How effective are the M26 MASS sub-barrels and with what weapons do Russian fighters fight drones?
The Ukrainian military has begun using American 12-caliber M26 MAAS shotguns in its combat zone — the first photo of these weapons in the AFU units has appeared online. This rifle, which is mounted on assault rifles, was used by the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, mainly to solve engineering problems, such as breaking down doors. In Ukraine, it is planned to be used to combat UAVs. How effective it is and how the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are fighting drones is in the Izvestia article.
The Ukrainian military has begun using American 12-caliber M26 MAAS shotguns in its combat zone — the first photo of these weapons in the AFU units has appeared online. This rifle, which is mounted on assault rifles, was used by the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, mainly to solve engineering problems, such as breaking down doors. In Ukraine, it is planned to be used to combat UAVs. How effective it is and how the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are fighting drones is in the Izvestia article.
An American gift
The M26 MAAS 12-gauge shotgun is an American modular system. It can be used as a stand-alone weapon (it has a snap-on stock for this) or mounted using a Picatinny rail under the barrel of M-4 or M-16 assault rifles. The system weighs 1.2 kg and is equipped with magazines for three and five rounds of 12-gauge ammunition. Effective shooting is possible at distances up to 30 m.
Development of the system began in 1999 for the American special operations forces. It was first tested in 2002, and adopted by the American army in 2011. Over time, the system was used by other departments. In 2008, the US Army announced that it would purchase about 35,000 units of these weapons.
The weapon was tested by combat. The US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan used it mainly for engineering tasks, such as breaking down doors or firing non-lethal ammunition.
The shotgun received a short barrel — 197 mm — and manual reloading. The large reversible bolt handle, necessary for feeding a new cartridge, folds to the side if necessary, which allows it not to protrude beyond the dimensions of the shooting system.
A simple shotgun would be preferable to combat tactical Mavik-type drones or FPV drones, Vladimir Starodub, a two-time Russian champion in bench shooting and combat training instructor at the Patriot Center in the Kursk Region, told Izvestia.
"It's easy enough to knock out a drone — for example, shoot off at least one blade, and it will start to fall," he noted. — A long-barreled weapon is better, of course. We have excellent smoothbore rifles. It's a reliable weapon. They have proven to be very effective against FPV drones, and they need to be purchased. We need, for example, a Saiga, which has many options, both with a long barrel and with shorter ones. It's a ten-shot weapon.
Vladimir Starodub noted that it is better to destroy drones as early as possible — at the maximum distance, otherwise there is a high risk of injury.
— The drone's charge can be powerful, and striking elements can reach at a distance of 20-30 m and beyond. By inertia, the drone can reach you. For these reasons, it is important to choose a place for a firing position, preferably to take cover, and to have additional protection. And when training, it is important to pay attention to the tactics of using weapons in the fight against drones.
It is possible to talk about the effectiveness of the M26 MAAS only after testing it in practice, Colonel Valery Yuryev, chairman of the Union of Russian Paratroopers, told Izvestia.
"It's easier to shoot down drones with a shotgun than with a machine gun or an under—barrel system," he noted. — The long barrel increases the aiming range. A hunting rifle will allow you to hit a drone at 50 meters, such a weapon is more accurate than an under-barrel system. Now there are also multi-shot carbines that allow for intense fire.
For comparison, the same domestic Saiga hunting carbine has 12-gauge magazines designed for eight to ten rounds and a 20-round drum.
A gun against drones
UAVs are now actively used in the area of military operations in the border areas of the Kursk region. Earlier, Izvestia wrote that during the fighting in the border region, hunting weapons proved to be the most suitable for fighting small FPV drones. A drone hunter in the Akhmat special forces reconnaissance unit with the call sign Pirate said that in a duel with a drone, the main thing is not to let it get close.
Tactical UAVs are often equipped with powerful explosive charges with damaging elements. Destroying a drone with such a body kit at a range of 30 m does not guarantee the preservation of life — it is highly likely that fragments will hit the shooter during the explosion, and the wounds received may be incompatible with life.
The pirate often takes a 16-gauge hunting rifle with him, but believes that a 12-gauge weapon is best suited.
He advises using a Saiga multi—shot hunting carbine or multi-shot pump-action shotguns against kamikazes - it's still better to be able to fire several shots.
The choice of cartridges is also important. Special cartridges with Kevlar thread have proven themselves well against small drones. In the air, such a munition opens up, forming a strong net about a meter in diameter, and the chances of destroying the drone are seriously increased.
Machine guns, preferably with armor-piercing bullets, are used against heavy tactical Baba Yaga drones, which the enemy uses as night bombers. Such a drone can carry four 120-millimeter or six 82-millimeter mortar shells, and armor plates are often attached to it from below.
Our fighters are ambushing them. A sniper is paired with a machine gunner, who shows the drone with tracer bullets. Next, a machine gunner steps in, firing from a tripod. The fighters say that it is not necessary to pierce the armor plate, it is enough to shoot off the propeller blade or some kind of unit, after which the UAV itself will collapse to the ground.
Dmitry Astrakhan
Bogdan Stepovoy
Vladimir Matveev
