A Turkish defense firm tested a grenade-launcher equipped drone.
A Songar drone-attached six-barrel rotary grenade launcher, the RDS40-MGL, was fired during the test, according to drone manufacturer Asisguard.
The 5.4-kilogram (12 pounds) 40mm grenade launcher is 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds) lighter than similar weapon systems, according to manufacturer Repkon Defence.
It can fire 40×46 mm caliber ammunition up to 400 meters (1,312 feet) and 40×53 mm caliber rounds up to 800 meters (2,624 feet).
Drone Compatible With Multiple Ammo
Asisguard and Repkon undertook an integration study following an agreement in 2022, which culminated in the testing.
Songar has previously been tested with various ammunition and payloads, including a 5.56-millimeter gun.
“Following its deployment with security forces, we have dedicated ourselves to expanding its arsenal by integrating various types of ammunition and payloads,” Asisguard CEO Baris Duzgun was quoted as saying.
It is intended to be compatible with various ammunition and payloads, precluding the need for designing multiple drone types, Anadolu Agency wrote, citing Duzgun in 2021.
A study to integrate it with a laser weapon and missile is also underway.
Songar Features
The 25-kilogram (55 pound) multicopter has a range of 16 kilometers (10 miles) and a flight altitude of 2.8 kilometers (2 miles).
It is equipped with a camera for transmitting videos in real time and a laser range finder.
It can also be configured for swarm operations.