DefendTex Drone40 40mm Autonomous Mini Quadcopter UAS/UAV Drone Munition: Infantry Warfare Game Changer?

By David Crane

Photo(s) Credit: British MOD/Crown and UASVision.com

July 12, 2021

A very interesting Melbourne, Australia-based company called DefendTex is making an equally interesting quadcopter-type UAS/UAV (Unmanned Aerial System/Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) munition called the Drone40 that, in DefenseReview’s (DR) opinion, has the potential to be a real game changer for infantry warfare operations, due to its payload modularity and potential swarming capability. The Drone40 can be launched by an individual soldier/warfighter using a 40mm grenade launcher, and sports a GPS-based autopilot system with encrypted comms (communications).

The Drone40’s tactical payload options are as follows: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), Electronic Warfare (EW), Kinetic (i.e., high explosive payload), Smoke/Flash, and Laser Designator. That’s quite the tactical payload smorgasbord! Anyway, the Drone40 tactical quadcopter UAS/UAV/drone aircraft really gives an infantry squad some long-range reconnaissance and engagement capability and options in an easy-launch package, for a serious tactical advantage.

It’s an ingenious little product.

Just imagine a swarm of Drone40 UAV’s coming at you with 40mm kinetic (high-explosive) payloads. THAT’S a nightmare. According to a 2019 article on it, “most of the flying, identifying and tracking of targets is done autonomously”, with “multiple Drone 40s flying together and operating off the sensor data from a single ISR drone in the swarm”. Scary (awesome) stuff.

Defense Review really digs this product, but only time will tell just how much of an actual game changer it is for infantry warfare. We think it has the potential to be a pretty big one.

Company Contact Info:

DEFENDTEX (USA)
Phone: +1 801-210 5269
Email: info@defendtex.com
Website: https://www.defendtex.com

DefendTex (Operations Manager, Australia)
Phone: +61 (3) 9013 0185 Ext. 202
Email Sales: sales@defendtex.com

© Copyright 2021 DefenseReview.com (DR) and Jeff Gurwitch. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without receiving permission and providing proper credit and appropriate links.

Related Articles:

Prox Dynamics PD-100 BLACK HORNET PRS (Personal Reconnaissance System) Micro Helicopter Drone: Palm-Sized ‘Nano UAS’ Provides Cargo Pocket ISR Capability for Infantry Recon Ops! (Video!)

BCB/AAI SQ-4 RECON Nano Quad-Rotor MAV/UAS/UAV (NUAS/NUAV) Bat-Like Unmanned Spy-Copter Stealth Micro Air Vehicle for “Over the Hill” Observation and Reconnaissance: Special Operations Forces (SOF) Get a New (Small) Backpackable/Manpackable Quadcopter VTOL Eye in the Sky…Maybe (SOFIC 2012 Video!)

SpotterRF Radar Backpack Kit (or “Backpack Radar Kit”): Compact, Lightweight Backpackable/Manpackable Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) Motion-Tracking Perimeter Surveillance Radar (PSR) System for Military Special Operations Forces (SOF) Perimeter Security and Force Protection Applications (SOFIC 2012 Demo Video!)

General Dynamics GDATP .338 NM LWMMG (.338 Norma Magnum Lightweight Medium Machine Gun) for Overmatch Capability: Potential Game-Changer for Mobile Infantry (Range Video!)

MBDA TiGER (Tactical Grenade Extended Range) Small UAS/UAV (SUAS/SUAV)/Mini-Flying Bomb/”Kamikaze Drone” for Tactical Reconnaissance and Precision-Kill Missions is Low-Observable, Seriously Lethal: Kitty’s got a temper!

Datron Scout Air Reconnaissance System (ARS) Backpackable/Manpackable Lightweight Quad-Rotor VTOL Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)/SUAS/UAV for Tactical Surveillance Missions (Video!)

Prioria Robotics Maveric Flexible-Wing Mini-UAS (Mini-Unmanned Aircraft System) at SOFIC 2011: Manpackable, Throwable SUAV (Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) with Flexible/Bendable Wing! (Photos and Video!)

Rolatube Technology Extendable/Collapsible Lightweight Tubular Tactical Ladder and Tactical Antenna Mast for Military Special Operations Forces (SOF) Combat Missions and Maritime Ops (Video!)