Prepping for the Drone Wars

[william]

DOD event challenges industry to down largest drone swarms to date​

The joint office established to find solutions to countering air drone systems sought to challenge industry with large barrages of drone attacks during a demonstration in the Arizona desert last month. Col. Michael Parent, chief of the Joint Counter-small unmanned aircraft systems Office’s acquisition and resources division, (that's quite a title to put on your door and desk) told reporters in a recent briefing. “It was a very successful demonstration informing the U.S. and our allies what capabilities exist out there in a very challenging profile.”

Both non-kinetic and kinetic solutions were evaluated along with multi-mission radars, electro-optical/infrared cameras, radio frequency scanners and jammers, guided rockets, interceptor drones and small arms weapon systems, according to Parent.

The demonstration “was the most challenging demonstration to date at this point,” Parent said, with up to 50 air drone targets at a time, operated by a third party, coming from all directions and converging on a defended area. Drones in the swarms included rotary and fixed-wing aircraft — fast moving jets and slow-moving propeller-driven frames — and ranged from Group 1 drones weighing less than 20 pounds to Group 3 drones weighing less than 1,300 pounds.

Test scenarios were not shared with industry teams before the demonstration.

“The challenge of the profiles really meant that no one characteristic, no one capability, whether kinetic or non-kinetic, in itself could really defeat this kind of a profile,” Parent said. “So what we saw was that you really do need a full system-of-systems approach, a layered approach.”

DOD event challenges industry to down largest drone swarms to date

Industry teams with counter-drone solutions took on large drone swarms in a Joint Counter-small unmanned aircraft systems Office-run demonstration in June.

www.defensenews.com

 

[william]

Drone killing Marines: Corps seeks ‘buckshot-like’ counter-drone gear​

A Marine squad is one of the service’s smallest units of action and contains between 13 and 15 Marines depending on manning. A traditional Marine Corps platoon holds up to three squads.

In February, the Corps began the search for counter drone tech to defend installations, according to a service solicitation.

The squad and platoon-level Marines need to carry their own devices to detect, defeat and destroy group 1 and 2 drones. Group 1 drones weigh up to 20 pounds and fly under 1,200 feet.

Group 2 drones weigh between 21 and 55 pounds and can fly as high as 3,500 feet.

The new capability that the Corps wants would include detecting and tracking gear that uses acoustic or radio frequency detection, according to the solicitation. Those sensors would be worn by individual Marines and could have a handheld tablet, bracelet, earpiece or glasses “that receives alerts, warnings, notifications from an external sensor.” They’re looking for a rifle and rifle optic combination that can track the drone and use “enhanced ammunition” for weapons already in their inventory, to include “buckshot-like” 5.56mm, 7.62mm, .50 caliber and 40mm grenade launchers.

Weapons that use those ammunition configurations include the M72 Infantry Automatic Rifle, the M240 machine gun, the M2 machine gun and the M320 and M32 grenade launcher and Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher.

Drone killing Marines: Corps seeks ‘buckshot-like’ counter-drone gear

The brass wants to see every Marine become a drone destroyer.

www.defensenews.com

See also

Thread 'Ukraine conflict drives shotgun innovation in anti-drone warfare'

Jul 3, 2024

The war in Ukraine has become the most intense battleground for drones in the world, leading to an intense search for cheap methods of eliminating them. One of the most cost-effective ways is using shotguns, with special ammunition developed to increase the effective range by up to three times.

Benelli Armi, famous for its shotguns designed for law enforcement, hunters, and sports shooters, and a member of the Beretta Holding group.
The company showcased ALDA antidrone ammunition, which stands for anti-light drone ammunition. This was designed to combat drones...

• william
• Replies: 1
• Forum: Defense Development