UK’s M72 A9 ‘Light Anti-Structure Munition’

The British Army has fielded the 66mm M72 in a number of forms, initially procuring it in the 60s and 70s – designating it the L1(A1/A2/A3) anti-tank weapon. In 2007, during operations in Afghanistan, the UK Ministry of Defence identified a new urgent operational requirement for an stand-off anti-structure weapon that was cheaper than utilising the LAW80 or more expensive Javelin anti-tank guided missile. The munition selected was a new variant of the NAMMO and Talley-manufactured M72 which had an aluminised high explosive 1kg warhead and an overall weight of 4.3kg. The explosive used was likely PBXIH-135 which mixed HMX with aluminium to enhance the warhead’s blast and thermal output.

*Expended M72 A9 LASM tube (Matthew Moss)*

M72A9 is the US Department of Defense’s designation for the Nammo ASM ‘enhanced blast’ warhead round. This round generates an extended-duration blast pulse designed to collapse buildings. Nammo lists this round as the M72 A9 ASM. In British service it was designated the LASM – ‘light anti-structure munition’.

The example we’re examining here is part of the Vickers MG Collection & Research Association’s wider collection. It is an expended tube for one of the rockets. On the tube body we can see lengths of Picatinny rail and various markings including an information sticker stating the serial number, its date of filling – 11/07, its manufacturer – Talley Defense Systems and its designation – ‘M72 A9 LASM’. Someone has also written ‘GET SOM’ in marker on the body at some point. The tube isn’t in the best condition having lost both its front and rear sights.

*Cpl Steven Bircumshaw, 5 Platoon, 2 Mercian Regiment fires an M72A9 LASM during operation Panchai Palang in Babaji, 2009 (Sgt Dan Harmer/Crown Copyright)*

Over 1,000 LASM are believed to have been procured as part of the urgent operational requirement, they were used operationally from 2007 onwards and with an effective range of 200m it filled a key niche between the British Army’s 40mm under-barrel grenade launchers carried at the section-level and its larger shoulder-launched systems including the LAW80 and Javelin. There are plenty of photos and videos of LASM being used by British troops and while its effectiveness is unclear it provided a lightweight, mid-range anti-structure munition capable of destroying small buildings and punching holes in compound walls. The M72 A9 has since been superseded in Nammo’s product line-up by the A12 and the LASM is not currently in service with the British Army. In 2010 the British Army adopted the Rafael MATADOR-AS for the anti-structure role but are now out of UK service with any remaining stocks probably transferred to Ukraine.

Bibliography:

‘2 Mercian Contact, firing grenades and a 66mm rocket launcher’, Paul Standen, (2020) [source]

‘Afghanistan, British Soldier Fires 66mm Rocket Followed By Rifle Fire’, JW, (2011) [source]

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Aircraft Machine Guns @ Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

A little while ago I had the chance to visit the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Centre and while the collection is incredible with some amazing aircraft on display I was, of course, drawn to a little display tucked away to the side showcasing aircraft machine guns!

The small but surprisingly comprehensive display featured everything from Lewis Guns to an M134 Minigun. The display included aircraft machine guns which armed a variety of American aircraft but also captured examples from Germany, Italy and Japan – including a pair of very interesting dual mount Type 89 and Type 1s.

Buckshot & Beehive – 40mm Anti-Personnel Ammo of the Vietnam War with Nic Jenzen-Jones

In this video I’m pleased to be joined by my friend Dr Nic Jenzen-Jones, Nic is an arms historian and the Director of Armament Research Services (ARES), the Editor of Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms, and the founder of Helios House Press. He has recently published a new book, ‘Buckshot & Beehive‘, examining the 40mm anti-personnel rounds developed during the Vietnam war.

Pick up a copy of Nic’s book here.

Russian .50 Cal Anti-Drone Buckshot Rounds

A recent video posted by a Russian Telegram channel ‘KOPCAP’ showcased the latest evolution of the homemade rifle-calibre buckshot rounds, a demonstration of 12.7x108mm anti-drone rounds. Back in early December 2024, TAB published an article examining the emerging trend of using ball bearings held inside heat-shrink tubing. The concept was used and developed by both Russian and subsequently Ukrainian personnel. By the Spring of 2025, the concept had evolved into the use of 3D-printed sabots to hold the ball bearings.

