Awarded in October 2022, Raytheon's contract to equip two Army divisions with KuRFS and Coyote marked the initial deployment of LIDS. This partnership expanded in 2023 with additional awards for fixed site and mobile systems, further bolstering the Army's Central Command operations. A subsequent contract aimed to extend LIDS's coverage to a third Army division, highlighting the growing reliance on this integrated counter-UAS solution.
Integrating KuRFS and Coyote with Northrop Grumman's Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control system (FAADC2) and an electronic warfare system by Syracuse Research Corporation, LIDS offers a deployable defense either as mobile or fixed, relocatable platforms. This versatility ensures that LIDS can provide stationary support for installations, assets, or sites, as well as transportable configurations for operational flexibility.
Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, then director of the Army's Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office, emphasized the necessity of a "system of systems approach" to counter the burgeoning threat from unmanned systems. At the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition in October 2022, Gainey advocated for a layered defense strategy capable of addressing a wide range of UAS threats, from small quadcopters to advanced cruise missile-type systems.
Bill Darne, Raytheon's Requirements and Capabilities director for counter-UAS capabilities, underscored the unique advantages of KuRFS and Coyote within the LIDS configuration. These components have undergone rigorous testing and have proven their effectiveness in operational settings. The KuRFS radar is celebrated for its precision and minimal false alarms, capable of detecting threats as small as a 9mm bullet. Meanwhile, the Coyote effector stands out for its ability to engage and defeat drones over extended ranges and altitudes, including single drones and swarms, in a cost-effective manner.
The collaboration between the U.S. Army and Raytheon has yielded a counter-UAS system that addresses critical gaps previously experienced in conflict zones. For instance, during operations in the Middle East, challenges such as false alarms had negative implications for mission success. The enhanced accuracy and reliability of KuRFS and Coyote now provide a significant advantage over past capabilities.
The effectiveness of LIDS was further confirmed through extensive testing at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, where KuRFS and Coyote demonstrated their prowess in stress tests and against complex drone swarms. These tests validated recent hardware and software enhancements, ensuring optimized performance and capability.
Looking ahead, the U.S. Army plans to continue testing LIDS, with international interest in the system growing. More than a dozen countries have sought briefings on LIDS, and the U.S. State Department has approved a potential sale of the counter-UAS system to Qatar. As LIDS remains operationally deployed, protecting soldiers, bases, and assets from enemy drones, its continued development and testing underscore a commitment to staying ahead of UAS threats.
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