Among the many lessons that the four-year-old war in Ukraine has provided, one is that even the simplest of weapons, such as the shotgun, can play a meaningful and effective role on the modern battlefield. It is emerging as a practical and cost-effective countermeasure against one of the most difficult threats facing soldiers today: small, fast, and deadly drones. 

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are said to have been among the first in the world to incorporate shotguns into organized counter-drone defense. They have proved that a shotgun’s spread pattern increases the chances of hitting a small, fast-moving drone, particularly in the final seconds before impact.

Earlier, sophisticated anti-air defense and electronic-warfare systems were considered to be the preferred defense against drones, but when the latter managed to bypass these systems (particularly swarms of smaller drones), shotguns proved to be a practical last line of defense.

For soldiers defending trenches, vehicles, or command posts, these now offer the last line of defense when electronic jamming and other anti-drone/UAV capabilities fail.

Reportedly, Ukraine’s 413th Separate Raid Battalion has established a dedicated training program for using shotguns, incorporating not only traditional skeet shooting techniques but also the unpredictable movement capabilities of drones.

Given these lessons, leading militaries all over the world have started incorporating shotguns into their defensive strategies against drones.

Take, for instance,  the following examples that have occupied headlines in recent weeks.

On October 4, the Indian Army issued a tender to buy six AK-630 30 mm guns to protect population centres and religious sites close to the border of Pakistan.

These high-firing guns are effective against drones and seen as a part of “the Sudarshan Chakra air defense net”, a comprehensive, multi-layered, indigenous security shield,  integrating surveillance, cyber security, and air defense systems to protect key installations from various enemy attacks by 2035 that the Indian government is keen to set up around the country.

The AK-630 30 mm gun system will be mounted on a trailer and towed by a high mobility vehicle. “AK630 will be utilised to thwart the threat from URAM (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Rocket, Artillery and Mortar) and will be used for the protection of key population centres and Centres of Faith in close proximity to the international border and Line of Control,” according to Indian officials.

These multi-barreled gun systems will have a range of up to 4 km with a cyclic rate of fire of up to 3,000 rounds per minute. Detection is achieved through an all-weather Electro-Optical Fire Control system. The systems will be gradually integrated into the overall air defence architecture.

On October 3,  Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) revealed its Arbel anti-drone system with the cutting-edge fire control technology that transforms standard infantry rifles into precision-guided interceptors, making the system deceptively simple yet profoundly effective.

Integrated directly into the AR-15 platform and IWI’s own ARAD assault rifles and Negev machine guns, Arbel allows soldiers to engage threats, including aerial threats, using their existing weapons, optics, and ammunition-with no additional gear required. Depending on the selected firing mode, these could hit targets up to 450 meters away.

Similarly, depending on the platform, the Arbel system can be integrated into the lower receiver of the A-15 or attached as an external unit to the grip of the Negev. The system adds only 900 grams to the weapon and meets MIL-STD-810 military standards, ensuring reliability under extreme environmental conditions.

Battery-operated, Arbel’s power supply allows for 50 hours of continuous operation. It’s optic-agnostic, mission-configurable, and features a built-in fire control system that releases rounds when the shooter is stable on the target, according to the operational scenario.

Armed forces from other countries are also beginning to experiment with similar approaches to develop drone-killer guns and rifles.

Such examples are: 

The United States is said to be developing the IXI-EW Dronekiller rifle.  Configured like a normal rifle with a pistol grip, this gun weighs just under 9 pounds. It works like other drone countermeasures by neutralizing communications between the drone and its operator. The IXI-EW Dronekiller can reach aerial targets roughly 1,000 meters away.

Ukraine is developing its Anti-drone rifle,  the “Kvertus Technology Antidron KVSG-6”, which is said to be the next evolution in drone warfare.

The KVSG-6 operates by projecting radio signals toward the target, effectively scrambling the signals received by the drone. The result is generally a partial or complete loss of communication, causing the drone to either fly aimlessly or crash.

Russia is having the Lokmas PARS STUPOR as the new anti-drone gun. Like other drone countermeasures, the STUPOR disrupts communications with the target via electromagnetic pulses, causing the drone to fly aimlessly or crash.

This gun functions like a rifle, with a sighting device mounted on top for range accuracy and a conventional trigger to actuate the weapon.

Yet another anti-drone rifle that is being developed happens to be Lithuania’s  EDM4S, or Electronic Drone Mitigation 4 System. Constructed similar to a basic rifle with a barrel and pistol grip, this fires an electromagnetic pulse that disrupts or interrupts communications signals between the drone and its operator.

Italian armed forces are reportedly using the new Benelli M4 AI Drone Guard shotgun, which was developed by Beretta Defense Technologies.

This gun is optimized for engaging drones out to 50 meters, with an extended range of up to 100 meters, depending on conditions. The gun uses special tungsten-based lead ammunition in Norma Governmental AD-LER cartridges for counter-drone work.

The dense tungsten pellets deliver a concentrated, penetrating impact, increasing the likelihood of a kill. Each cartridge contains 350 No. 6 (2.75mm) tungsten pellets for maximum coverage in the cone.

However, all said and done, shotguns have their limitations too.

Sceptics say that these are effective only at very short ranges (under 100 meters). The drones they target are small and maneuverable, making them difficult to hit reliably.

It is also said that shotguns could be the source of danger of collateral damage in the sense that in urban or densely populated areas, firing live ammunition into the air poses a significant risk of harming civilians or property.

Thirdly, it is argued that shotguns are merely the last line of defense for individual soldiers when all other counter-drone measures have failed. The shotguns are meant basically for them to defend their own lives and those of their fellow soldiers.

But those advocating the use of shotguns argue that sceptics have been proved wrong on the battlefields in Ukraine. As drones have evolved far beyond their initial roles over the last few years, so have the strength of the shotguns, so runs their argument.

In any case, it is no one’s argument that counter-drone defense can only be relied on shotguns. That system, as Marco Angelelli, President of the Italian Federation of Clay Shooting Commission, says, “requires a layered approach — a combination of early warning sensors, jammers, directed-energy systems, and kinetic weapons. Within that layered defense, the shotgun is emerging as an inexpensive and accessible option, especially for last-resort engagements”.

Angelelli seems to have a point when he argues that “the key is not to view shotguns as relics of a bygone era but as adaptable tools. Their affordability, ease of use, and effectiveness in close-range engagements make them an ideal complement to more sophisticated systems”.