Russia Unveils 30mm Shrapnel Ammunition Designed to Counter Drones

Russia has developed a 30mm shrapnel round with a programmable airburst for countering drones.

The development was announced by the Russian Rostec state-owned corporation.

According to the developer, the ammunition can be fired from the 2A42 automatic cannon.

This weapon is used on Russian BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and BMPT combat vehicles, as well as Mi-28NM and Ka-52M attack helicopters.

Russian officials say the round was specifically designed to increase the likelihood of hitting small drones and loitering munitions.

“The fire-control system calculates the most effective detonation point based on the target’s flight trajectory, allowing the drone to be hit by shrapnel. The fuze timing is set automatically via the optical channel,” Rostec said.

Meanwhile, the Russians have not specified how the 30 mm 2A42 automatic cannon will be able to use these shrapnel rounds. In particular, they have not explained how or with what equipment the munition will be programmed.

Countering drones is becoming increasingly relevant in modern warfare and local conflicts. This applies both to the protection of critical military and industrial facilities and to individual pieces of equipment.

The Russian military has recently adopted new Zubr air defense systems designed to shoot down drones.

The system consists of four separate modules equipped with four 7.62 mm PKT machine guns, a command-and-control unit, and a radar.