Grenade Launcher Drones
American experts are working on a new small drone that is going to be fired from an M320 grenade launcher. This will be called the Grenade Launched Unmanned Aerial System.
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Military specialists from the American Aberdeen Proving Ground are working a small drone that can be fired from an M320 grenade launcher. This drone will circle over the combat field for up to an hour and a half and give the fighters valuable information.
Aerial Advantage
Essentially, such a drone will work as a personal spy-drone for small groups of soldiers. This will give them the unique ability to base their decisions on aerial reconnaissance. Normally, this was something only high ranking officers could do.
The new system is called Grenade Launched Unmanned Aerial System (GLAUS). The drone will be fired from an M320 grenade launcher made by the German company Heckler & Koch. This grenade launcher can be attached to the M16 assault rifle and its M4 and CAR-15 variant and other similar weapons.
The grenade launcher can also be used on its own. It is usually used to fire highly explosive, flash or gas grenades into a distance of up to 400 meters. The fact that the drone can be fired from a weapon the soldiers already know well is a huge benefit.
”Soft Launcher”
If we consider everything, then the M320 grenade launcher is a somewhat “soft” device. The grenades are fired at a speed of 76 meters per second – slower than paintballs. This makes the M320 a good candidate to fire objects full of sophisticated electronics and made from not so sturdy materials such as drones.
The US Army is working on two different versions of the GLAUS drone. One of them is a glider system with wings while the second uses a helicopter-like engine with rotors. After being launched from the grenade launcher it will activate its engine and fly through the air at a constant speed.
One of the soldiers will control the drone from the ground using a joystick or a similar system. The drone should be equipped with a camera that transmits video in real-time. And the energy will come from batteries. The GLAUS drone will have a range of roughly 2 kilometers and will be capable of staying in the air for up to 90 minutes. It will also be capable of reaching up to 600 meters high.
Such a drone will be an invaluable helper on the battlefield. It can search for enemy snipers. It could help find a safe route through a dangerous area. GLAUS can also track down enemy soldiers or track down your own lost or injured soldiers.
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