The KOPCAP Telegram channel appears to be associated with a volunteer group focused on anti-drone solutions. On 9 August, KOPCAP published a video demonstrating 12.7mm anti-drone rounds being fired from an NSV heavy machine gun. A close-up shows four 12.7x108mm rounds with 3D-printed sabots containing projectiles.

The video’s caption states the projectile sabots are printed using fused filament fabrication, likely with a plastic like PLA. Assembly of the rounds is likely similar to the earlier 5.45x39mm and 7.62x39mm improvised anti-drone rounds. The cartridge’s conventional projectile is pulled and replaced with a 3D-printed sabot containing the projectiles. According to responses from the designers each sabot contains 6 or 7 steel balls of 8.5mm to 9.5mm diameter – slightly larger than 00 Buck.

It’s likely that the sabot disintegrates inside the barrel this likely leaves a residue in the weapon’s rifling and depending on the the material the pellets are made from they could also damage the barrel as they bounce down the barrel before leaving the muzzle.

From the video it appears that five of the rounds were fired during the demonstration at a target which the caption describes as 200 meters downrange. From a possible 30 or 35 projectiles, five are shown to have struck the target – a roughly 1×3 meter board. Giving a roughly 1 in 6 hit rate. The NSV’s tripod does not appear to have been properly weighed down for the demonstration which will likely have contributed to some inaccuracy. It’s also difficult to confirm if the range stated in the video caption is accurate though it does appear that the target is perhaps closer than claimed.

While medium-sized Ukrainian kamikaze drones (one-way munitions) are currently engaged in a campaign of strikes against Russian logistics targets, the development of this locally-produced 12.7mm anti-drone projectile makes more sense, given its limited range and hit probability, for use against smaller drones. The doctrine of use for the round and the ammunition’s effectiveness remains to be seen, and it’s currently unclear if the sabot design is now available; I’ve so far only been able to find a single post highlighting it.

Update – 3/9/26:
A Russian team, PMC SW, posted a video showing the manufacture and testing of some of the KOPCAP 12.7 anti-drone rounds. The caption explained: “We tested the “Antidrone” 12.7mm. We still need to fine-tune the bullet’s trajectory height, the product’s diameter. Now, the designers will create prototypes based on these issues, and we’ll test them for accuracy, precision, and range.”

Production of Russian 12.7mm anti-drone ammo
"We tested the "Antidrone" 12.7mm.
We still need to fine-tune the bullet's trajectory height, the product's diameter. Now, the designers will create prototypes based on these issues, & we'll test them for accuracy, precision, & range." pic.twitter.com/314fgMlKX3
— Matthew Moss | The Armourer's Bench (@historicfirearm) September 3, 2026

Every AK the UK Procured To Train Ukrainian Troops

The UK began a training initiative with Ukraine in early 2015 with the launch of Operation Orbital. Orbital provided training in Ukraine to more than 20,000 Ukrainian personnel over eight years. Op Orbital ended in February 2022 with Russia’s full-scale invasion. In July 2022 a successor programme, Operation Interflex was launched. Interflex involves a larger, British-led multinational training programme, with training provided in the UK. It was established with the aim of training up to 10,000 Ukrainians every 120 days.

Interflex provides a variety of different specialist training elements but the primary focus is on providing Ukrainian infantry with essential soldier skills. By the summer of 2025, more than 56,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been trained by the UK and partner nations. To carry out basic infantry courses a large number of rifles which were similar to those that Ukrainian troops would be using operationally were needed.

*Ukrainian troops training with Arsenal AR-M9Fs (UK MoD / Crown Copyright)*

International partners from Australia and New Zealand are working with the British Army, in training scenarios with Ukrainian Forces, including Medical (involving simulated casualties) and patrolling.

Operation INTERFLEX is the UK led training programme for Ukrainian recruits. The training is for new volunteer recruits who have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) with little to no previous military experience to teach them the skills required to survive and be effective in frontline combat.

The UK-led programme trains and drills the Armed Forces of Ukraine using battle-proven British Army expertise, allowing them to accelerate their deployment, rebuild their forces, and scale-up their resistance as they continue to defend their nations sovereignty against Russian invaders.

The previous Operation Orbital saw the UK train more than 22,000 Ukrainian personnel from 2015 until the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The new programme would train forces outside of the country.

