U.S. Military Expands Use of "Bullfrog" Anti-Drone System

Reference News Network reported on July 25 According to the U.S. Army Times website on July 21, a weapon's barrel is aimed at a drone in the sky, it briefly adjusts, then fires, and smoke rises from where the bullet was shot. However, in the video clip of the "Bullfrog" counter-drone system, it is not a soldier placing a finger on the trigger preparing for the next shot, but rather a bulky metal machine slightly tilting the weapon to re-aim.

The U.S. is now spending huge sums to combat inexpensive drones, with Allen Control Systems announcing on Monday that the Marine Corps has chosen to integrate the "Bullfrog" autonomous weapon system into its air defense system.

This future equipment is an artificial intelligence (AI) powered weapon that can detect, track, and then automatically aim at targets to strike aerial threats such as drones. The Marine Corps selected this system for its ground-based air defense project, which aims to develop and deploy capabilities to protect troops from aerial attacks.

The Marine Corps plans to integrate the "Bullfrog" into a lightweight maritime air defense integrated system, which is a counter-drone system installed on two vehicles that heavily relies on electronic warfare capabilities.

The system has already been used in the Army and Navy and has been approved by the 401 Joint Cross-Functional Team, a unit established by the Pentagon to optimize procurement of counter-drone technology.

The U.S. Department of Defense's focus on counter-drone operations is set against the backdrop of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, which highlight the increasingly important role of inexpensive drones on the modern battlefield.

The Pentagon is placing greater emphasis on developing and deploying more scalable and cheaper counter-drone technologies.

Their popularity exposes the economic imbalance in U.S. air defense systems, as current small, relatively inexpensive drones force the U.S. to spend on expensive intercept missiles, which can cost millions of dollars to manufacture.

A press release from Allen Control Systems regarding the Marine Corps contract indicates that the deal is related to the "Bullfrog" M240 system, which is compatible with the U.S. military's belt-fed M240 automatic machine gun. According to the company, the M240 system has a maximum effective range of nearly 0.5 miles (approximately 800 meters) and can engage medium and large drones weighing up to 1320 pounds (approximately 600 kilograms). Excluding ammunition, the system weighs 300 pounds.

According to the company, it also supports the use of the M2 machine gun and M230 chain gun, with the M240 machine gun's "cost per kill as low as $10."

Other defense companies are also working to launch more affordable counter-drone defense systems. This week, Lockheed Martin announced a cheaper "Patriot" intercept missile, claiming that its price is less than half that of other intercept missiles costing millions of dollars. (Translated by Wang Qun)