POTD: British Army Tests Mossberg 590M (L351A1) For Drone Defense
Troops from D Company, 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment have been evaluating the L351A1, the British Army's designation for the Mossberg 590M, as part of ongoing counter-UAS experimentation. The platform represents a tactical evolution in close-range air defense, offering ground units rapid-response capability against small unmanned aircraft systems operating at low altitude.
The 590M's box magazine-fed design provides enhanced capacity and faster magazine changes compared to traditional tube-fed shotguns, practical advantages in scenarios requiring sustained engagement.
As part of a layered defense strategy, the shotgun complements longer-range systems and electronic countermeasures, giving infantry units multiple options for defending against the evolving drone threat.
The British Army has been actively testing shotguns within its counter-UAS framework alongside other systems, recognizing that the modern battlefield requires varied kinetic solutions.
What's your take on shotguns as part of a drone defense toolkit? Are they effective? Have you seen counter-UAS shotgun systems in action or worked with such platforms?
Photo credit: The Royal Anglian Regiment
Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.
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"Layered defense strategy" is the key here, and things will definitely not go well for any force which thinks this is all they need. It's like they say a CIWS isn't the last line of defense but the first line of damage control; if a unit is deploying shotguns against incoming drones, it better be because the machine guns and autocannons and anti-drone drones already stopped the bulk of the attack.
I carried a Mossberg 500 in Iraq 2009-2010. I am a fan.
I just don't understand adding a magazine to a pump shotgun. That is adding a failure point to a functioning weapon. With an extended barrel and extended tube, 7-8 shots is fine. If you have not defeated the drone or drones in your field of view in 8 shots, be on good terms with our Lord and Savior.