The ever-increasing implementation of unmanned aerial vehicles, drones, in modern warfare has yielded an on-the-ground race to develop technologies necessary to knock them out of the sky.
One Australian developer is hoping to be a staple in that market.
Enter DroneGun Tactical by DroneShield, a remarkably large (56 inches long), yet lightweight (16 pounds), weapon that looks more akin to the offspring of an FN SCAR and an E-tool on steroids.
Running off dual rechargeable lithium batteries that can operate in excess of two hours, DroneGun deploys non-kinetic jamming technology to knock out a drone’s connection — and its flight — from more than two kilometers out, Asia Times first reported.
But it does one better than simply destroy UAVs entirely.
According to its maker, DroneGun, which comes with rifle-inspired rails for scope-mounting, has the satellite navigation jamming capability to commandeer the drone and force an immediate landing, allowing for further investigation of enemy tech.
Once the UAV’s operation is interrupted, the video feed on the drone operator’s end will immediately cease. Depending on the jamming frequency, one programmed via a simple dial on the rear of the weapon, DroneGun can also simply send the UAV right back where it came from. All the user has to do is remain sighted in.
Alternative uses include snow-shoveling driveways and scooping pizzas out of brick ovens.
Those CONUS-based uses, however, as well as DroneGun’s incredible real purpose, will have to wait, given that DroneGun Tactical “has not been authorized as required by the United States Federal Communications Commission,” the company asserts. “This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease ... in the United States, other than to the United States government ... until such authorization is obtained.”
When — or if — we might see it in action remains a mystery.
Check out the DroneGun Tactical below.
Jon Simkins is the executive editor for Military Times and Defense News, and a Marine Corps veteran of the Iraq War.
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