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How prisons take down rogue drones using a shotgun

The Modern Rogue team took a look at the custom 12-gauge shotgun shells filled with a net designed to take down rogue drones flying over a prison. The video shows the solution working – and failing – at the exact same time.

The shotgun ammo appears to be 12-gauge Skynet Drone Defense shells, which can be purchased on several defense-related websites for roughly $25 for a three pack. Please note: It is illegal to shoot a drone with a gun.

The video

The video starts with the hosts talking about the time they were once “attacked” by a drone, and another time when someone was shooting at their drone. While you can buy these shells as an individual, their main use is at prisons. The guards can quickly load a shotgun with one of these shells, aim at a drone and shoot it down, preventing unwanted contraband from entering the prison from above.

The special shotgun shell is made up of six metal pieces, with each of the pieces being a tie-down point for the next shoved inside the shell. Once the shell is shot from the gun, the net spreads out. In theory it should cause the propellers to get tangled and take it down.

A problem with this solution is that the drone must be a certain distance away for the net to work properly. If the drone is too close, the six metal pieces act as buckshot and destroy the drone. If it’s too far, the net can fall short of it or even be blown off-course by wind. The sweet spot for the net to work properly is around 25 yards.

Be sure to watch the full video below as it shares insight into the ease of use of the shotgun shell and the success rate.

Should these shells be sold to the public? Or should they only be allowed to go to the prisons and other areas that have restricted airspace?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo: The Modern Rogue

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Avatar for Joshua Spires Joshua Spires

Josh started in the drone community in 2012 with a drone news Twitter account. Over the years Josh has gained mass exposure from his aerial photography work and spends his days writing drone content for DroneDJ as well as pursuing his business.