Army Fast-Tracks Counter Drone Weapons to War

The US Army is accelerating a number of emerging counter-drone weapons in response to a warzone request from US Central Command – to counter a massive uptick in enemy small-drone attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Theater has asked for a solution, so we are looking at what we can apply as an interim solution,” Col. John Lanier Ward, Director Army Rapid Equipping Force, told Scout Warrior in an interview.

New electronic warfare weapons, next-generation sensors and interceptors and cutting edge improved targeting technology for the .50-Cal machine gun to better enable it to target enemy drones with more precision and effectiveness — are all key approaches now being pursued.

Ward said the Army is fast-tracking improved “slue-to-cue” technology, new sensors and emerging radar-based targeting technology to give the .50-Cal more precision accuracy.

“Targeting is getting better for the .50-Cal…everything from being able to detect, identify and engage precise targets such as enemy drones,” Ward added.

In service for decades, the .50-Cal has naturally been thought of as largely an area weapon able to lay down suppressive fire, enabling troops to maneuver and blanketing enemy targets with rounds. The weapon of course still has this function, which could seek to eliminate attacking drones. At the same time, technical efforts are underway to make .50-Cal targeting more precise, such that it could shoot down swarms of quadcopters or other commercially avail mini-drones configured for attack.

Precision-guided weaponry, such as JDAMs from the air, have been operational for decades. GPS-guided land weapons such as Excalibur 155m artillery rounds or the larger GMLRS, Guided Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems, have been in combat since 2007 and 2008; engineering comparable guidance for smaller rounds, naturally, is a much more challenging task.

— To Read Scout Warrior’s Previous Report on Army Efforts to Build a Lightweight .50-CalCLICK HERE—