The Italian company Benelli has developed a long-range weapon for protection against drones at close range based on its M4 platform.
As said in a statement by the arms company, part of the famous Beretta Defense Technologies family of manufacturers of rifles, assault rifles and pistols, a semi-automatic rifle called the M4 Advanced Impact (AI) Drone Guardian, intended for use with a 6.1-mm cartridge, reports ArmyInform.
Considering the difficulty of neutralizing drones in flight, this modified M4 gun is designed to be easy to use, with specific targeting of point of impact at radius of 50 and and
< p>Benelli chose the M4 semi-automatic rifle as the basis for its new project. Developed more than two decades ago, a short-stroke gas piston with an automatic gas regulation system has successfully proven itself in many armed forces and government agencies.
The effective combat range of the Drone Guardian is estimated at 50 m according to Benelli data, with a maximum combat range of up to 100 m. According to the manufacturer, the uniqueness of the AI version is that, thanks to the modified choke, the shot is effective at a distance of 50 m and more, maintaining a high level of speed and energy.
As soon as the cartridge leaves the barrel, the fragments contained in it are more or less evenly dispersed in space. Increasing the output speed of the cartridge allows you to get a more uniform "cloud" shrapnel and, therefore, their greater penetrating ability. In addition, equipped with a Steiner MPS 3.3 MOA collimator sight mounted on a Picatinny rail (mounting system), the M4 AI Drone Guardian is capable of neutralizing an FPV drone at a maximum distance of 100 m.
The sight, mounted on a full-size MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, consists of a front sight and an aperture sight. A Steiner MPS collimator sight is also installed depending on the shooter's preference. The rifle is offered with two different barrel lengths — 18.5-inch version and 26-inch version.
The advantage of this anti-drone weapon is that in compared to jamming systems, you can fight even with electronically-fortified or fully autonomous drones. At most, shotguns are inexpensive to purchase and use. And experts consider the extremely short time available for defense as a disadvantage, as well as the problems of detecting and tracking enemy UAVs. However, shotguns have proven to be a useful addition to current defenses against drones.
The 12 gauge shotgun is used by the military for a variety of purposes. Sometimes it is considered a tool rather than a weapon. The variety of its ammunition allows you to break through doors, stop light vehicles, or cover a larger area with a scattering of shots.