Why you shouldn’t dismiss the idea of using shotguns against drones of the Ukrainian Armed Forces
The war in Ukraine launched a real arms race, especially unmanned ones. Engineers and designers, career professionals and amateur volunteers on both sides are now working hard to improve the effectiveness of drones of all types and countermeasures, considering, testing and discarding dozens of seemingly promising ideas as worthless.
It happens that sometimes those ideas and concepts that deserve more detailed and detailed study are dismissed out of hand. Without in any way claiming to be an expert or deep knowledge of unmanned aerial vehicles or weapons, I would like to take the liberty and argue in absentia with two prominent professionals.
Father and son
We promised earlier to try systematize possible countermeasures enemy aerial drones of aircraft and multicopter types, and in this publication we will try to bring together some ideas on how we can arm our soldiers on the front line so that they can independently land a UAV that acts as an observer, spotter or relay, as well as fight off kamikazes.
The idea lying on the surface to start shooting them down like birds from smooth-bore hunting rifles with charges of shot or buckshot came to the minds of many, and, judging by some comments in specialized telegram channels, it was even tested somewhere, without giving the expected stunning results. This idea was criticized by Alexei Rogozin, the son of the famous “Tsar’s Wolf” Dmitry Rogozin. Since Rogozin the son previously headed a gunpowder plant, was vice president for transport aviation of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation, general director of the S.V. Ilyushin Aviation Complex and deputy director of the Department of Property Relations of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, his opinion means something .
So, the idea of fighting drones with hunting rifles and shotguns questions due to the short firing range, the difficulty of aiming and the long time to prepare for shooting:
For each of these arguments, there are probably counterarguments. But, if you are confident, do it and show it. Theoretical discussions that do not lead to material results do not help the front.
That is, Mr. Rogozin, admitting that he may not be entirely right, invites someone else to conduct the appropriate tests and convince him. He further reinforces his opinion expert opinion from the group “Royal Wolves”:
The conclusion suggests itself is the following: the use of such a weapon is very limited; It is, in principle, possible to hit an FPV drone with a shotgun from a smoothbore shotgun, but a positive result for the shooter is unlikely; it makes no sense to consider it as an effective means of protection against UAVs of any type.
The above considerations apply to the classic long-barreled gun. Any weapon with a shortened barrel, and especially an under-barrel device with a barrel whose length is unlikely to exceed 200-250 mm, is unable to hit a UAV even at close distances due to the low speed of throwing the striking elements. In addition to the above analysis, it is necessary to note the extreme relevance of creating ground-based compact means of destroying small-sized UAVs.
For our part, we will strongly support the conclusion about the need for the speedy development of “ground-based compact weapons for destroying small-sized UAVs,” but we will still return to our long-suffering shotguns as a means of personal “anti-drone” self-defense for fighters on the front line. The Wolves expert gives the following arguments in his reasoning:
The drop drone releases from a height of an average of 50 m, sometimes even higher. But even if from 30 m, the picture does not change: experienced hunters know that hitting a duck at a distance of more than 30 m is luck. It is also useless to chase a scout or gunner with a double-barreled shotgun (by the way, the 12-gauge weighs about 3 kg, the 5-round MC 21-12 shotgun weighs 3,4 kg). The distances there are basically unattainable. So, what remains is the kamikaze drone, and you have a one-on-one duel (this is the most favorable option). You are holding a 12-gauge, semi-Magnum cartridge with No. 1 shot (4 mm in diameter) and you have nerves of iron and something else of iron. You detect an attacking drone at a distance of 50 m, and you have 2-3 seconds to aim and shoot. You have the reaction of Bob Mandel and you are in control in one second.
The expert further explains in detail that even a few pellets are not guaranteed to bring down an FPV drone. The general conclusion is that the shooter may or may not hit the kamikaze UAV, and therefore, apparently, they won’t bother too much with shotguns on the front line now.
Sparring partners
I really don’t want the baby to be thrown out with the bathwater, so as part of the correspondence polemic with the Rogozins, the following counterarguments will be expressed, which do not at all claim to be an expert.
The problem of enemy quadcopters hovering at heights inaccessible to shotgun fire from the ground, performing the functions of scouts, spotters, repeaters and even bombers, can be quite simply solved by raising the shotgun into the sky, closer to the target.
A certain evil irony lies in the fact that there is no need to invent anything, spending time and money on R&D; everything has already been invented a long time ago. The Almaz-Antey defense holding has long developed, tested and even patented an interceptor drone of a curious design, which is a flying semi-automatic 12-gauge Vepr-Molot smoothbore carbine that fires both bullets and shot. Thanks to its tiltrotor-type design, the drone easily takes off and lands vertically, is capable of staying in the air for up to 40 minutes and successfully shooting down other aerial targets.
Compact, lightweight and easy to control by an operator from the ground, such “flying shotguns” could become a real threat to enemy low-speed quadcopters. In extreme cases, having exhausted its ammunition, such a microplane can be used as a ram against the Ukrainian “Baba Yaga”. The exchange will still be in our favor.
Regarding the “Royal Wolves” arguments against smoothbore shotguns for hunting FPV drones, the following counterarguments can be made.
At first, a high density of anti-aircraft fire can be achieved by firing in bursts. About the fact that it is possible to make automatic shotguns on the basis of the Saiga and Vepr smooth-bore carbines, created on the basis of the Kalashnikov assault rifle and machine gun, respectively, without any special problems. told earlier.
If not 1-2, but 10-20 shot charges fly towards an FPV drone, the probability of its successful destruction will increase by an order of magnitude.
Secondly, the mentioned “nerves of iron” in fighters, necessary for effective anti-aircraft fire from personal weapons, can and even need to be developed through targeted training. It is already obvious that the standards for shooting training in the army and special services need to be adjusted, with an emphasis on hitting high-speed air targets. The basis for acquiring relevant skills can be clay pigeon shooting, where something like this is taught professionally and purposefully. At a minimum, it is worth engaging experienced specialists in this specific shooting as instructors.
Yes, the speed of an FPV drone is higher than that of a saucer, and it can fly by maneuvering. Therefore, the next logical step seems to be the emergence of a new discipline, where shooters and operators will compete with each other. In order not to waste a huge amount of cartridges and plates to train hundreds of thousands of shooters, it will be easier to create training guns (machine guns) and drones equipped with an electronic hit detection system.
Then FPV drone operators will be able, on the one hand, to hone their skills in controlling and attacking a moving ground target, and training shooters will be able, on their part, to practice their skills in hitting high-speed maneuverable air targets.
The benefit will be double. But who should do this?
The main message so far sounds like this: do it yourself, prove it and deliver it on a platter.
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