US Shoots Down UAV for the First Time Using FPV Interceptor Drone

The U.S. military has received a SkyRaider FPV drone capable of intercepting enemy drones for testing.

The first test of an FPV drone against another UAV in the United States was conducted by the 173rd Airborne Brigade ‘Sky Soldiers’.

The tests were conducted as part of the Shank-Project with the participation of the U.S. Army’s DEVCOM Armaments Center.

A SkyRaider drone equipped with a Claymore anti-personnel mine was chosen for the tests.

“In the skies above Fort Rucker, the first airborne destruction of an aircraft by an armed FPV drone in the history of the US Army was carried out,” the military said.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nathan Shea piloted the SkyRaider, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Topits operated the unmanned aerial system of a simulated enemy during the air battle.

The demonstration took place on the eve of the US Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit.

After the Claymore was blown up, the interceptor drone lost stability, and communication with it was briefly lost, but restored a few seconds later.

Thus, SkyRaider from Aeryon Defense USA can become a reusable interceptor drone.

The platform has an open structure that allows the payload to be changed depending on the task.

This year, the US military is actively adopting the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war. They have also developed a drone ammunition drop system for American units, which has already been tested at a training ground in Germany.

This drone munitions drop test is part of a large-scale modernization initiative and pilot program in the US Army. Earlier, the US Department of Defense officially included the new Skydio X10D quadcopter in the list of authorized UAVs, which is likely to become the main platform for the army’s drops.