This led to a major procurement of AK-pattern rifles. The number of rifles procured and the sources they were procured from remains unclear. We have some clue as to the number of rifles initially acquired from a 9 July 2022 press release, in which the UK government confirmed:

“The Government has rapidly procured AK variant assault rifles for the training programme, meaning Ukrainian soldiers can train on the weapons they will be using on the front line. This effort was supported by the Welsh Guards, who tested more than 2,400 such rifles in 17 days to ensure they were ready for the Ukrainians to commence their training.”

*Ukrainian soldier at the range July 2022 (UK MoD / Crown Copyright)*

The types of AK-pattern rifles procured was not announced but from the photographs released it is clear that they include:

Serbian-produced Zastava M70, M70B, M70A and M70AB2
East German-produced MPi KMS-72
Hungarian-produced FEG AK63D

All of the above rifles are chambered in 7.62x39mm. The reasoning behind the procurement of rifles chambered in 7.62x39mm rather than the more regularly issued 5.45x39mm AK-74 pattern rifles is also unclear. Perhaps this was due to weapon availability and regardless of calibre the manuals of arms remains the same.

At the time when approached for comment on the sources and types of AK rifles procured, the Ministry of Defence told The Armourer’s Bench:

“The Government has rapidly procured AK variant assault rifles through a combination of international donations and private purchase, meaning Ukrainian soldiers can train on the type of weapons they will be using on the front line. All weapons were tested in accordance with UK legislative and safe working practices.”

In September 2022, Chinese-manufactured Type 56-1 rifles were seen in Op Interflex imagery for the first time. The Type 56-1 has an under-folding stock, stamped receiver, and enclosed front sights.

By early February 2023, the assorted various types of 7.62x39mm-chambered AK-pattern rifles were either replaced or supplemented with Bulgarian Arsenal AKs. The rifles seen in all of the available photographs appear to be basic model rifles, none of the weapons have railed handguards or Picatinny on the receiver cover for mounting optics. This suggests that they are either AR-M9Fs or AR-M14Fs (at least according to Arsenal’s website). The ‘F’ refers to the folding tube metal stock which helps identify the rifles as Arsenal-made AKs. The characteristic flash hider and furniture also identify them as Arsenal rifles.

*Ukrainian soldiers during FIBUA training, c.2024 (UK MoD / Crown Copyright)*

From the rifles’ handguard design it appears that the rifles are AR-M9Fs, chambered in 5.56x45mm. This chambering in theory simplified logistics, removing the need to procure 7.62x39mm ammunition. The AR-M9Fs also have a blank firing adaptor which allowed Ukrainian troops to train with AK-pattern rifles rather than SA80-series rifles when blank firing was needed. The UK has the capability to manufacture 5.56x45mm ball and blank making training simpler and cheaper. According to information shared with TAB by the UK MoD approximately 7,500 AR-M9Fs were acquired for Op Interflex.

Finally, in May 2025, the UK appears to have procured Israeli-manufactured IWI Galil ACE rifles in 5.56x45mm. When approached for comment on the procurement of the rifles the UK MoD told TAB that approximately 4,500 ACE-23 rifles had been procured. They also noted that the transition to the IWI Galil ACE 23 began in around mid-2024 and that the switch to Galil ACE rifles was made to ‘better align the weapon system used during UK-based training with equipment Ukrainian troops were using in theatre.’ This, however, seems unlikely as the Arsenal is more analogous with the AK-74 than the ACE 23. While the Galil ACE shares very few handling characteristics with AK-pattern rifles, with the exception of the magazine release location, its updated safety lever is also less akin to the AK’s. It’s action and disassembly procedure are functionally the same as an AK, however, the Galil, at 3.6kg unloaded, is somewhat heavier than an AK-74.

*Ukrainian soldier with a IWI Galil ACE 23 (Danish Ministry of Defense)*

Perhaps the Galil ACE 23s function better when using blank, perhaps extensive use during numerous training cycles led to issues with the AR-M9Fs. No further comment was provided on why the Galil ACE replaced the Arsenal rifles or why fewer rifles were procured. This may be explained by recent changes to the aims of Interflex as in June it was reported that the programme’s focus would shifting away from basic infantry training to more leadership and specialised training.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson concluded by telling TAB that: “We are proud that Interflex has grown to be one of the biggest training programmes of its kind, equipping Ukrainian recruits with the basic combat skills they need to defend their country against Putin’s illegal invasion.”

