MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. The Russian military has been equipped with a new anti-drone technology - a net-firing round that shoots from a grenade launcher to entangle the whirly birds, the developer company Orda-Pilot told TASS.

"This new development of ours is currently being tested in the Russian military - a round for the standard underbarrel grenade launcher (GP-25, GP-30, or GP-34), which is loaded with a net instead of a fragmentation grenade. When fired, the net deploys at a distance from the muzzle, designed to capture and entangle the drone’s propellers. The device is the same size as the standard VOG-25/VOG-25P round. It is loaded from the muzzle of the grenade launcher, and the shot is fired using the standard firing mechanism. This model allows for the quick replacement of a spent net launcher with a new one or the loading of standard ammunition into the grenade launcher," the company said.

It specified that the net ammo was created at the request of military personnel. "During combat operations, there was an urgent need for such a net launcher, as small drones have become one of the primary weapons and reconnaissance assets. Standard air defense systems (anti-aircraft mounts, MANPADS) are not always effective against single FPV drones at close range, and firing at them with an assault rifle is ineffective. Most personnel carry an underbarrel grenade launcher, which they can convert into a compact anti-drone defense weapon without any modification necessary," said a spokesperson for the company.

Orda-Pilot added that the underbarrel net launcher is supplied with three rounds. "The net size is 4x4 meters, the effective range is 30-40 meters, the maximum is 55 meters," the company said.