Special Report: US armed forces exploring small arms-based C-UAS solutions

Genesis Arms 12 gauge self-loading shotgun is in evaluation before adoption by the US and Australian armed forces. (Janes/Sean Reardon)

Several new military acquisitions represent broader trends towards more layered counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) weapons sales for armed forces, including various small arms-based defences, Janes learnt at the Shot Show 2026 exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada, from 20–23 January.

Shotguns

The use of pump-action and self-loading shotguns in the C-UAS role has become a familiar sight during the conflict in Ukraine. Both the Armed Forces of Ukraine and Russian Armed Forces have adopted what were traditionally civilian market shotguns, offering some protection to troops.

The US appears to be no different, and at Shot Show, a Mossberg representative told Janes that the US Army had ordered 25,000 Mossberg M590A1 shotguns specifically for the C-UAS role. The contract is worth USD11.6 million, according to a December 2025 press release.

Furthermore, the Genesis Arms GS-12 12 gauge fully automatic, magazine-fed, suppressed shotgun is in final evaluation stages before being adopted into both Australian and US Army service for a C-UAS role, said the company's director of sales and business development, Cody Cohen. It is unclear how many weapons will be acquired for each armed force.

Ammunition

Separately, Drone Round is offering rifle and machine gun cartridges for magazine- and belt-fed weapons chambered in the NATO-standard 5.56×45 mm and 7.62×51 mm cartridges, Connor Schneff, the operations manager of the company, told Janes during the show. The technology is a multiprojectile cartridge fired through a standard rifle or belt-fed machine gun. Leaving the barrel as an individual projectile and separating thereafter, the projectiles are similar to buckshot, Schneff told Janes .