I thought it was worth collating all of the information available on the various rifles used to train Ukrainian troops in the UK into one place. For more detail on each of the different types of rifle used, check out my earlier article/videos on each rifle.

Digging into the History of Zastava & Iraqi Tabuk AKs with Author Vlad Onokoy

Historian, researcher and armourer Vlad Onokoy joins me to talk about his exciting new book about Zastava AK-pattern rifles! Vlad explains how he came to write his new book and talks us through the process, combining in-depth research, first hand accounts and hands on experience. The new book sheds new light on Zastava’s history, busts some long-held myths and highlights interesting variants and little-know prototypes.

You can pick up a copy of Vlad’s book ‘From Balkans to Babylon: Zastava AKs of Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Iraq’ , published by Safar Publishing, here!

Check out some preview pages from the book, courtesy of Safar Publishing:

Vlad brings decades of experience with Zastava AKs through his work.

Pick up a copy of Vlad’s book ‘From Balkans to Babylon: Zastava AKs of Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Iraq’ here!

Colt Canada Eagle Grenade Launchers in Ukraine

A myriad of 40mm grenade launchers are in use in Ukraine, we’ve already covered some but today we’re going to touch on another that is rarely seen. The Colt Canada Eagle (Enhanced Ambidextrous Grenade LaunchEr) is a low velocity 40mm grenade launcher which can be used as a standalone or mounted as an under-barrel launcher. Introduced in the early 2010s it weighs 1.25kg and has a 254mm barrel as standard. It is single shot with a side-opening breech (which can be switched to open left or right). It has a ladder sight, ambidextrous safety catches and an effective range out to 400m. The latest iteration of the launcher is the MkIII.

The first sighting of one of these in Ukraine came in September 2022, in a photo of a combatant on a quadbike armed with an M4A1 carbine with the Eagle grenade launcher mounted under the barrel. The second appearance of an Eagle came in August 2025 when a GUR team posted a photograph of a combatant holding one in the stand alone configuration. The most recent image of one of the launchers shows the weapon again in the standalone configuration and notably with what appears to be shrapnel damage to its stock and buffer tube.

*Members of Ukraine’s GUR, one combatant equipped as a grenadier, 2025 (via Social Media)*

Intriguingly, the Eagle grenade launchers were accepted for Ukrainian service in 2022 and appear in a Ukrainian Ministry of Defence document called “Examples of Weaponry and Military Hardware accepted into Ukrainian Armed Forces between 2014-2023 years”. The document gives the in-service acceptance date as 24/12/22, a couple of months after the first sighting of one of the launchers. The Colt Canada Eagle remains a relatively rare sight in imagery from Ukraine as a result its unclear how many have been delivered to Ukraine.

The Eagle grenade launchers were likely first provided by Canada in the summer of 2022, likely alongside C8 carbines. The first sightings of Colt Canada C8 carbines, believed to have been provided Canada, were also first seen in Ukraine in September 2022. Read more about Colt Canada C7s and C8s in Ukraine.

British Army Training Grenades

A few weeks ago I visited my friends at the Vickers Machine Gun Collection & Research Association and had a look at a variety of items you might not immediately expect to be part of their collection. The VMGCRA, however, has an extensive collection of all sorts of items and an incredible archive which they’re digitising at the moment.

Practice Mills Bombs (No.36)

Some of the smaller items in the collection are inert training grenades. First up we have a pair of practice No.36 grenades (commonly known as Mills Bombs). Also known as Drill Grenades, these were painted entirely white and, as we can see laid out in this 1942 British Army grenade training pamphlet, they were used for throwing practice and grenade discharger cup training. They don’t have any filling but are weighted to mimic actual Mills Bombs to aid in training. Photographs of the Drill Grenades don’t appear until the post-war manuals, like this 1951-dated pamphlet which shows the white mills bombs being used in training. They were also used for general familization in classroom training and getting to grips with how the safety mechanisms worked and how fuzes were inserted. we can see an L2 grenade being used in house clearance drills in the 1979 training film Fighting In Villages

L3A1

Next we have the British Army L3A1 inert practice grenade. The L3A1 practice grenade used to train troops on how to use the L2 series of live grenades. These were known as the M26 in US service and entered service in the early 1950s to replace the classic Mk2.

