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Rifles Become “Anti-Aircraft Cannons”: U.S. Army Trains with New Ammunition, the Drone Round Cartridge. Understand How the Technology Works.
The United States Army has begun a crucial phase of tactical preparation by introducing a new ammunition designed to neutralize modern technological threats into their training. The cartridge, named Drone Round, allows infantry soldiers to transform their standard rifles into short-range air defense weapons.
The initiative aims to provide a quick and efficient response against small drones, such as commercial models and FPV (first-person view) types, which have become a constant challenge on contemporary battlefields.
Unlike complex defense systems, this solution focuses on operational simplicity: the combatant uses their own rifle to create a barrier of fragments capable of destroying the rotors and structure of invading aircraft. With the advancement to the training phase by units, the weaponry signals its readiness to be implemented in real operations.
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Tactical Versatility and Logistical Integration
One of the greatest innovations of the Drone Round cartridge is its ability to integrate with the existing arsenal without the need for mechanical modifications.
The new ammunition was developed by Drone Round Defense to be compatible with M4 rifles and other weapons that use standard NATO calibers.
The main logistical benefits of this technology include:
- International standards: Available in 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm calibers.
- High rate of fire: Supports a rate of up to 950 rounds per minute in assault rifles.
- Use with accessories: Can be fired normally through silencers and in belt-fed weapons.
- Portability: Allows the soldier to switch between regular ground combat and air defense simply by changing the magazine.
Technological Evolution: From Rural Control to War
The inspiration for the emergence of this new ammunition comes from an ancient technique of rural management and hunting in the U.S. Farmers have long used special cartridges to eliminate fast pests, such as snakes or foxes, using the principle of shot dispersion to avoid missing the target.
However, translating this idea to the military environment required overcoming the limitations of shotguns, which are slow and have limited range. By applying this logic to the battle rifle, developers created the Drone Round cartridge. Thus, the Army can combine the precision of infantry with the wide strike range of dispersion weapons.
The concept of dispersion applied to modern combat
The operation of the Drone Round cartridge is based on controlled fragmentation. Although it resembles a standard rifle bullet, the projectile releases five to eight small lead components shortly after firing.
This mechanism transforms each shot into a small cloud of shrapnel, drastically increasing the coverage area in the air. The effectiveness of this strategy is evident at combat distances, as the ammunition can take down targets located between 50 and 100 meters.
Moreover, the stopping power of each fragment is estimated to be double that found in traditional shotgun ammunition, ensuring that the drone is incapacitated instantly when hit by the dispersion.
Protection against swarms and low cost
Given the omnipresence of inexpensive drones in recent global conflicts, investing in this new ammunition becomes a strategy for economic and operational survival. On the other hand, taking down cheap drones with expensive missiles is financially unsustainable.
The Drone Round cartridge offers a low-cost layer of protection that can be distributed to each soldier individually. Therefore, the U.S. Army not only modernizes its firepower but also adapts its doctrine for an era where danger can come from small commercial devices adapted for attack.
Meanwhile, the ease of implementation ensures that the troops are protected without carrying extra weight or relying on specialized anti-aircraft artillery units.
With information from Olhar Digital
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