US approves FS-LIDS counter-UAV system for Qatar

A still from a video released by Raytheon shows a Coyote Block 2 being launched during tests at Yuma Proving Ground in August 2021. (Raytheon Technologies)

The US Department of State has approved the sale of counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) systems estimated to be worth USD1 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 29 November.

The approval covers 10 Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small UAV Integrated Defeat Systems (FS-LIDS) and 200 Coyote Block 2 interceptors, as well as associated equipment and services.

The FS-LIDS is a ‘system of systems' developed by SRC Technology for the US Army and uses the company's AN/TPQ-50 counter-fire radar and electro-optic cameras to detect and track small UAVs. Targets can be engaged using an electronic warfare system or Coyote interceptors.

The Coyote was originally developed by Raytheon as a multi-purpose disposable UAV/loitering munition. The Block 2 has a small jet turbine engine, making it faster than the propellor-driven Block 1, and the original's fold-out wings were replaced with fixed ones along the side of its fuselage, making the new variant look more like a missile than a UAV.

While Raytheon has not published performance specifications, it has released a video showing Coyote Block 2s destroying several UAVs with proximity explosions during tests at the Yuma Proving Ground in August 2021.

The Coyote is used with Raytheon's Ku-band Radio Frequency System (KuRFS) multifunction radar, which the company says can detect a 9 mm bullet, making it ideal for identifying small aircraft in a cluttered environment.