Ukraine has developed an interceptor drone equipped with a shotgun

At the Iron Demo 2025 demonstration event, Besomar presented a reusable aircraft-type interceptor drone equipped with a shotgun with an automated firing system. According to the developers in a comment to the Military edition, in the current configuration the device is capable of firing two shots, but if necessary their number can be increased to four.

The drone is designed to destroy enemy UAVs moving at speeds up to 200 km/h, including Gerbera and Russian reconnaissance aircraft. Thanks to a digital communication system with the PPC function, the interceptor can approach the target, remaining unnoticed by its evasion systems, and strike.

A key feature of the design is the ability to fire automatically: a sensor in the nose activates fire with the pilot’s permission when the target enters the attack zone. This increases its effectiveness against maneuverable objects. For firing, a recoilless system based on 12-gauge cartridges is used, which ensures the stability of the drone during firing.

Earlier, in March 2025, the Sky Defenders company had already tested a similar drone with a shotgun. Similar systems are used not only on aircraft platforms, but also on multicopters to intercept drones such as Mavic and FPV.

Recently, it became known about another Ukrainian development of an interceptor drone, created to combat Russian strike UAVs such as Shahed and Gerber.