As small, unmanned drones become increasingly prevalent on modern battlefields, dropping explosives and conducting surveillance, a US defense startup believes it has a innovative solution to counter this aerial threat. ZeroMark is developing a system designed to transform soldiers' standard rifles into portable anti-drone weapons, according to a recent report from WIRED magazine.
The company's approach involves integrating software and hardware components onto existing infantry rifles. A sensor mounted near the barrel works with an actuator in the stock or foregrip to make minor adjustments to the soldier's aim when tracking a hostile drone. "We use lidar and electro-optical sensors to detect, classify, and monitor the drones," ZeroMark CEO Joel Anderson told WIRED. "Then our system calculates precise factors like bullet drop, trajectory, and wind compensation – complex ballistics that are very difficult for a human to correctly account for."
By taking these complex calculations out of the soldier's hands, ZeroMark aims to significantly increase the probability of successfully shooting down an evasive, high-speed drone with standard rifle fire. "For a computer, determining the exact point where the shot must intersect the drone's flight path is pretty easy," Anderson explained to WIRED. "So when the soldier pulls the trigger, there's a high likelihood of a hit."
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The ambitious concept attracted $7 million in venture capital funding from Andreesen Horowitz. With drones playing an outsized role in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the demand for effective counter-drone technologies is soaring across global militaries.
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However, some experts like Arthur Holland Michel from the Carnegie Council remain skeptical until the system can be proven effective through open demonstrations. "There are a lot of question marks around a technology like this," Michel cautioned to WIRED, citing potential issues with the "inherent unpredictability" of machine learning systems operating in uncontrolled environments.
While ZeroMark claims to be evaluating the system with "partners in Ukraine" for possible deployment by late summer, the startup's proposed rifle-integrated drone defense will likely face intense scrutiny before any combat adoption.
