Army issues notice of intent to award Raytheon C-UAS, KuRFS contract

By Dan Schere / December 19, 2023 at 5:30 AM

The Army intends to award RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) a contract for the Coyote counter-drone system and the Ku-Band Radio Frequency System, which will support a production requirement during the five-year period of fiscal year 2025 to FY-29, according to a sole-source notice posted yesterday.

The Coyote UAS system, manufactured by RTX, is a “small, expendable and tube-launched” system that can be deployed from the ground, air or a ship. The system can be used for surveillance, electronic warfare and strike, and can operate for up to one hour, according to the company.

RTX’s Ku-Band Radio Frequency System (KuRFS) is a 360-degree radar that senses incoming drones, rockets artillery and mortars. It was originally built to help the Army during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and can support the Coyote weapon system, according to the company. RTX won a $207 million contract for KuRFS and Coyote effectors in October 2022 to equip two Army divisions as well as to support flight tests and operational deployments.

Monday’s notice states the Army “has a need to develop, produce and maintain countermeasures against enemy-armed and intelligence gathering UASs operating at various speeds and altitudes which are targeting both the U.S. and their allies’ interests at home and abroad.” According to the notice, the Army’s production requirement for FY-25 through FY-29 is for:

  • 252 fixed-site Coyote launcher systems
  • 25 mobile Coyote launcher systems
  • 6,000 Coyote kinetic interceptors
  • 118 Ku-Band Radio Frequency Systems (KuRFS)
  • 33 mobile KuRFS

The notice also states the government is soliciting feedback from interested vendors that have “sufficient logistics, engineering and other expertise” to support the Coyote and KuRFS without the aid of a technical data package. Those sources, it notes, should be prepared to provide maintenance, training and spare parts for the Coyote and KuRFS as soon as March. Interested vendors must be able to maintain and repair the two systems at a minimum of 15 sites both in and outside the continental United States.

Interested vendors are asked to respond to the notice by Jan. 2, 2024.

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