Shotguns Appear To Be The Low-Tech Answer To Combat Commercial Drones

(PatriotPostNews.com) — Western gun manufacturers are investigating how small arms may be used to attack small drones, converting accessible and affordable firearms into last-ditch defenses against the new battlefield danger.

The advent of low-cost, mass-produced, recreational, and even toy-grade drones has transformed the war theater. Because of their size and cost, commercial drones have become very lethal and amazingly efficient.

Numerous advanced counter-drone strategies have been used, and more are in development. Even though they are limited and crude instruments, the standard shotgun has come back into play as a viable alternative to commercial drones.

Shotguns are more efficient than rifles and pistols. They shoot sealed shells that contain several bullets known as “shot.” Shotguns, in effect, fire several rounds at once, which makes it simpler to strike your target. Shotguns are frequently used to take down flying targets, such as clay pigeons and birds. Since shotguns are also natural predators of birds, they are also useful for taking down these small flying weapons.

Heavy birdshots, notably heavy birdshots used for shooting geese and other comparable big animals, are the best shot options for eliminating drones. Pump-action shotguns provide a somewhat quick second shot, whereas semi-auto shotguns provide speedy follow-up rounds in the event of a miss.

The Benelli Supernova 12-gauge shotgun was selected by the French Armed Forces in 2022. They adopted tactical variants with barrel lengths of 18 and 14 inches. To combat aerial threats, they also adopted a variant with a 28-inch barrel as an anti-drone weapon. This longer barrel provides an excellent swing and a larger sight radius.

The US is experimenting with electronic drone defenses and shotguns. The finest shotguns have a maximum range of 50 yards, which is quite limited. Drones, however, are capable of flying higher, so this problem may be solved with the use of specialized ammunition. Shotguns, despite their limits, keep drones from approaching too closely because a drone with droppable ammunition is generally more precise the closer it can fly.

Despite combat evolving since the 18th century, shotguns are still useful in commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) warfare.