Sky Defenders Tests UAV Interceptor With Shotgun

Ukrainian drone manufacturer Sky Defenders has tested a new version of a UAV with a shotgun mounted on it.

The video of the test flight was published by the company on its TikTok page.

The drone is made in the standard plane-type configuration and is launched from the ground using a catapult.

The nose of the drone is equipped with a shotgun with a sighting scope for accurate firing during the flight.

For easy target acquisition, the top of the drone is equipped with a rotating digital camera, which, according to the company’s video, is also used on the ZigZag interceptor drone.

To maintain the platform’s high speed and increased payload, engines are installed on each wing console.

It is worth noting that the use of drones armed with shotguns and automatic rifles is already being practiced by the military at the front and is effectively destroying Russian occupiers.

For example, UAV operators from the 30th Mechanized Brigade installed a double-barreled rifle on a quadcopter-type drone, which is used to intercept Russian reconnaissance drones.

According to the unit’s press service, as of January 15, 2025, 20 enemy UAVs have been destroyed using this drone.

In addition to copters, this drone is also capable of destroying Russian troops on the ground, as it uses shotgun shells that work effectively over an area.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had used an FPV drone armed with a 5.45 mm Kalashnikov rifle made in 1974 (AK-74).

The “Queen of Hornets” drone, equipped with an AK-74 rifle, was sent to clear the infantry. The Wild Hornets detail that the weapon was invented and tested by the fighters of the BULAVA unit.

It is worth reminding that the same unit has already installed a Bulspike-AP grenade launcher on the Queen of Hornets. The Ukrainian Defense Forces have already experimented with installing small arms on multicopter drones.

In particular, the photos of a DJI Agras T30 drone with a 7.62 mm PKM machine gun and a Bullspike anti-tank grenade launcher were posted online.