The drone can be deployed from the ground, from the air, or from a ship using a tube launcher, so it is ready to withstand strong acceleration. In addition, it enables improved tracking, targeting capabilities, near-real-time damage assessment and reduces the threat of enemy UAS.
Coyote drone moments after it was deployed. Signature: Raytheon
Detection and effective reduction of emissions
During the stress tests of the summer exercise radar KuRFS excelled in detecting and tracking an entire swarm of over 30 UAS. On the part of the solution Coyote It engaged multiple targets, both single and swarm, and showed its speed in neutralizing enemy air vehicles. Thanks to these tests, the latest improvements Hardware and software performed in both systems.
President of Raytheon Air and Ground Defense Systems, Tom Laliberty, stated that “as the threat from unmanned systems continues to grow, the performance and reliability of the complete C-UAS system is critical, and we remain committed to continually improving these systems to provide our customers with an effective solution to stay ahead of the curve. threat”
International interest in this type of system is high and more and more allied countries are requesting information and demonstrations to consider purchasing them. In October 2022, Raytheon won a contract from the United States Army to equip two of its divisions with anti-aircraft equipment. LID, improve your anti-drone defenses. The company has also recently won two additional contracts, one to supply an additional number of fixed and mobile systems Army Central Command, and another intended to equip the third division.