The US Army is testing an autonomous, machine-gun-based counter-drone system on Abrams main battle tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).
A photo shared by Allen Control Systems’ President Steven Simoni shows the company’s Bullfrog weapon station mounted on a Bradley during the trial.
“Mechanized infantry & armor platforms from troop transports to fighting vehicles like this Bradley are vulnerable to cheap, fast, lethal drones acting as aerial IEDs,” Simoni said on X.
“The Allen Control Systems Bullfrog will reverse that, giving back control to US and allied ground forces.”
The system features a 400-pound (181-kilogram) mount that can carry an M240 machine gun chambered in 7.62×51mm, with a rate of fire of about 600 rounds per minute.
The Bullfrog integrates artificial intelligence, computer vision, and proprietary control software to adapt both legacy and modern weapon systems for precision engagement.
It is built to defeat Class 1–3 drones weighing up to 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) and can engage aerial targets at ranges of up to 1,500 meters (4,921 feet).
The lightweight system fits NATO-standard vehicles and features passive detection with a reported false-negative rate below 2 percent.
It is unclear if the effort is an evaluation or rapid prototyping project, as no official contract has been announced.
The Texas-based startup was previously contracted by ManTech to integrate the Bullfrog into maritime platforms for the US Special Operations Forces.
Growing Threat
The effort acknowledges the growing threat that cheap, widely available unmanned aerial systems — particularly first-person view drones — pose to modern armored vehicles, even those equipped with advanced protection.
While Trophy- and Iron Fist-equipped Abrams and Bradleys are well protected against anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades, their active protection system designs are ill-suited to engage slow, erratic, low-signature quadcopters.
Options such as the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station or locally mounted M2 and M240 machine guns can engage such threats but remain entirely dependent on the gunner’s situational awareness.
With the advent of fiber-optic drones, even electronic warfare and jamming measures lose effectiveness, as control signals are maintained through long, thin cables.
A solution like Bullfrog aims to bridge this capability gap in vehicle defense by providing an automated hard-kill means to counter small drones.
