Marine Corps Wants Rifle-Mounted Jammers, 'Buckshot-Like' Ammo to Help Grunts Counter Drones
The Marine Corps is on the hunt for electronic warfare attachments, "buckshot-like" ammunition, and advanced optics for its standard-issue rifle to help dismounted troops track and defeat incoming drones, according to a recent announcement from the service.
The notice seeking sources, published July 15 by Marine Corps Systems Command, details plans to field several new attachments to troops at the squad and platoon level to mount on their M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles in order to "support 'every' Marine's ability to conduct self-defense against threat Groups 1 and 2 small UAS [unmanned aerial systems]," drones that weigh 20 pounds or less and between 21 and 55 pounds, respectively.
Those attachments include a "directional RF [radio frequency] and/or Global Positioning System (GPS) jammer" designed to interfere with the signals drones use to communicate with their operators and a "rifle/rifle optic capable of tracking and defeating" small drones.