With New Bullets, the US Army Wants to Turn Apaches and Bradleys into Drone Killers

US Army (AUSA) Conference

The U.S. Army is in the early stages of testing specialized 30mm and 25mm rounds to help counter the growing threat of small drones. These new rounds, intended for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopters and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, are designed to neutralize unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), a growing concern in modern combat. Army officials made the announcement during the annual Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference, highlighting the lessons learned from ongoing conflicts, particularly in Ukraine.

“The character of war is changing,” said Army Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, Jr., who oversees the Army’s Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition. He stressed the need for tactical solutions to deal with the increasing number of first-person view drones being used by adversaries. Traditional air defence systems are insufficient to meet the scale of the drone threat, and the Army is focusing on upgrading its existing platforms to tackle the issue.

One of the key challenges is the cost disparity between interceptors and the drones they are designed to destroy. Drones are relatively inexpensive, with some adversary UAVs costing as little as $1,200, whereas intercepting them can cost upwards of $100,000 per drone. This imbalance has prompted the Army to seek more cost-effective solutions by modifying current weapons systems.

The XM1228 Bradley Aerial Defeat Group Enhanced Round, or BADGER, is a 25mm proximity-sensing round being developed to help mechanized units engage drones. Similarly, the XM1225 Aviation Proximity Explosive (APEX), a 30mm round, is intended for use with Apache helicopters. The APEX round is designed to airburst, allowing it to destroy small drones mid-flight. These new munitions represent a significant step forward, with the APEX marking the first major upgrade to the Apache’s 30mm cannon in 30 years.

Though both rounds are still in the developmental stage, with live-fire testing scheduled soon, they promise to provide a more affordable and scalable defence against small drones. Lt. Col. Saleem Khan, product manager for medium calibre ammunition, emphasized that these rounds will offer protection with minimal modifications to existing systems.

As drone warfare continues to evolve, the Army is moving quickly to ensure its formations are equipped with the tools needed to neutralize this growing threat.