U.S. Army Tests Fire Control Software That Enables Moving Vehicles to Shoot Down Drones

U.S. Army Successfully Tests Mobile Fire Control Software Capable of Shooting Down Drones on the Move

Picatinny Arsenal announced Tuesday the successful test of a fire control software designed for vehicle-mounted weapon systems, capable of precisely tracking and engaging small drones even when both the host vehicle and target are in motion.

Test Location and Equipment

The capability demonstration was conducted in April at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, using a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) equipped with the newly developed software. The system allowed the weapon station to continuously track and engage small unmanned aerial targets while the vehicle was moving.

The program was led by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Armaments Center.

SWAT-FC: Technology Born from the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft Program

The system is formally known as the Simultaneous Weapon Autonomy Technology for Fire Control (SWAT-FC). Its core technology was originally developed for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program and was subsequently adapted for ground-based weapon systems, enabling targeting and engagement of threats while a ground vehicle is on the move.

SWAT-FC leverages multiple sensors to provide continuously updated targeting data, ensuring the fire control system maintains a real-time track on enemy drones. Officials stated that once fully developed, the system is expected to significantly improve hit probability against small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) while reducing the number of rounds required to destroy a target — lowering overall ammunition consumption in combat.

Test Personnel: Results Are Encouraging

Project Armament Officer Nick Cascia said in an official statement: "This was a great start to the overall program. The SWAT-FC team spent a lot of time and effort developing advanced fire control algorithms and preparing for the test. When we started successfully destroying drones, it proved that all of that effort was well worth it."

A Milestone in Maneuver Counter-UAS Capability

The test marks a significant step forward in the U.S. Army's mobile counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) capability. On the modern battlefield, the threat posed by small drones is growing rapidly, and traditional static air defense systems struggle to keep pace with the fast-moving, dynamic nature of drone threats. The on-the-move fire control capability demonstrated by SWAT-FC has the potential to provide ground combat forces with a more flexible and effective means of drone defense in future operations.

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