Allen Control Systems (ACS) has demonstrated a counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) gun at a US Department of Defense tactical solutions convention at Camp Atterbury, Indiana.
For the event, the Texas-based startup deployed its Bullfrog robotic weapon system developed for autonomous scanning and neutralization of drone threats.
A live fire demonstration was held on each day of the two-week conference, with the gun “consistently” defeating targets on single or multi-drone engagements “in rapid succession.”
The trials concluded with the technology exhibiting its “low cost, low weight, size, and power” application for accurate and effective anti-drone attacks within seconds.
ACS’ Steven Simoni commented that the tests validated the Bullfrog’s capability, which “has been a near-impossibility until now … to autonomously shoot drones out of the sky with a solution that doesn’t cost the DoD millions of dollars to procure or arm.”
“This means that there is now a solution to address the urgent threat of low-flying, cheap drones that have changed the battlefield,” Simoni explained.
‘Significant Milestone’
The company’s co-founder and CEO also expressed gratitude for having an opportunity to participate in a Joint Warfighting Concepts-related military event just two years after ACS’ launch.
The Indiana event was attended by more than 30 representatives from Pentagon stakeholders, Congress, and primary C-UAS program offices.
“We are grateful to the Defense Department for providing the opportunity to showcase our system,” Simoni stated.
“The Bullfrog system’s successful performance during the [Technology Readiness Experimentation 2024] event marks a significant milestone on the path toward deployment, supporting our mission to accelerate the defense industry’s transition to advanced, cost-effective technologies that protect US military and allies on the battlefield.”
The Bullfrog
ACS’ Bullfrog is offered in a gun turret configuration with features to address class 1 to 3 UAS platforms.
The 400-pound (181-kilogram) weapon functions in both automatic and semi-automatic modes with a less than two percent false negative rate in fully passive detection.
Additionally, its lightweight design enables users to mount the system onto NATO-standard military vehicles.
The Bullfrog combines computer vision, artificial intelligence, and the M240 machine gun to enable precision firing using 7.62-millimeter rounds.