Affordable shotguns redefine drone defense in the Ukraine conflict
The war in Ukraine has become the most intense battleground for drones worldwide. This has led to an intense search for affordable methods of eliminating these threats. One of the cheapest solutions is using shotguns with specially developed ammunition to increase the effective range by up to three times. We explain the secret behind it.
During the recent Eurosatory defence trade show, where the "heavyweights" like future tanks dominated, other types of weapons were also present. One of the most minor yet most pressing problems is equipping infantry soldiers with a cheap and lightweight way to eliminate drones kinetically.
According to the portal "Defense News," many small arms companies presented solutions to the drone problem at Eurosatory. One such company was Benelli Armi, renowned for its shotguns for law enforcement, hunters, and sports shooters and a member of the Beretta Holding group.
The company showcased ALDA anti-drone ammunition, which stands for anti-light drone ammunition. It is designed to combat drones weighing less than 25 kilograms at a distance of between 80 and 120 metres. This is a significant improvement because, for example, in the war in Ukraine, where soldiers use shotguns with lead hunting or sporting ammunition, the effective range against drones is 30-40 metres.
A Benelli Armi representative told Defense News that for CAD 3,100, you could get a perfect shotgun (most likely the Benelli M4) and a supply of 1,000 rounds of ammunition, which would last for an extended period. Using the anti-drone ammunition, an experienced shooter can eliminate a drone from a distance of 90 metres in a few seconds.
Shotguns as anti-drone weapons - a different shot material key to increased effectiveness
Unfortunately, details about the new ammunition are unknown, but it can be assumed that a different shot material than lead or, recently, for ecological reasons, steel, was used. Tungsten, used in programmable ammunition systems such as Skynex, tank ammunition, or the particular Alternative Warhead head of the GMLRS M31A1 rockets, is ideal here.
The key here is the density of tungsten, which is 70 percent greater than lead and as much as 150 percent greater than steel. When targeting drones, kinetic energy is necessary, where, as is known, the mass of the projectiles helps. For this reason, with identical volume and muzzle velocity (each weapon standard has pressure resistance limits), tungsten shots can effectively destroy drones at a greater distance than hunting or sporting ammunition.
