US Military Turns to Simple Solution to Counter Drone Threats: Reinventing the Gun
Amid a rising tide of low-cost weaponized adversary drones menacing American troops abroad, the US military is pulling out all the stops to protect its forces from the ever-present threat of death from above.
A New Approach: Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Autonomous Robotic Gun System
At the Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) event in August, the US Defense Department tested an artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous robotic gun system developed by fledgling defense contractor Allen Control Systems dubbed the “Bullfrog.”
How it Works
Consisting of a 7.62-mm M240 machine gun mounted on a specially designed rotating turret outfitted with an electro-optical sensor, proprietary AI, and computer vision software, the Bullfrog was designed to deliver small arms fire on drone targets with far more precision than the average US service member can achieve with a standard-issue weapon like the M4 carbine or next-generation XM7 rifle.
Impressive Results
Footage of the Bullfrog in action published by ACS shows the truck-mounted system locking onto small drones and knocking them out of the sky with just a few shots. The Bullfrog appears effective enough against drone targets to impress DOD officials: According to Defense Daily, Alex Lovett, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for prototyping and experimentation within the Pentagon’s Research and Engineering office, told reporters at a demonstration event in August that the testing of the “low-cost” Bullfrog solution had “gone really well.”
Why Reinvent the Gun?
Shooting down small, fast-moving drones with conventional firearms is a significant challenge to even the most talented marksman, and the US military has been pursuing various ways to make its small arms more effective against unmanned airborne threats. Those efforts include the procurement of small- to medium-caliber munitions and “buckshot-like” ammo that can replicate the effects of the shotguns that have proven effective counter-drone measures amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; rifle-mounted radio frequency and GPS jammers to disorient incoming drones so troops don’t have to carry separate, bulky counter-drone weapons like the Dronebuster or NightFighter; and “smart” optics from companies like SmartShooter and ZeroMark that purportedly only allow a weapon to fire when it locks on target.
A New Era of Counter-Drone Warfare
For ACS cofounder and CEO Steve Simoni, a former Navy nuclear engineer, the best way to optimize a firearm for drone threats isn’t through novel accessories or enhanced training, but a combination of advanced robotics and a sophisticated AI that can take the guesswork out of target acquisition and tracking.
Conclusion
The US military is facing a growing threat from low-cost weaponized adversary drones, and it is turning to innovative solutions to counter this threat. The Bullfrog, an artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous robotic gun system, has shown impressive results in testing and could represent a new era in counter-drone warfare. As the military continues to develop and refine its counter-drone capabilities, it is likely that we will see more innovative solutions emerge in the future.
FAQs
Q: What is the Bullfrog?
A: The Bullfrog is an artificial intelligence-enabled autonomous robotic gun system developed by Allen Control Systems.
Q: How does the Bullfrog work?
A: The Bullfrog consists of a 7.62-mm M240 machine gun mounted on a specially designed rotating turret outfitted with an electro-optical sensor, proprietary AI, and computer vision software.
Q: What are the benefits of the Bullfrog?
A: The Bullfrog is designed to deliver small arms fire on drone targets with far more precision than the average US service member can achieve with a standard-issue weapon, and it can take the guesswork out of target acquisition and tracking.
Q: Is the Bullfrog a new era in counter-drone warfare?
A: Yes, the Bullfrog represents a new approach to counter-drone warfare, combining advanced robotics and sophisticated AI to take down drone threats.
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