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Beretta's new 1301 cUAS shotgun can counter Russian-style FPV drone attacks up to 100 meters away.
Beretta Defense Technologies showcased its Beretta 1301 cUAS 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C., as a point-defense platform against small unmanned aerial systems. The system adapts the existing 1301 Tactical architecture to intercept fiber-optic and radio-controlled FPV drones at ranges up to 100 meters. Designed as the innermost layer of a three-tier kinetic counter-drone architecture, it provides infantry units with non-electronic defense against unjammable aerial threats.
The Beretta 1301 cUAS and Benelli M4 A.I. Drone Guardian are two 12-gauge semi-automatic shotguns designed to shoot down small quadcopters and explosive-carrying FPV drones at close range using specialized ammunition. (Picture source: Army Recognition)
On October 12, 2026, Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) showcased its Beretta 1301 cUAS 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun at AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C., as a short-range weapon for intercepting small quadcopters and explosive-carrying FPV drones at distances up to 100 meters. Exhibited alongside the Benelli M4 Advanced Impact (A.I.) Drone Guardian, Norma AD-LER ammunition, and Steiner MPS Rotary Dial optic, the shotgun adapts the existing 1301 Tactical for short-range drone interception rather than introducing a new operating mechanism. Its presentation follows the widespread adoption of shotguns by Ukrainian troops against Russian FPV drones, including fiber-optic-guided drones resistant to conventional radio-frequency jamming. The 1301 also forms the innermost element of BDT's three-layer kinetic counter-drone architecture, combining 12-gauge shotguns and specialized 5.56×45 mm and 7.62×51 mm ammunition for engagements extending to 300 meters.
The gas-operated Beretta 1301 cUAS retains the main mechanical characteristics of the Beretta 1301 Tactical, including its 470 mm Optima Bore HP barrel, 76 mm chamber, aluminum receiver, polymer furniture, and B-Link gas-operated action. Its cross-tube piston and rotating bolt automatically chamber successive cartridges, allowing follow-up shots without the manual cycling required by pump-action shotguns such as the Remington 870. Beretta claims a 36% increase in cycling speed compared with competing shotgun actions, although practical firing speed also depends on recoil recovery and aiming. Enlarged charging and bolt-release controls, a reversible safety, and adjustable stock spacers allow operating the shotgun while wearing gloves, and a Picatinny rail permits the installation of red-dot optics. Beretta also identifies a 0.91 kg weight advantage over unspecified competing long guns, but the actual difference depends on identical ammunition loads and accessory configurations, particularly when the shotgun is carried alongside a standard infantry rifle.
The Norma AD-LER (Anti-Drone Low-Energy Round) uses multiple pellets intended to damage quadcopter propellers, motors, sensors, and lightweight structural components. Unlike a single rifle projectile, its expanding shot pattern increases the area covered by each discharge, although pellet density and retained energy decrease with distance. Conventional shotgun interception commonly occurs within 15 to 50 meters, compared with BDT's nominal 100-meter envelope for specialized 12-gauge ammunition. AD-LER is also intended to reduce residual projectile energy beyond the engagement area and is compatible with both the Beretta 1301 and Benelli M4, simplifying cartridge distribution where different shotguns serve within the same formation. Importantly, shotgun patterns expand with distance, progressively making engagements beyond 40 to 50 meters more demanding than those at shorter ranges.
Ukraine has widely employed Benelli M4, Vepr-12, Remington 870, and Turkish Hatsan Escort BTS-12 shotguns against Russian FPV drones, including an acquisition of 4,000 BTS-12 bullpup weapons, with individual examples costing $400 to $500. Ukrainian instructor Ivan Iliukhin identifies 40 to 45 meters as a favorable engagement distance, while UA-DH configurations associate 470 mm barrels with 40-to-50-meter engagements and 610 mm barrels with 50-to-60-meter engagements. Ammunition selection also matters: No. 3 birdshot contains 100 or more smaller pellets, whereas No. 4 buckshot uses fewer, heavier projectiles with greater individual impact energy. Ukrainian instructors have additionally favored tubular magazines in some applications because prolonged compression can deform plastic cartridges inside detachable box magazines and interfere with a semi-automatic shotgun feeding. These considerations are relevant to the Beretta 1301, which combines a tubular-magazine arrangement with a semi-automatic action and compatibility with specialized 12-gauge loads.
The principal operational constraint for shotgun-based drone interception is the time available between detection and impact. An FPV drone traveling at 145 km/h covers 40.3 meters per second, meaning it can cross the final 100 meters in 2.48 seconds and the final 40 meters in 0.99 seconds. A 50-meter interception therefore leaves only 1.24 seconds before impact, leaving limited time for a soldier to identify the threat, orient the weapon, and fire. Electronic warfare may provide an earlier defensive layer against radio-controlled FPVs, but fiber-optic-guided drones cannot be stopped by conventional jamming, while pre-programmed or autonomous drones can continue flying without external commands. The Beretta 1301 offers a physical interception method independent of those command links, but disabling a drone too close to a trench or vehicle does not necessarily prevent the explosive payload from reaching personnel.
BDT's counter-drone architecture extends beyond the Beretta 1301 by combining three ammunition and weapon categories corresponding to different engagement distances. The first layer, extending to 100 meters, combines the Beretta 1301 and Benelli M4 with specialized 12-gauge ammunition, including the Norma AD-LER; the second layer, which extends to 150 meters, uses SwissP Shatter4K cartridges in 5.56×45 mm and 7.62×51 mm, with a claimed fourfold increase in hit probability against a maneuvering drone compared with conventional rifle cartridges. The third layer reaches 300 meters and employs RWS Urban Drone Defense 7.62×51 mm ammunition and associated UDD Light and UDD Heavy configurations for light tactical vehicles, heavier vehicles, and fixed defensive positions. Separately, the Livet remote weapon station, developed with Italian company Dualee, combines eight Benelli Drone Guardian shotguns with automated tracking and remote fire control, allowing personnel to operate the weapons from a protected position.
Rifle-based counter-drone ammunition offers an alternative to issuing additional shotguns to soldiers assigned to aerial defense. Drone Round's 5.56 mm K cartridge disperses eight projectiles for engagements up to 50 meters, while its L cartridge disperses five for distances up to 100 meters; the manufacturer claims projectile velocities twice those of typical 12-gauge loads. The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division also developed multi-projectile rifle ammunition for the Marine Corps, achieving a reported 92% interception success rate in testing, although equivalent target and firing conditions are needed for comparison. As of March 2026, those Crane-developed cartridges had not entered commercial production, although licensing discussions with manufacturers were underway. For infantry units, rifle-compatible ammunition can reduce the number of additional weapons, whereas shotguns retain a larger initial pellet payload and a weapon specifically configured for spreading shot patterns.
For infantry units, the Beretta 1301 cUAS will provide a dedicated short-range interception weapon that can be assigned to an individual soldier or fire team while other personnel continue using their standard weapons. Against several FPV drones approaching simultaneously, this distribution between rifles, shotguns, and turrets matters because one shotgun operator has limited ammunition, observation coverage, and time for successive engagements. Ukrainian battlefield experience indicates that shotgun-based drone defense requires specific training in aerial-target recognition, moving-target engagement, and coordination with early-warning and electronic warfare personnel, rather than conventional infantry marksmanship alone. The Beretta 1301 cUAS therefore provides an additional option against drones, particularly for the final interception of fiber-optic-guided, autonomous, or radio-controlled FPV drones that remain airborne after other defensive measures have failed.
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Written by Jérôme Brahy
Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, South Korea, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.