On the battlefield today, drones are the ones that are causing fear. Some are used for surveillance, others for dropping missiles, and also kamikaze drones. Inexpensive (500 euros each), they allow for hitting targets with as much precision as a missile, but at a low cost. Drones are particularly used in wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. They pose no danger to the soldier in control.
Therefore, the French army is making preparations. There have already been developments in terms of detection and jamming, but if a drone manages to bypass all protections, the soldiers need to know how to act. As reported by Ici, the 2nd Marine Infantry Regiment of Champagne (Sarthe) has been trained for anti-drone combat since October. The forty trained soldiers use 12mm pump shotguns to shoot down drones.
Similar training to trap shooting
Drones can reach speeds of 80, 90, and even 100 km/h, so one must be quick. “We are prepared for the speed of the drone and the drone can reach up to 100 km/h. You need a reaction time that is quite significant, so you need to be well prepared beforehand,” explains Corporal Eloan to our colleagues. To avoid destroying a real drone during each training session, the soldiers practice with throwing clay discs. Equally fast, they allow soldiers to understand the speed of drones and the fact that they don’t have many opportunities to shoot when an aircraft approaches them.
