"Anti-drone weapon" Topic

"A prominent Russian firearms manufacturer recently debuted a pint-sized, single-shot 12-gauge firearm meant to swat down miniature quadcopters. The defense firm, Kalashnikov Concern, highlighted the piece as a major step forward."

However, Russian soldiers aren't as fussed:"One critic allegedly wrote a biting review of the firearm, stating, "You can probably only shoot yourself with it".
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I've always appreciated the Russian sense of humour.

As long as the state allocates huge sums of money to the development of anti-drone weapons, there will be a whole host of people eager to get their share of it. ))) Including such stillborn ideas.
I'd rather have assault rifle cartridges loaded with shotgun shells. Every soldier has a magazine of these rounds, giving them a last chance to save themselves.
But now, at least on the Russian side, special mobile air defense teams are being created on the front lines. These are usually two people skilled in shooting at moving, small targets, and their main task is to destroy FVP drones. They accompany assault teams on the battlefield, supply vehicles, and protect the designated perimeter… They are equipped with drone detectors, mobile radio jammers, and other specialized equipment.
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As for copying and emulating successful enemy weapons, this is common practice. For example, many countries, including the United States, are now producing their own versions of the Iranian Shahed.

I wonder what #shot is best for this work?

Thinking a mix of #2 and #4 shot. The same used against Ducks/geese.

Still #6 shot does cover a better pattern.

In the several videos I've seen, they have a better chance of destroying a drone with an automatic rifle at a distance than with a shotgun at close range, because when the drone explodes, the shrapnel usually impacts in a radius close to that fired by a shotgun.

Armand

Tango,
that's just what I was thinking about shotgun style defenses; while the chance to hit is likely greater than a system shooting ball ammunition, it's limited range (well under 100m for something like 00 buck) means a miss is a near certainty of taking at least some damage. It seems an automatic system firing regular ball ammunition at a higher rate of fire in a traversing and searching pattern might work better as now your ranges are at the 300m plus mark. But several Western reactive armor systems have a "shot" style defense…

JM,
your probably correct that heavier bird shot will do the trick against "football" size drones, but anything bigger would probably need 00 buck, I'd guess. But I'm not in Ukraine, so a guess it remains.

Cuprum,
I had to look up the 5.56mm anti-drone rounds; the US seems to have several versions, if not in service, at least on the test beds. It's basically a regular ball round that's longer and breaks apart in flight. Testing seems to show it would work fairly well. I wonder if its effective against modern body armor (would suck trying to engage drones and enemy infantry and have to worry about swapping magazines with each target..)

Agree with 00 buck, the distance when the drone explote is really important…

Armand

Both soldiers in such a group also carry shortened assault rifles.

Shotgun shells are too weak and have a limited range for assault rifles. A significant portion of assault soldiers work involves suppressive fire, often from relatively long range.

According to statistics collected by such air defense groups, on average, 3-4 shots are enough to destroy an FPV drone at close range.

Tango, a drone doesn't always explode upon impact. After all, damaging a propeller, a camera, or cutting a wire is enough for it to simply fall. Furthermore, not all drones carry fragmentation munitions—many carry shaped-charge, incendiary, and other types…

Russian anti-drone munitions:

Shot of various diameters, pellets bundled with Kevlar thread, two-bullet cartridge, shot for an assault rifle.

Drone Hunter:
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Thanks

Armand

The 21st century approach to anti-drone warfare is noow using lasers and soficiated fire control where multiple targets can be engaged nearly at the same time (seconds). A drone and it's armament may cost 10s or 100s of dollars (substitute your favorite currency)now can be destroyed by 39 cents wirth of energy!

Clausewitz wrote that War is imposing your will upon the enemy by denying his means to resist. This new technology does just that in spades! Will not take long to watch billions of dollars in drones get turned into wreckage at the cost of pennies to do it with. How long can a country sustain such costly combat losses before it denies their ability to build more?

Operatonal examples are installed on a couple US destroyers now serving in the Iran conflict.I'll get the popcorn…

I'd love to see American soldiers dragging laser naval installations across mountains and deserts to repel attacks from FPV drones.

Work on developing laser weapons to combat drones is also underway in Russia, but so far these are only prototypes.

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Three NATO Nations Combine Technologies in New Modular Counter-UAS Vehicle for Emerging Drone Warfare Challenges

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U.S. Marine Corps Seeks 5.56mm L Variant Anti-Drone Rounds to Add Final Protective Layer Against FPV Drone Threats

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Armand

Drones will have a presence on the battlefield, and they will continue to expand …

Will drones out number humans on the battlefield ? Well they very well may if drone swarms are increasingly employed …

Legion 4- Only if they can make them much, much cheaper!

Reports I have heard/read that there are initiatives, plans, etc. in the works of that consideration. However, generally like everything else, more mass production does tend to lower costs.

Regardless, all the different types of drones being seen used in all environments are certainly a plus for reducing losses, deployment opinions, and adding to the capabilities of the combined arms team, etc.

No doubt mass production can bring down by-piece prodction prices. I just cannot believe anyone can make a drone cheaper than a burst of electricity. Massive difference in warfighting expendable expenses to sustain combat capabilities.

Well we will see as tech advances … which is going on at a very past pace. However, I do believe that drones will not replace many of the weapons systems and humans on the battlefield today. In the air, water, under water and on the ground.

DRONES ARE NOT THE FUTURE OF WAR—THEY ARE THE PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

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Armand

Tango +1

Yes … again … the cycle is: Measure – Countermeasure – Counter – Countermeasure …

Aircraft required AAA

Tanks required AT

How the Arena KAZ attempted to teach kamikaze drones to detect:

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Russian tanks with new drone protection have already entered combat.

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The Russians are testing interceptors of Ukrainian drones, created on the basis of light piston aircraft (An-2, Yak-52) with Yolka interceptor drones suspended on pylons. The drone is guided to the target by the operator, then the AI takes over, under whose control the interceptor catches up with and destroys the target.

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Drones will still be used in modern warfare at a number of levels/roles.

Seeing the footage of drones hunting down/attacking and killing a troops(s) is very lethal and a little scary. E.g. like a bird of prey attacking someone/something on the ground. Sci-fi becomes Sci-Fact … I'm think being taken out by a drone would be terrifying … In some cases reports are the drones' explosive power literally blows the human target(s) into pieces. Like being at ground zero of an HE shelling.