Raytheon, an RTX business, has showcased its cutting-edge Low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft Integrated Defense System (LIDS) during the U.S. Army’s annual summer test period. The event attracted the attention of international allied ground forces, underlining the significance of LIDS as a counter-drone solution.
Photo: RTX
LIDS leverages Raytheon’s Ku-band Radio Frequency Sensor (KuRFS) and the Coyote family of effectors to provide a robust detect-and-defeat system for countering unmanned aerial threats.
Building on its successful demonstrations at the Army’s 2021 and 2022 summer tests, the combination of KuRFS and Coyote delivered exceptional results this year, effectively meeting all test requirements against high-speed, maneuvering targets.
Tom Laliberty, President of Land & Air Defense Systems at Raytheon, expressed satisfaction with the system’s performance, saying, “This marks another milestone in the proven track record of success and performance of our counter-UAS capabilities. As the threat of unmanned systems continues to grow, the performance and reliability of a complete C-UAS system is critical, and we remain committed to the continuous improvement of these systems to provide our customers with an effective solution to stay ahead of the threat.”
Raytheon’s KuRFS radar, with its persistent, 360-degree coverage, excelled in a stress test, successfully detecting and tracking a complex swarm of more than 30 unmanned aircraft vehicles. Coyote, a versatile effector, defeated several targets, including singles and swarms, showcasing its capability to engage and neutralize multiple threats with reduced engagement timelines. These tests served as validation for recent hardware and software enhancements made to both systems, optimizing their capabilities and performance.
The international community has shown significant interest in these systems, with multiple allied countries requesting information and briefings on their capabilities. Notably, the U.S. Army is taking proactive steps to bolster its counter-drone defenses with LIDS. In October 2022, Raytheon was awarded a contract to equip two Army divisions with LIDS. Subsequently, another contract was awarded earlier this year for additional fixed site and mobile LIDS systems to further support the U.S. Army’s Central Command. Recently, a third contract was awarded, aimed at equipping a third Army division.
The successful demonstration of LIDS and its integration of KuRFS and Coyote technology underscores Raytheon’s commitment to providing advanced solutions for countering the evolving threat of unmanned systems.
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