Raytheon’s COYOTE and WITU’s StingFly Attract Attention
During MSPO 2020 in Kielce, Poland, Raytheon and Wojskowy Instytut Techniczny Uzbrojenia (WITU) showcased two tactical drones for combat missions.
Raytheon’s COYOTE is a tube-launched tactical drone that can be deployed as individual entities or in swarms and is well suited for the surveillance, electronic warfare and strike roles. The system can operate for up to 60min and is designed for interchangeable payloads, featuring both a seeker and a warhead. Although the system was first unveiled in 2004, this marks its debut at MSPO. It has already been procured by NASA and the US Army, the latter requesting it be equipped with an electronically-scanned radar for the counter-UAS role.
At the same time WITU attracted interest with its StingFly loitering munition, carrying a GX-1 warhead. Official information at the show indicates it has an endurance of some 30min, a maximum take-off wight of 6kg and an operational ceiling of 300m – though its maximum operating altitude is up to 2,000m. Range is 5-15km and the UAS is controlled by a radio datalink. Cruise speed is 100km/h, maximum speed 180km/h and take-off is automated. StingFly is tube-launched and can be manpacked by a single operator.
Robert Czulda in Kielce for MON
