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Australia could soon supply anti-drone bullets to NATO and AUKUS allies, according to Australian specialist ammunition manufacturer ARES Armaments Australia.
The ARES counter-uncrewed aerial system “Rooster” ammunition has already passed field testing and received interest for use with the Australian Defence Force, according to the company.
The ammunition is designed to turn any in-service 7.62mm or .50 machine gun small arms firearm into a counter UAS weapon. There is also potential for 5.56mm variant, according to the company.
ARES chief executive officer Jason Murray said the ammunition was an “Australian world-first”, providing shotgun effects on drone targets using single projectile accuracy.
“It’s a timely and affordable solution to a growing threat. It has a devastating effect on Type 1 UAS but reduces the risk to personnel or civilians within the firing template,” he said.
“(There’s) no need to carry extra weapons, no extra training and no modifications to in-service rifles or belt-fed section weapons. Just increased protection for troops on the ground or civilians in urban areas.”
It’s initially designed for use with the Australian Defence Force and future use with NATO and AUKUS allies or even anti-drone law enforcement, he said.
Murray confirmed that the company’s in-house ballistics engineering team, led by research and development head Tom Tolley, had also developed close range (150m to 175m) and long-range (beyond 500m) variants of the ammunition.
