At the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama, the US Army recently conducted tests on a new warhead dubbed BRAKER (which stands for “Bunker Rupture and Kinetic Explosive Round”). As reported by Forbes in an article on April 24, this projectile was designed to be integrated with small attack drones, a first for this type of weaponry usually reserved for large-caliber bombs dropped from aircraft.
Designed to destroy heavy fortifications and buried targets, this innovation is part of the transformation plan initiated by the United States to adapt their forces to modern conflicts. The warhead, partially made from 3D-printed components, was developed in record time: conceived in early March, it was successfully tested a few weeks later. In total, 12 munitions were produced, with one used for an official demonstration. The project is led by the US Army’s executive program dedicated to munitions and energetics, based in Picatinny, New Jersey.
Context:
Redstone Arsenal in Alabama conducted tests on a new warhead alongside small attack drones.
Fact Check:
Forbes reported on the integration of the new warhead with drones and its successful testing.
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Rapid and Scalable Implementation
“Our Picatinny team went from concept to live fire in two weeks,” highlighted Colonel Vincent Morris in a statement released on April 22. He also noted that “BRAKER demonstrates our ability to rapidly develop and safely deploy devastating effects with small unmanned aerial systems.” Beyond the warhead itself, the teams designed a universal mounting system called the Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit (CLIK).
Inspired by standard rails used for rifles, this system allows for different types of payloads to be adapted to drones. This modularity could expand the operational uses of these aircraft.
