Renowned Swedish small arms ammunition manufacturer Norma has developed a specialized 12-gauge shotgun cartridge named AD-LER (Anti-Drone Long Effective Range), specifically designed to combat FPV drones. While shotguns may be debated in terms of effectiveness, they remain the most economical means of drone defense at the infantry level.
Norma said their development stems from thorough analysis of FPV drones as they are used in actual combat situations emphasizing the stark differences between these drones and commercially available models like the Mavic, as featured in a detailed article by Calibre Defence.
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Unlike consumer drones, FPV drones in warfare are made from more durable plastics and components. That's why some solutions that work against Mavics or the like, with their plastic, densely-packed electronics layout and fragile blades, do not work on FPV drones for war.
As a result of these studies, a cartridge called AD-LER (Anti-Drone Long Effective Range) was created.
Defense Express notes that here, rather than describing the cartridge itself, it would be more interesting to highlight the findings of this research, the experiments carried out, the developers' approach and logic flow, and the reasons behind their design solutions.
At first, Norma tested #8 shot, commonly used against civilian drones, with a pellet diameter of 2.25 mm. However, it became apparent that a larger pellet size was necessary for FPV drones.
After all, the whole point was not just hit but to deliver a sufficient kinetic impact on the drone. The creators ultimately selected #6 shot with a 2.75 mm diameter, which provided an optimal balance between shot dispersion and kinetic impact.
Then, to ensure that more energy is transferred, the manufacturer had to replace the traditional yet too-lightweight lead shot. Instead, Norma took a rich approach to solving this problem and opted for tungsten.
Developed as a result, the AD-LER cartridge contains 350 tungsten pellets, weighing a total of 34 grams, and can deliver effective fire up to 60 meters. For testing, they chose the Benelli M4 Drone Guardian shotgun with a special barrel choke.
Lastly, we should note: interesting as it is, the cartridge could benefit from future adaptations exploring more affordable materials like steel shot and less specialized firearms.
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