U.S. and Russia Test Anti-Drone Rounds for Standard Rifles to Counter FPV Drone Threats.

On April 9, 2026, reporting from both Russia and the United States highlighted a shared tactical challenge: providing infantry units with an effective close-range response against small unmanned aerial systems. The Russian agency TASS and the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service each documented parallel efforts to address this issue.

Kalashnikov Concern reported testing a 5.45 mm multi-projectile cartridge designed to engage FPV drones, while U.S. forces were observed training with a 5.56 mm L-variant “Drone Round.” Although differing in technical detail and presentation, both initiatives illustrate a broader trend toward adapting standard infantry weapons for counter-drone roles. This development reflects the increasing prevalence of small unmanned systems on the battlefield and raises the prospect that individual soldiers may require an organic, last-resort capability to counter aerial threats at short range.

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U.S. and Russian reports reveal parallel efforts to equip infantry rifles such as the M4 carbine and the AK-12 with specialized ammunition designed to improve short-range defense against fast, low-flying drone threats (Picture Source: U.S. Army / Rosoboronexport)

The two reports reflect a similar operational concern even if they do not describe developments at the same stage of maturity. In the U.S. case, Defense Visual Information Distribution Service documented a familiarization activity at Oak Grove Training Center in North Carolina on April 9, 2026, involving U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Dwayne Oxley of XVIII Airborne Corps Headquarters and Support Company. According to the official caption, the soldier was training with the 5.56 mm L-variant Drone Round, which is described as optimized for close-range engagements and capable of defeating small unmanned aerial systems within a 100-meter range. The public U.S. material confirms real training activity and identifies the ammunition’s intended role, but it offers only limited technical detail beyond that close-range anti-sUAS purpose.

The Russian report provides more information on the ammunition design itself. TASS said Kalashnikov had successfully tested proprietary 5.45 mm multi-bullet cartridges using the AK-12 assault rifle against FPV-type drones. According to the report, the tests involved both single shots and bursts fired first at a hovering UAV and then at a drone flying with preset speed and altitude parameters to simulate an attack on the shooter. Kalashnikov stated that the cartridge uses a multi-element projectile and that its elements separate in an orderly manner upon exiting the barrel, a feature the company says is intended to improve hit probability against fast-moving and maneuvering aerial targets while preserving stable external ballistic characteristics.

TASS also reported more specific claims regarding the intended effects of the Russian ammunition. According to Kalashnikov, the projectile elements struck drone components, including engines, batteries, circuit boards, and structural elements, causing the targets to crash. The company further said that the round remains dimensionally identical to standard 5.45 x 39 mm ammunition and can therefore be loaded into a normal 30-round AK-12 magazine. That compatibility point is important because it suggests the concept is designed to fit into existing infantry logistics and weapon handling rather than requiring a dedicated new firearm. At the same time, these performance details remain manufacturer-linked claims reported by TASS, not independently verified battlefield evidence.

Placed side by side, the U.S. and Russian reports suggest not that both armies have reached the same technical answer, but that both are responding to the same tactical pressure created by small drones. In each case, the rifle is being considered not as a substitute for layered counter-UAS systems such as jamming, radar-guided guns, or missiles, but as a possible final protective measure when a drone closes to very short range. The U.S. source emphasizes training and familiarization, indicating an effort to integrate such ammunition into soldier-level practice. The Russian source emphasizes cartridge engineering, compatibility with the AK-12, and continued work toward mass-production technology, suggesting an effort to turn the concept into a more scalable field solution.

This development illustrates how the evolution of drone warfare is reshaping even the most fundamental aspects of infantry equipment. The widespread use of FPV and other small unmanned systems has reduced reaction times and created operational conditions in which dedicated counter-drone assets may not always be available to forward-deployed units. In this context, ammunition designed to improve hit probability against low-altitude, fast-moving aerial targets reflects an effort to extend counter-drone capabilities to the squad and platoon level. Whether such solutions become standard issue, remain niche, or are applied only in specific scenarios will depend on further testing, doctrinal adaptation, and operational feedback. The near-simultaneous visibility of these developments in both U.S. and Russian sources nevertheless indicates that short-range drone defense is emerging as a distinct focus within small-arms development.

The parallel appearance of these Russian and U.S. reports shows that the small-drone threat is pushing military adaptation beyond dedicated air-defense systems and into the realm of individual weapons and ammunition. The U.S. material points to infantry familiarization with a close-range 5.56 mm anti-drone round, while the Russian report outlines a 5.45 mm multi-bullet cartridge intended to increase the probability of hitting FPV-type drones from a standard AK-12. Together, they suggest that rifle-fired anti-drone ammunition is emerging as a serious area of interest for armies seeking practical short-range answers to a rapidly expanding battlefield threat.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.