For the purpose of improving its survivability capabilities on modern battlefields, where there is an increasingly widespread use of unmanned aerial systems, the U.S. Army has unveiled the first images of an M1 Abrams tank and an M2 Bradley IFV equipped with a Bullfrog anti-drone system. Specifically, it is a lightweight and autonomous weapon system developed by the company Allen Control Systems, which has the ability to detect, track, and neutralize potential small and low-cost unmanned threats.
Commenting on this, Steven Simoni, who currently serves as president of the aforementioned company, stated: “Mechanized infantry and armored platforms, from troop transports to combat vehicles like the Bradley, are vulnerable to cheap, fast, and lethal drones that act as airborne improvised explosive devices. Allen Control Systems’ Bullfrog will reverse this situation, giving control back to U.S. and allied ground forces.” It should be noted, however, that the system in question is still in the testing phase prior to its incorporation into the bulk of U.S. armored fleets.
Addressing some of the technical features that make up the new Bullfrog system, its manufacturer indicates that it is equipped with a 12.7 mm caliber machine gun, with a firing rate of about 600 rounds per minute; although other weapons can be integrated, such as the 7.62 mm M240 or the M134 Minigun. In addition, it stands out for offering different modes of operation to facilitate the crew’s work, including configurations to operate semi-autonomously or fully autonomously. Looking at its range, the system clearly appears as a short-range defense solution, considering an estimated reach of about 1,500 meters.
On the other hand, it is worth mentioning that, when unloaded of ammunition, each system weighs around 75 kilograms, which does not significantly impact the mobility of the armored vehicles on which it is installed. This is not a minor detail, considering that the U.S. Army has sought to adopt an approach that allows it to employ its mobile platforms as part of a decentralized network for air defense on the front line of combat, contributing to the rapid deployment in support of other units. This in itself reflects a shift from other solutions currently available, mainly missile-based ones, whose greater effectiveness is seen in combat against larger aircraft.
Along those lines, it is inevitable to link these new technological and combat tactic developments with the war taking place in Ukraine since 2022, on whose battlefields the widespread use of low-cost drones to attack armored units on both sides of the trenches has become evident. According to U.S. analysts, the U.S. Army’s move forward in adopting this type of platform is a clear step toward a renewed doctrine that will likely go beyond the Bullfrog system itself and also beyond the two armored vehicle models on which it has so far been installed.
*Image credits: Allen Control Systems
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