Is the designated shotgunner making a return to the infantry squad to solve the drone problem? As far as I can tell, the first serious force to use commercial UAVs as weapons was ISIS. ISIS used cheap Chinese-made drones to carry bombs to their enemy.
The ISIS efforts were crude, and we’ve seen refinement come in the Ukraine-Russian war. Both sides are using FPV drones to drop grenades and mortar rounds and act as suicide bombers. Iran has produced dedicated suicide drones that are explosive-packed and stacked.
I watch way too much combat footage from various wars, and the drone footage is horrid. It looks like a nightmare. It’s the new world of IEDs, but even worse because pilots control them and can follow you. It’s the lamest version of Terminator. This isn’t a threat that’s going anywhere anytime soon. So, what’s a military force to do?
Well, it’s time for shotguns to shine! It seems like every new war brings a new niche use case for the shotgun. From trenches to door-busting and now drone killing, the shotgun can be a workable option. I’ve said this before, and I’ve heard that the idea was crazy, but I think the world is proving me right.
The Designated Shotgunner in 2024
Benelli recently released a drone configuration of the M4. The Belgians adopted the Benelli M4 specifically for a designated shotgunner and drone control, and the French adopted the Benelli Supernova in both tactical and sporting configurations for drone warfare. Ukraine purchased several thousand bullpup shotguns from Hatsan, which are an interesting option. Russia has also been using Vepr shotguns to shoot down drones.
I’ve watched a ton of videos of Russians and Ukrainians shooting down drones. My favorite video is a pair of Ukrainian soldiers with what looks like a Winchester 1300 Defender shooting down an FPV drone. Shotguns can do the job. They can do the job and are a commercial, off-the-shelf option already in most military inventories.
The shotgun is an infantry squad-friendly weapon for defeating drones until dedicated jammers and other high-tech measures become foolproof. The designated shotgunner is a simple way to solve a complex problem.
Killing Drones
Drones are fragile little things. It doesn’t take much to take one down. They use thin propellers, and a single birdshot pellet could damage a propeller and create control and direction issues for the pilot. It doesn’t take much to take one out of commission. Their main advantage is speed, quick directional changes, and a relatively small size.
Hitting a drone with any weapon is a challenge, but shotguns make it a little easier by throwing a net of shot at the target. Shotguns are the weapons used by bird hunters, and for the same reason, a designated shotgunner will use them. Shotguns being used for drones would likely benefit from either a heavy-duty birdshot or even a No. 4 buckshot.
Birdshot makes it easier to hit, but buckshot offers a better range. If the drone is carrying explosives, you want as much range as possible. I think some hefty experimenting is due and required before a decision can be made ultimately.
Which Shotgun?
This is the hard one. I do like the idea of a 3.5-inch chamber. That allows the gun to throw more shot per trigger pull. Bird hunters use the 3.5-inch chamber extensively to take birds, specifically big birds. I’d also want something semi-automatic. You need fast follow-up shots in case of a miss or multiple drones. Semi-auto shotguns also tend to have less recoil.
We also need a shotgun capable of withstanding combat conditions. I’m fairly partial to magazine-fed design because drones are cheap and plentiful. Magazine-fed shotguns have their challenges, but I think the quicker reloads and less training time required to teach a designated shotgunner are worth it.
In my mind, the Genesis 12 would be perfect, depending on how it performs in the hands of 18-year-old Marines in the world’s worst places. It would be perfect if the chamber could be extended to 3.5 inches. I’d also equip it with a red dot for instinctive target-focused shooting.
Obviously, this is entirely theoretical, and real-time testing would show what’s best. However, I think the shotgun will be kept out of military retirement for the time being. It seems to be the best weapon available for dealing with drones.
