Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
RfOne MKII direction finder installed on a military vehicle. (Photo: DroneShield)
DroneShield announced on 19 July that it has sold an undisclosed number of its RfOne MKII long-range sensors to the Australian Army.
‘The capability is being delivered immediately to allow the Australian Army to assess its future counter-drone requirements and options,’ the Sydney-based company added.
The value of the deal remains unpublicised.
RfOne MKII is a stationary RF detection system that is designed to deliver long-range and highly accurate UAV detection and tracking capabilities.
Each unit delivers 90° coverage. Deploying multiple RfOne MKII sensors across different installations enables triangulation to accurately position a UAV threat.
The system utilises the DroneShield proprietary detection database with subscription-based updates.
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
Germany has ordered 84 RCH 155 self-propelled guns, as system incorporating Boxer 8×8 vehicles and the Artillery Gun Module, and 200 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles while the UK has committed to a single Early Capability Demonstrator RCH 155.
While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.
The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.
The French and German governments signed an agreement in June 2018 to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank under the Main Ground Combat System programme but the effort has struggled. This new agreement may damage it further.