The Russian military is equipping its ground forces with a new anti-drone defense device – an all-terrain vehicle carrying batteries with 24 shotgun barrels capable of firing shots at drones. According to the Interesting Engineering server, this weapon is remotely reminiscent of Russian Katyusha rocket launchers from the Second World War, writes TASR.
Videos released by the Russian Ministry of Defense show an improvised weapon consisting of a battery of 24 barreled shotguns mounted along with a second battery of six AK-type assault rifles on a modified Lada Niva 4X4 off-road vehicle. writes the server Interesting Engineering (IE). This is a slight shift in tactics on the battlefield, which is indicative of the ever-increasing role played by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the server adds.
The main battery 24 is attached to the front of the vehicle in front of the windshield and is controlled remotely. Shotgun ammo allows her to create a cloud of projectiles against low-flying drones that can disable or destroy small to medium drones. However, its effectiveness depends on the height and speed of the drone – the lower and slower the drone flies, the more efficient the main battery is. Against drones flying at high speeds at high altitudes, its effectiveness is low, IE explains.
A battery of six assault rifles is located at the rear and is operated manually by the operator. It was not immediately clear from the video what kind of assault rifles it is, but they are probably AK-12 or AK-15 rifles, writes IE. These assault rifles were introduced in 2012 as a successor to the AK-74 assault rifle, which replaced the legendary AK-47 assault rifle, writes the website of the Kalashnikov Group arms company.
Anti-drone vehicles are deployed in Ukraine primarily to protect units and key buildings at short range from the ever-increasing threat of aerial attacks by various types of UAVs. The mobility of vehicles allows them to quickly respond to various threats in the environment of urban development and in open spaces, IE explains.
The biggest disadvantage of the weapon is its range and capacity. Manual reloading of 24 barrels can be laborious and time-consuming, the technology is therefore not suitable for long battles or against swarms of drones, warns IE.
The effectiveness of AK-type assault rifles mounted on the back of the vehicle is reduced by the absence of modern aiming systems. When aiming, the operator must rely on aiming through the sights, which can be problematic for fast-moving air targets, adds the server.
