The uss carl m. levin coyote launcher has appeared aboard the Pearl Harbor-based USS Carl M. Levin, marking the first known dedicated shipboard launcher for Raytheon’s combat-proven counter-UAS system on a U. S. Navy ship. The upgrade was installed as the service works to close gaps in its counter-drone defenses and move toward a more dedicated C-UAS afloat posture. The launcher was identified in an image taken on March 29 at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and released on April 8.
What the New Launcher Changes
The uss carl m. levin coyote launcher doubles missile capacity from four to eight and is adapted for conditions at sea, a Navy spokesperson said. The installation is the first in a series of upgrades being fitted across four ships ahead of the next Carrier Strike Group deployment, making the Levin the first publicly identified ship in that rollout.
The Navy has been pushing for more shipboard counter-UAS options after combat operations in the Middle East exposed shortfalls beginning in 2023. One near-impact in June 2025 left a U. S. Navy destroyer with just 100 yards to spare after a hostile drone approached the ship. To supplement existing anti-air weapons such as ESSM and SM-6, the service has been testing a range of systems on ships in the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group.
Why This Matters at Sea
The uss carl m. levin coyote launcher is being treated inside the fleet as a practical step toward a repeatable model for faster deployment of advanced capabilities. The Navy spokesperson said the updated launcher is intended to make the system more resilient and lethal, while also allowing the service to keep leveraging existing assets for defensive and offensive enhancement programs.
Previous Coyote C-UAS launcher variants were seen on USS Bainbridge and differed little from land-based versions. The newly installed version on the Levin appears to be more closely tailored for shipboard use, with the launcher adapted for sea conditions and expanded capacity.
What Officials and Experts Are Seeing
A Navy spokesperson said: “By updating the Coyote launcher to double its capacity from four to eight cells and further adapting the system for conditions at sea, the Navy is fielding a more resilient and lethal system. ” The same spokesperson said the installation represents the first “clear and repeatable model for accelerating the deployment of advanced capabilities throughout the Fleet. ”
Current Coyote interceptors come in two variants: the Coyote Block 2 kinetic interceptor and the Coyote Block 3NK non-kinetic interceptor. The Block 2 version has seen use during the war in Iran, while the Block 3 non-kinetic version has shown success in RTX-led testing. Those details make the uss carl m. levin coyote launcher part of a wider shift toward layered defenses against drones.
What Comes Next
The launcher on the Levin is the first in a planned series of upgrades for four ships tied to the next Carrier Strike Group deployment, and the Navy is now hard pressing toward a dedicated suite of counter-UAS systems under its C-UAS Afloat program. It remains unclear whether a Pacific-based Carrier Strike Group will be sent to CENTCOM, even as funding for counter-UAS efforts first emerged from urgent requirements in the Red Sea and wider Middle East. For now, the uss carl m. levin coyote launcher is the clearest sign yet that the Navy is moving from experiments to a more permanent shipboard defense model.
