Overview
- The Army issued a sources‑sought notice in early August and set an Aug. 20 deadline for industry to describe designs that meet the Next Generation Counter‑sUAS Missile (NGCM) requirement.
- The notice demands a missile able to engage Group 2 and Group 3 drones at a threshold of 16 kilometers range at 6 kilometers altitude and an objective of more than 25 kilometers range at 8 kilometers altitude with a launch response under five seconds.
- Officials set cost and buy goals of under $150,000 per round and a planned procurement of at least 5,000 missiles to be produced at scale.
- The Army wants rapid maturation and testing with a target of Technology Readiness Level 7 by the end of fiscal 2027 and delivery of at least 50 missiles for an operational assessment in the first quarter of FY2028.
- The missile must fit Raytheon’s Coyote launcher with minimal changes and be compatible with Sentinel, LTAMDS and TPQ‑53 radars as fixed‑site and vehicle‑mounted variants are planned to protect bases and forces and ease pressure on high‑end interceptors.