The Army is one step closer to turning its AH-64 Apache helicopter into a drone-hunting tool. Soldiers recently conducted live-fire testing of a new explosive munition specifically designed to destroy enemy drones at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
The test involved Apache helicopters firing the new 30x113mm XM1225 aerial proximity-explosion munition at multiple types of small unmanned aerial vehicles. Apache helicopters are designed to provide air support to ground troops, but with unmanned aerial systems, or drones, quickly becoming part of warfare, the Army is looking to use existing helicopters as drone hunters. In this case, the new airburst round is designed to turn the Apache’s existing 30mm cannon into a tool for crushing drone swarms. The test took place in December, just two months after the Army unveiled the new ammunition, although the Army only made the announcement late last week.
The Army noted that although the munitions are designed as counter-drone tools, the munitions can be used against targets other than drones. One of the selling points of the new round is its proximity fuse, which allows it to detonate in mid-air near a target, allowing it to be shot down even if a drone cannot hit it directly. This provides a clear air-to-air advantage against increasingly larger or denser swarms of drones. According to one test pilot, the new weapon has an added benefit: It doesn’t “have extensive training requirements for the maintainers or pilots who fire it.”
Top stories of the week
-
information
Marine Corps not interested in switching from M27 to Army M7 anytime soon
go through Jeff Skogel
The Army and the military as a whole have been working rapidly to build up an arsenal of drone and counter-drone weapons. As drones have rapidly emerged in combat, the military has been forced to use existing munitions and systems, many of which — such as the Navy’s Standard Missiles launched against Houthi drones in the Red Sea — are costly and difficult to replenish quickly. The U.S. Air Force has had some success using A-10 Warthogs against drones in the Middle East, but the system is being phased out.
The Army in particular has been looking for cheaper weapons to use with existing platforms. Like other branches, it also tests directed energy or laser weapons. One of the Locusts was recently loaned to Customs and Border Protection on the southern border and launched last week, causing the airspace around El Paso to suddenly close.
While the military is working to train troops to use its own drones for offense, a major issue is defending against enemy drones. Joint Interagency Task Force 401 is an Army-led agency dedicated to developing defense strategies against drones. Soldiers have been training with a variety of weapons, from electromagnetic disruptors to lasers and more conventional kinetic energy weapons. In December, a Defense Department inspector general report found that the military failed to comply with regulations to defend bases from enemy drone attacks.
This fall, the Army revealed it was developing new 25mm and 30mm rounds for the Bradley fighting vehicle and Apache helicopters, respectively. At the time, there was no announcement as to when Apache’s new airburst bomb would be ready for fielding. New information from the Army on the December test noted that the program is accelerating “emergency deployments” to support Soldiers, suggesting the new 30mm ammunition may soon be fielded.