The US Army has demonstrated a “first-of-its-kind” aerial strike: one drone taking down another mid-flight.
Using a first-person-view (FPV) SkyRaider quadcopter armed with a claymore mine, the service successfully destroyed a second drone during a recent test at Fort Rucker..
The armed quadcopter closed in on the target to achieve the takedown, detonating the claymore to neutralize the other unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Although the FPV drone lost contact with the army upon detonation, communications quickly resumed, showing the system can be reused as a reliable air-to-air solution.
“In the skies above Fort Rucker, the first airborne destruction of an aircraft by an armed FPV drone in the history of the US Army was carried out,” the army announced.
The demo, conducted in coordination with the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center, took place just ahead of the army’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Summit.
A Low-Cost Solution?
The test reflects the army’s shift toward unconventional solutions and a layered approach against hostile drones.
Arming UAVs with claymores could offer a low-cost option for countering low-altitude threats and striking ground targets in challenging environments.
As drones continue to dominate modern battlefields, the army’s test highlights the growing role of counter-drone systems in shaping regional conflicts.
“Drones are the biggest battlefield innovation in a generation, accounting for most of this year’s casualties in Ukraine,” said US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, as quoted by The War Zone.
