Australian Army will acquire armed drones this year, after trials and war in Ukraine
Australian soldiers will soon be armed with new weapons that could give them a huge “warfighting advantage”.
Australian Army soldiers will this year acquire “kamikaze” armed drones for the first time after secret trials, the war on Ukraine and a nudge from the US military deemed them a critical addition to their arsenal.
The move will significantly change the battlefield tactics and bring ADF forces up to date with overseas military contemporaries.
The so-called “loitering munition” aerial weapon can hover around a contested area for an average 45 minutes before it crashes onto a designated target, or drops munitions and flies home.
The effectiveness of the low-cost disposable drone with built in warhead is being widely seen in the Russia-Ukraine war where they have been launched in airborne guided clusters to effect.
The Australian Defence Force is coy about the significant addition to its armoury, declining to go into the specifications of whether it will be disposable or retrievable, its manufacturer or procurement size.
But it confirmed it will be Army that will be issued with the loitering armed munition capability.
While trials continue, it is expected the first will be used in the second half of this year.
“Army will introduce a loitering munition into service this calendar year,” a Defence spokesman confirmed.
“In addition to testing, all Defence capability has to undergo a legal weapons review to ensure it can be used in accordance with Australia’s legal obligations including international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict.
“Defence is trialling a range of drones and other unscrewed systems that have the potential to be armed, with delivery expected in the short and medium term.”
The new technology of low-cost lightweight aerial weaponry has been deemed the future face of warfare.
The ADF would not go into details but confirmed trials of several models began last year.
It is understood among them has been both a grenade launcher and by-hand loitering drone with armour piercing warheads that works in tandem with nano reconnaissance drones for target acquisition. The range has been at least 20km and includes models that are reusable/recoverable, and some that are kamikaze, or disposable.
The US Marines, a contingent of which is semi-permanently based in Australia, have flagged with Australian counterparts the critical importance of the tech.
The US military’s Force Design 2030 restructuring plan made clear military hardware that cost thousands of dollars can now defeat hardware that cost millions of dollars.
“Lethal, low-cost, highly proliferated technology provides a reverse offset that can potentially generate an outsized warfighting advantage,” the report said.
It added they provided significantly more benefit than mortars or unguided rockets and were easier to carry to the frontline.
“Presently in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, UAS [Uncrewed Aerial System] platforms and loitering munitions routinely defeat armour and fighting positions with top-down attacks,” the report concluded.
The ADF and notably RAAF has long operated surveillance drones but has been criticised for not having acquired armed drones sooner.
Ironically, Australian defence companies have been supplying Ukraine with world-leading armed kamikaze drones.
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Originally published as Australian Army will acquire armed drones this year, after trials and war in Ukraine
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