The grenades entered UK service in the 1970s, replacing the No.36 Mills Bomb. They were used by British troops in every major operation from the 1960s through to the 2000s. The L2 and L3 series were replaced by the L109A1 grenade during the early 2000s. The L3 was largely out of use by the mid-1990s, replaced by the L28 and L56 training grenades.

These training grenades would have been used in the classroom portion of soldiers’ training giving them hands on experience in the feel of the grenade and how the pin and spoon work and interact and where a live grenade’s fuze would be fitted. The blue painted grenades have “GREN PRAC L3A1′ and ‘HE SUB’ (high expolosive substitute) printed on them.

L111A1

The UK adopted RUAG’s HG-85 in the early 2000s as the L109A1, the L110A1 is an inert drill grenade for handling practice while the L111A1, as seen here, is a practice grenade which can incorporate a small simulation charge which can be used safely in training environments. Initially called the ‘Enhanced Performance Grenade’ but once it was introduced and classified in 2002, it became the L109A1. The body of the practice L111A1 is made of steel, and is covered in a blue textured plastic material and has the words ‘PRACTICE GRENADE’ embossed near the top of the body. Like the earlier L3A1, the L111A1 approximate the weight, feel and operation of a live grenade for training purposes. The HG-85 remains the UK’s standard fragmentation grenade, here’s a video from 2021 showing the Irish Guards training with the L111A1.

So there we have it, a couple of small items from the VMGCRA but ones that illustrate the depth and breadth of the collection. Thanks for watching, don’t forget to check out and subscribe to VMGCRA!

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Chinese MANPADS In Ukraine

While officially China has no involvement in the ongoing war in Ukraine a substantial number of their weapon systems have been seen in theatre. Setting aside the tens of thousands of Chinese manufacturer commercial drones which have been used during the conflict we’ve also seen Chinese RPGs, rifles and heavy machine guns. In the past six months, however, there have been a number of sightings of much more complex Chinese weapons; FN-series man portable air defence systems (MANPADS).

The first sighting of a Chinese-manufactured MANPADS came in mid-November 2025. On 19 November, the 143rd United Educational and Training Center shared a post, including photographs and video, of an engagement of a Russian Kalibr missile by an air defence team armed with a Chinese FN-6. The Kalibr cruise missile was engaged by a four-man mobile air defence team, in a video of the engagement the FN-6’s transit case can be seen next to the operator.

*Air defence team of the 143rd United Educational and Training Center with an FN-6 (Ukrainian Armed Forces)*

Operation of the Chinese MANPADS is not dissimilar to that of Russian-manufactured MANPADS, like the 9K32 Strela-2 , that Ukrainian personnel would be familiar with. To ready the FN-6 for action the rear exhaust cover and the front sensor cover must be removed. A gas coolant cartridge must also be inserted, this is needed for the IR seeker. Finally, iron sights must be flipped up for aiming, the battery is activated as the operator depresses the trigger and once the weapon is on target it can be fired.

The HY-6 was developed in the early 1990s and has since seen service with elements of the Chinese armed forces. It is a passive infrared homing (IR) MANPADS and has been exported to around a dozen countries as the FN-6 (飞弩-6) including Cambodia, Malaysia, Sudan and Pakistan.

The FN-6 is a fire-and-forget system as it utilises a passive infrared pyramidal nose-mounted seeker. Once fired the missile is guided by proportional navigation to an optimal point of impact. It has a maximum range of 5.5km with an maximum altitude of 3.8km. The FN-6 utilises a high explosive-fragmentation warhead with either an impact or laser-proximity fuze.

On 13 May 2026, the 160th Separate Mechanized Brigade shared a post highlighting the work of its air defence units which included an number of photographs including two which showed a different kind of Chinese MANPADS, an FN-16.

The FN-16 is an evolution of the FN-6. It is believed to primarily be an export weapon and is reportedly in service with Cambodia, Cameroon and Pakistan. The more advanced FN-16 uses an infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) [two-colour rosette-scan quasi-imaging] seeker which scans for its target’s outline using multi-spectral sensing. It has a maximum engagement range of 6km and a maximum altitude of 4km. Like the FN-6 it uses a high explosive-fragmentation warhead with either an impact or proximity fuse.

