Subheader Icon 877-412-3651
Request a quote
Article Rapidfire Turret – A New Generation of Artillery to Take Down Drone Swarms Image

The threat posed by drones to civilian and military targets in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has generated enormous interest in drones globally.

Although small, slow, and easy to shoot down, drones pose a significant threat when they come in swarms.

Counter-drone technology is rapidly emerging to respond to drone threats

Now, Nexter and Thales have unveiled the latest version of the RAPIDFire autonomous gun turret to counter these dangerous low-level aerial threats.

While Nexter is the leading French land Defense company and a European major player in the ammunition sector. Thales is a French aerospace and Defense leader in the fast-growing market of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). 

RAPIDFire autonomous gun turret was recently unveiled at the Euronaval 2022 naval Defense exhibition in Paris.  

RAPIDFire can autonomously and automatically seek out, acquire, lock, and destroy all types of threats such as unmanned aerial systems, fighter jets, attack helicopters, and missiles at up to 4,000 meters (2.4 miles). With a ready rack of 140 rounds of ammunition, enough for around 30 interceptions, the system offers effective firepower against swarms of drones.

This remotely operated naval and land artillery system has been chosen by the French defense procurement agency (DGA) to equip future French Navy vessels with an effective close-in defense capability against air and surface threats.

The system is configured for the future Anti-Aerial Airburst (A3B) round that cannot be jammed, decoyed, or triggered by clutter while dealing with airborne targets. The remotely operated turret has a high-precision optronic fire control system with multispectral sight. It also has a high-rate laser rangefinder that automatically selects the appropriate ammunition to counter multiple threats.

Image by Achim Scholty from Pixabay

Related Articles

Latest ORNL PM-HIP Breakthrough Targets Larger Critical Metal Parts Image
Industry News

ORNL PM-HIP Breakthrough Targets Larger Critical Metal Parts

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a manufacturing method that could make large critical metal parts faster to produce, easier to customize, and less dependent on conventional casting and forging supply chains. The U.S. Department of Energy laboratory announced on May 14 that its researchers used additive manufacturing to fabricate custom canisters for powder metallurgical hot isostati

Latest Best Materials for High-Temperature Aerospace Applications Image
Aerospace

Best Materials for High-Temperature Aerospace Applications

Every turbine blade, exhaust duct, and fastener in an aircraft engine faces a punishing combination of heat, stress, and corrosive gas. And the high-temperature aerospace materials that survive those conditions aren't interchangeable. If you pick the wrong alloy, the part can distort, crack, or fails mid-flight. Choosing the best materials for high-temperature aerospace applications starts with un

Latest DOE Awards $94M to Speed Small Modular Reactor Deployment Image
Construction

DOE Awards $94M to Speed Small Modular Reactor Deployment

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded more than $94 million to eight American companies to accelerate small modular reactor deployment. A move that gives the nuclear sector a fresh push as power demand rises across manufacturing, data centers, and industrial infrastructure. Announced on May 14, the cost-shared funding will support advanced light-water small modular reactors, known as Gen II

Latest NAVAIR Contract Pushes Metal Additive Manufacturing Toward Airworthy Production Image
Aerospace

NAVAIR Contract Pushes Metal Additive Manufacturing Toward Airworthy Production

A new Naval Air Systems Command contract is set to push metal additive manufacturing deeper into certified aerospace production, with direct implications for U.S. defense suppliers, specialty alloy producers, and precision fabrication teams. Colibrium Additive, a GE Aerospace company, announced on April 22 that it received a $31 million NAVAIR contract supporting the Navy’s Additive Manufacturi