Army seeks extended-range anti-drone missile to counter small UAS

US Army is pursuing the Next Generation C-sUAS Missile (NGCM) to intercept Group 2–3 small drones at ranges beyond 16–25 km with radar guidance, designed to integrate with the Coyote Launcher and existing air-defense radars in fixed or mobile configurations. The program targets field testing by 2027 and 50 missiles ready for assessment by 2028, with a price below $150k per missile to enable bulk procurement, while non-kinetic options like lasers remain in consideration.