*Member of 160th Separate Mechanized Brigade with an FN-16 (Ukrainian Armed Forces)*

Also in May, the 123rd Territorial Defense Brigade shared photographs of a member of one of the brigade’s air defence units holding an FN-6 missile [17 May / 19 May]. The seeker cover is in place and the gripstock is not fitted.

So how did these Chinese MANPADS come to be in Ukraine? The most likely potential answers to that question include: the transfer of seized weapons – we’ve already seen other Chinese smalls arms procured by Iran for the Houthis which were seized an subsequently supplied to Ukraine. Another possibility is that they are third-party purchases; with the MANPADS bought from countries that have already procured (and use) them. Similarly, they could have been procured via non-state intermediaries though its unclear how interested in this China would be given its public position on involvement in the conflict.

From the available imagery it appears that a variety of units have been issued Chinese MANPADS with units from both the Ukrainian regular Army and Territorial Defence Force both seen with the weapons. It remains unclear just how many of the MANPADS Ukraine might have.

Update 19/06/26:

Another sighting of the Chinese FN-16 MANPADS with a Ukrainian anti-aircraft team from the 160th Mechanized Brigade.

Full article/video on these linked below 👇 #UkraineWar #UkraineRussiaWar #MANPADS #SALW pic.twitter.com/SgNoGXeoM1
— Matthew Moss | The Armourer's Bench (@historicfirearm) June 19, 2026

Kalashnikov Concerns Folding Single-shot Anti-Drone Shotgun

Kalashnikov Concern’s press office announced that specialists from the Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (JSC TsNIITochMash) Research Center for Small Arms Systems and Combat Equipment were awarded gold medals at the 2026 N. G. Slavyanov International Exhibition of Inventions and Innovations for a number of counter-drone designs. JSC TsNIITochMash is a part of Russia’s Rostec State Corporation, and which is managed by JSC Kalashnikov Concern.

One of the designs was described as a “compact, single-shot shotgun chambered for 12x70mm [12 gauge] cartridges is designed to engage small, low-flying UAVs. The weapon’s main advantage is its compact size and light weight, weighing only 1.8 kg.” The weapon essentially appears to be a linear tube capable of being folding in two for transport. The ergonomics are limited and the barrel is relatively short.

*Folding 12ga C-UAS shotgun (Kalashnikov Concern)*

From the limited information available and the single image which has been shared of the shotguns it appears that the weapon may break just behind the trigger guard and hinges back so the two halves run perpendicular. The muzzle appears to clip into the buttstock. The trigger guard incorporates a trigger block safety but the hypothesised folding design would mean the trigger and trigger guard would have to recess into the body of the weapon or to the side of the tube. The shotgun has a pair of folding iron sights.

The weapon perhaps loads when the two halves are broken but this would mean there is either a method of retaining the cartridge in the weapon or it has to be carried unloaded which would defeat the purpose of a compact anti-drone personal defence shotgun. Until additional imagery of the weapon appears these characteristics remain hypothetical and largely unconfirmed.

*Duplex C-UAS ammunition (Kalashnikov Concern)*

Also said to have won the award is a triplex-style rifle round with a three projectiles. These have been developed to match the form factors of conventional 5.45x39mm and 7.62x54mmR ammunition. The press release stated that the “multi-bullet cartridges are designed for individual small arms and contain a multi-element projectile that significantly increases the probability of engaging UAVs. This design solution ensures that the cartridge’s components separate orderly upon exiting the barrel, improving the stability of external ballistic characteristics while maintaining the weapon’s reliable operation.” This ammunition development revisits a concept which has been explored in the past. Through industrial manufacture, with proper quality control and materials, it may offer some benefits over the ad-hoc AK-buckshot rounds which have evolved.

It’s unclear if Kalashnikov have plans to put the new shotgun into production or if it simply represents the latest experimental efforts to provide individual soldiers with a weapon which can provide some counter to the pervasive threat of FPV drones. Full details on the design are not yet available and its utility remains debatable as while the shotgun is said to be relatively light it still represents 1.8 kg or 4lbs of extra kit a soldier would have to carry. The weapon has to be deployed and only offers one chance to engage the drone threat before having to be reloaded.