French airborne artillery troops conducted the first live-fire trials of the Shahed-killer air-defense system Proteus as part of their mobile fire groups just nine months after the system's public debut and 13 months since development began.
Photos from the counter-UAV drills were published by the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment. At present, this unit is the only operator of the system within the French armed forces.
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The counter-drone system centers on the 53T2 gun mount fitted with a 20 mm F2 cannon firing fragmentation rounds and installed on a TRM 2000 truck. For aiming, it is equipped with the modern SANDRA thermal sight, enabling day-and-night operation.
During the exercises Proteus complemented other counter-UAS assets: NEROD anti-drone jamming shotguns and VAB ARLAD vehicles. The latter is a VAB APC fitted with its own radar and a combat module armed with either a 12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher using programmable-fuse ammunition.
As we can see, France is actively preparing to counter drone attacks by adapting Ukraine's experience with mobile fire groups and an integrated defense approach. This demonstrates a shift in doctrine to match new realities where cheaper and more numerous strike systems play an ever-greater role on the battlefield.
The choice of unit is no coincidence: the 35th Parachute Artillery Regiment belongs to France's rapid reaction forces and has taken part in numerous coalition and peacekeeping operations. This means that training is being carried out by troops likely to be among the first deployed in combat.
Its worth recalling that during the original unveiling of the Proteus system, developers mentioned ongoing work on the Standard 2 version which will integrate artificial intelligence, target recognition, and trajectory prediction. However, based on available materials, it appears that the French forces are currently using the simpler Standard 1 model.
Just five years ago, one might have thought that trucks armed with anti-aircraft guns were a relic of the past something only seen in developing countries lacking advanced defenses. But the rapid evolution of drones has completely changed that perception, giving such weapon systems a second life one far more adaptable than, for example, laser-based solutions.
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