[LINK] Drum Magazine For Dropping Multiple Bombs From Commercial Drones

Stephen Loosley stephenloosley at outlook.com
Wed May 18 22:27:51 AEST 2022


Perhaps of interest ..

“Now There’s A Drum Magazine For Dropping Multiple Bombs From Commercial Drones”

A company in the Netherlands has apparently created a drum magazine holding multiple mortar bombs for commercial drones.

BY EMMA HELFRICH MAY 17, 2022   https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/now-theres-a-drum-magazine-for-dropping-multiple-bombs-from-commercial-drones

There are unconfirmed reports that an unnamed Dutch company has developed drum magazines for commercial drones, and that prototypes are headed to Ukraine.

The photos, which began circulating on social media late last week, show what looks to be a commercial quadcopter-type drone equipped with a drum magazine that is engineered to hold and drop multiple mortar shells in succession.

A corresponding video demonstration depicts the drum magazine rotating through a barrel of what appear to be mortar rounds that are then released from the device.

Reported to have been developed for Ukrainian forces, the delivery wouldn't be the first time small commercial drones, furnished with improvised weapons, have made appearances in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine ..

Also, see video:  https://t.me/romandonik/2965


From: Tom Worthington<mailto:tom.worthington at tomw.net.au>
Sent: Friday, 13 May 2022 9:20 AM
Subject: Re: [LINK] Chinese drone maker DJI halts sales to Ukraine and Russia

On 1/5/22 16:12, Stephen Loosley wrote:

> Tom do you think the drone that China supplies to their “100%-full-cooperation-partner” Russia
> for war is the same version they supply to the defence forces of Ukraine and Australia? ...

Yes. Today's ally may be tomorrows enemy.

> And if they are being actively used in wartime, and by both sides, although are now withdrawn
> by the company, obviously that makes them, and proves them to be, effective weapons indeed. ...

Not necessarily: it may just be all anyone can afford, or get at the
time. There are some weapons proving effective in the Ukraine war, such
as the Javelin and NLAW anti-tank missiles. But these are not cheap.

One system which is cheap and proving surprisingly effective is the
Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone. I have suggested Australia buy the
shipboard TB3 version, for HMAS Canberra and Adelaide.

> And hence, obviously, something to somehow urgently and speedily be countered as a weapon. ...

Australia is a leader in anti-drone weapons, with Drone Shield's  "Drone
Gun" from Brisbane: https://www.droneshield.com/dronegun-tactical

And Electro Optic Systems laser, from Canberra:
https://www.eos-aus.com/eos-achieves-directed-energy-drone-defence-milestone/

>  Thus would you want your product utilized in war so countries speedily develop defence tactics?

Much military technology is widely available, so there is no point in
missing out on sales by keeping it to yourself. The characteristics are
usually known, or can be inferred, even if you don't have the hardware,
and can be used to develop tactics. This is what I was helping with at
the Navy Warfare Innovation Workshop 2020, working out how to counter
swarms of drones, not any particulate model of drone.
https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2020/12/navy-warfare-innovation-workshop-2020.html

> It just seems all too unlikely, if the drones are also important defensive weapons for the country
> that makes them. ...

Drones are just little remote control aircraft, vehicles, ships and
submarines, or not so little*. Hobbyists can build them. There are some
smarts in sensors and autonomous controls. Linux software pioneer Andrew
"Tridge" Tridgell OAM, developed UAV software:
https://www.computerworld.com/article/3487890/the-aussie-open-source-effort-that-keeps-a-million-drones-in-the-air.html

> And eg, quote: “Drone company DJI Technology Co said on April 27 2022, that it has temporarily suspended business activities in Russia and Ukraine to prevent use of its drones in combat ... ”

So you get out your credit card and buy a whole lot through some front
company in the third country. Or you order the parts and assemble them
yourself.

> Yet, they will happily sell them to our Australian Defence forces?

I was a bit surprised the ADF was using Chinese drones. But it is usual
for countries which are potential enemies to sell each other far more
lethal weapons.

* The Liberal Party has proposed extra large robot submarines for the
Australian Navy:
https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2022/05/05/autonomous-undersea-warfare-capability-australias-navy

And one of our old patrol boats is being turned into a drone:
https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/indo-pacific-2022/2022/05/austal-to-convert-decommissioned-ran-patrol-boat-into-usv/


--
Tom Worthington http://www.tomw.net.au
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