AI Drones with Guns: Are They the Future of War? | Vantage on Firstpost

The future of war isn't coming. It's

already buzzing overhead. In 2025,

drones are no longer just eyes in the

sky. They're packing guns and making

decisions on their own. From Ukraine's

battlefields to India's high-tech

defense trials, gun drones are

redefining modern combat. Who's building

them? Who's using them? And how do they

actually work? Our next report tells you

how gun drones may be the new soldier in

the sky.

For decades, drones have lurked in the

background of modern war,

dropping bombs and gathering

intelligence.

But a new species of drone is taking

flight. One that doesn't just observe or

explode. This one aims and shoots. They

are called gun drones and they're

rewriting the rules of combat. Unlike

missile drones, gun drones are far more

terrifying. These are flying platforms

equipped with traditional firearms. That

is your machine guns, assault rifles,

even submachine guns. Their job is

simple. Hover, aim, and shoot.

In June this year, an Indian startup

built this very technology. BSS

Alliance, a Bengal based defense

company, unveiled India's first AI

powered drone capable of firing real

guns autonomously.

[Music]

This drone thinks, aims, and fires on

its own. It used AI to identify and

engage targets up to 600 m away, even

under cloud cover or nighttime darkness.

It factored in wind speed, altitude, and

even humidity to calculate the bullet's

path. And here's the kicker. It doesn't

need constant supervision. The system

can operate without human intervention.

It's also designed to fit on everything

from infantry backpacks to naval ships.

And it is not just India. In Ukraine,

gun drones have gone from prototype to

battlefield staple. They offer soldiers

mobile firepower without exposing

themselves.

The Russians have also been working on

similar platforms, some featuring

multiarrel setups and rudimentary AI

aiming systems.

And the innovation isn't limited to

battlefields.

In South Mexico, police recently

unveiled prototypes for armed drones.

This is to counter heavily armed drug

cartels that have turned the border with

Guatemala into a war zone.

So, how do gun drones actually work?

Now, there's a huge problem with

sticking a gun on a drone. Fire a bullet

and the recoil can send your drone

spiraling like a leaf in a storm.

To solve this, engineers have gotten

creative. Some drones use recoilless

mechanisms. Others use counterwes that

shift the drone's mass at the moment of

firing, stabilizing it midair. But these

systems aren't perfect. Firing from a

moving drone, especially in bad weather

or at high altitudes, is still a

technical challenge.

Stabilization is hard. Ammunition is

heavy. And unlike bombs, bullets miss.

So with all these limitations, why even

bother? Why use gun drones at all?

Well, the answer is precision.

Missile strikes come with collateral

damage.

Drones that drop grenades can't exactly

aim for a window.

Gun drones, on the other hand, can

potentially target a single enemy hiding

behind a wall. In urban combat or

hostage scenarios, that kind of

precision matters. They're also cheap. A

basic gun drone costs less than a single

missile. They can be assembled from

commercial parts and deployed in swarms,

and they're also fast. Infantry units

can use them to provide immediate

covering fire. The use of gun drones

shows you how the battlefield is

evolving. The drone used to be a scout.

Then it became a bomber.

Now it's a soldier, and it doesn't

blink.

This is not the future of war. This is

war now. Reprogrammed, rearmed, and

ready to fire.

[Music]

First post now available in nine

languages on YouTube.

English 36ion, French,

German,

Hindi,

Indonesian,

Italian,

Japanese,

Portuguese,

Spanish.

Go to settings, click on audio track,

and select the language of your choice.

Be the first to know what's happening

around you in your first language.

[Music]

First

[Music]