Small drones were a ubiquitous sight at this week’s Association of the U.S. Army annual meeting in Washington—with dozens suspended above the trade show booths in both of the massive exhibit halls.
Russia and Ukraine have both used these types of weapons extensively—especially those packed with explosives—since Russia’s February 2022 invasion. More recently, Hamas used small drones to attack Israeli infrastructure and military posts along the Gaza border.
At AUSA, the exhibit hall was packed with not just suicide drones, but also drones with rocket launchers and even machine guns mounted to their underbelly. And counter-drone technology, from lasers to guns, was also around every corner, a trend that has increased in recent years.
The U.S. and its allies have provided Ukraine with hundreds of counter-drone systems, some which were on display at AUSA. Among them: the Lightweight Multirole Missile, a canister-launched weapon the United Kingdom has given to Ukraine. The Thales-made missile, which the U.K. military calls the Martlet, has reportedly shot down Russian drones.
The missile’s use by the Ukrainian military marks the first time it’s been employed in combat, said Philip McBride, Thales managing director of integrated airspace protections systems in the United Kingdom. The missile had previously only been used in testing and training.
The laser-guided weapon, which has a 7-kilometer range, can be launched from a soldier’s shoulder, a ground vehicle, a…
