Mentioned:RTX RTX Corporation
RTX's Raytheon has completed three tests of the Coyote Block 2C+RM, a rocket motor-powered variant of its drone interceptor that upgrades propulsion, seeker, and warhead to counter advancing adversary threats. The company plans to double production by mid-2027 and pursue foreign military sales with Qatar and Jordan.
What's happening
- Coyote Block 2C+RM completed 3 successful tests after 15 months from conceptual design, upgrading from turbine to solid rocket motor propulsion.
- New variant features upgraded seeker and warhead while maintaining compatibility with existing Army launch cells, radar and command-control infrastructure.
- Raytheon quadrupled Coyote production over 18 months and plans to double output again by mid-2027.
- Army has scheduled additional Block 2C+RM tests into first half of 2027; Raytheon seeks government sponsorship to transition variant into program of record.
Why it matters
- Coyote Block 2C+RM increases threat engagement speed and successive shot capability, directly countering the evolution of adversary drone threats documented in Army operations.
- The upgrade extends the current system's operational life without requiring infrastructure replacement, protecting the Army's $5.04 billion eight-year Coyote contract awarded September 2025.
- Doubling production capacity by mid-2027 addresses documented demand: over 600 combat defeats achieved by Block 2C in current operations.
- International FMS cases with Qatar and Jordan expand the counter-UAS industrial base and secure allied air defense supply chains.
Going deeper
- Raytheon declined to name the rocket motor supplier, citing competitive sensitivity, meaning sub-tier propulsion capacity remains opaque to Army planning.
- Block 3NK non-kinetic variant continues testing with strong results; Army has not disclosed operational deployment, but FMS partners receive both kinetic and non-kinetic configurations.
- Coyote family expands beyond Block 2C+RM, with Laliberty describing a multi-configuration strategy rather than single-path production going forward.
The intrigue
- Transition of Block 2C+RM to program of record remains in discussion with Department of War; production rates and contract structure have not been finalized.
- Rocket motor supplier identity withheld for competitive reasons, limiting visibility into supply chain resilience and potential single-source dependencies.
The fine print
- Specific improvements in range and velocity not disclosed; Raytheon describes gains as significant but withheld quantified performance data.
- Block 2C+RM remains in test phase; additional testing scheduled through first half of 2027 before full production transition.
- FMS cases with Qatar and Jordan pending; timing and quantities not disclosed.
Source: Defense Daily · Oct 12, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.