A Russian engineer has developed new ammunition for engaging unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the database of the Federal Institute of Industrial Property. According to the utility model application, the bidirectional cartridge for drone combat systems completely compensates for recoil and eliminates loading errors.
The ammunition's design is unusual. The casing is open at both ends. A single explosive charge is placed at its geometric center. On one side of the charge are the damaging elements – buckshot. On the opposite side is a non-damaging counterweight in the form of a bulk material, the mass of which is equal to the mass of the buckshot. The explosive wave simultaneously accelerates the buckshot towards the target and compensates for the shot's impulse due to the counterweight.
A mark is applied to the end of the casing on the side of the damaging elements, indicating the direction for aiming at the target. This eliminates the risk of confusing the direction during loading.
The developer claims several technical results: full recoil compensation, increased environmental safety of the ammunition (buckshot and bulk material remain in the casing or fall nearby, not scattering), as well as safety of use and absence of errors during loading.
Patents for similar bidirectional schemes have not been encountered before. The novelty may be of interest to FPV drone combat units, where compactness, simplicity, and minimal recoil when firing from handheld weapons or small platforms are important.