MKE INTRODUCES 7.62 MM ANTI-DRONE AMMUNITION TO ENHANCE INFANTRY AIR DEFENCE CAPABILITY 

 MKE, state-owned defence company affiliated with the Ministry of National Defence of Türkiye, has successfully completed live-fire trials of its brand new 7.62 mm Anti-Drone Ammunition, designed to counter the growing threat posed by small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on the modern battlefield. 

During the trials, aerial targets representing hostile drone threats were successfully engaged and neutralised, demonstrating the ammunition’s effectiveness against mini and micro unmanned aerial vehicles employed for reconnaissance, surveillance and one-way attack missions. 

Developed to provide frontline troops with an immediate counter-UAS capability, the new ammunition enables infantry units to respond to emerging aerial threats simply by loading magazines filled with anti-drone rounds into their existing service weapons. Without requiring any additional equipment or platform modifications, standard infantry weapons can rapidly be employed as short-range counter-drone systems, allowing soldiers to engage hostile drones within seconds. 

The ammunition has been developed in both 7.62×51 mm NATO and 7.62×39 mm calibres, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of weapons, including assault rifles, machine guns, remotely operated weapon stations and vehicle-mounted weapon systems. 

ENGINEERED FOR INCREASED HIT PROBABILITY 

 Unlike conventional ball ammunition, MKE’s anti-drone round mechanically opens approximately five metres after leaving the barrel, dispersing specially engineered projectiles along the flight path. This controlled fragmentation significantly increases the probability of hitting small, fast-moving and highly manoeuvrable aerial targets. 

With a muzzle velocity of approximately 680 m/s, the ammunition creates a dense projectile pattern measuring around 1 metre in diameter at 50 metres and 2 metres at 100 metres. The expanded engagement area provides a substantially higher probability of neutralising drone targets compared with conventional small-arms ammunition. 

Fully compatible with existing weapon systems, the new ammunition requires no additional training, modifications or integration costs, making it a practical and cost-effective solution for the protection of military bases, critical infrastructure, border security positions and manoeuvring forces.