---
title: "Watch Russia’s New Shotgun-Wielding Drone in Action"
description: "Russia's weapon maker Almaz-Antey built a drone that can fire a semi-automatic 12 caliber shotgun. Video footage shows the thing in action."
date: "2019-04-02"
modified: "2019-04-02"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/russia-new-shotgun-wielding-drone-action"
categories:
  - "Drones"
  - "Robotics"
  - "Robots and Machines"
tags:
  - "drone"
  - "military"
  - "Russia"
---

# Watch Russia’s New Shotgun-Wielding Drone in Action

![Russia's weapon maker Almaz-Antey built a drone that can fire a semi-automatic 12 caliber shotgun. Video footage shows the thing in action.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/russia-new-shotgun-wielding-drone-action.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Image via YouTube\</em\>*

## Death From Above

Earlier this year, Russian weapons manufacturer Almaz-Antey filed a patent for a new drone that was little more than a shotgun with wings.

When [Futurism first reported on the drone](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/russian-military-drone-built-in-rifle>), details were scarce. But now, video footage of flight tests has surfaced showing the drone — which looks like a murderous model plane ­— in action.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5q--PYfs8Q

## Balancing Act

The drone carries a 12-caliber Vepr-12 semi-automatic shotgun, *[Tom's Guide ](<https://www.tomsguide.com/us/russia-flying-rifle-drone,news-29765.html>)*[reports](<https://www.tomsguide.com/us/russia-flying-rifle-drone,news-29765.html>). One might justifiably expect the recoil of a shotgun blast to send a drone veering off course, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Scientists from the Moscow Aviation Institute who worked on the drone [published a press release](<https://mai.ru/press/news/detail.php?ID=102186>) saying that the drone can continue on its path after firing, and that its electric battery allows for 40 minutes of uninterrupted flight.

## Human Touch

Video footage shows the drone taking off and landing with its nose — and barrel — pointed straight into the air.

But when all else fails, [a video shows](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXekPeTiDUo>) that a human can remove the drone's wings and shoot it just like any other shotgun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXekPeTiDUo

**READ MORE:** [Watch Russia’s Flying Rifle In Action For the First Time Ever](<https://www.tomsguide.com/us/russia-flying-rifle-drone,news-29765.html>) \[*Tom's Guide*\]

**More on the shotgun drone:** *[Russian Arms Maker Invents Drone With Built-in Rifle](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/russian-military-drone-built-in-rifle>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)