The Pentagon wants to buy an Australian-made 'kamikaze' suicide drone armed with a shotgun

Date:
Wed, 04 Nov 2026 21:15:00 +0000

Description:
The Pentagon has cleared Australia's Cerberus MI, a reusable shotgun-armed drone developed by Skyborne Technologies, for American government procurement.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Pentagon clears an Australian shotgun drone for American government procurement Australia's Cerberus MI can fire weapons and return for reloading The 40-pound aircraft can carry shotguns or grenade launchers The Pentagon has approved an Australian-developed armed drone for inclusion on a procurement list used by American military and federal agencies.

Cerberus MI was developed by Skyborne Technologies and carries a 12-gauge shotgun for engaging targets during flight. Unlike disposable attack drones, the 40-pound (18-kilogram) aircraft can return to its operator after an engagement, receive fresh ammunition, and undertake another mission. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: A reusable aircraft carrying conventional weapons Skyborne designed Cerberus MI with a reinforced airframe capable of handling weapon recoil, while allowing operators to exchange its shotgun for a 40mm low-velocity grenade launcher.

The aircraft uses onboard artificial intelligence to combine information from multiple sensors, although human operators retain control over engagement decisions. You may like The Pentagon has unveiled an improved online store to buy counter-drone kits, but you probably won't ever be able to see it Drone firm lands $820m Pentagon funding to build UAS components, lessen reliance on foreign firms The US Army wants to recruit over 100 drone experts to help boost domestic defenses here's how you can sign up

Skyborne says its targeting system for this drone supports engagements at distances exceeding 300 metres (984 feet).

When carrying its weapons, the drone can remain airborne for approximately 35 minutes, with a maximum speed of 54 kilometres (34 miles) per hour. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
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It also supports payloads weighing up to 9 pounds (4 kilograms), placing it within the Group 2 classification for unmanned aircraft.

Skyborne developed the platform for counter-drone operations and direct-fire engagements, with an emphasis on reusing the aircraft rather than discarding it after every mission.

Cerberus MI was designed around that principle a reusable, reloadable direct-fire UAS with an expanding weapon ecosystem, using standard ammunition to deliver low cost per shot and greater magazine depth, said Adrian Dudok, chief executive for US operations at Skyborne. What to read next One soldier, two jets, one thumb: Cummings Aerospace fires 3D-printed Hellhounds from a Buggy Pentagon launches campaign for unmanned boats able to launch drones at sea US Army shows off its in-house 'Dragoons' drone with 3D-printed bombs which can fly up to 12 miles Pentagon clearance removes procurement restrictions The aircraft's inclusion on the Department of Defense's Blue UAS Cleared List gives eligible American government agencies access to the system without obtaining individual policy exceptions.

The Defense Contract Management Agency approved the aircraft after examining its cybersecurity protections, supply-chain arrangements, and potential exposure to foreign influence.

These assessments follow requirements established under the National Defense Authorization Act, which governs several aspects of military procurement and equipment security.

The clearance does not necessarily mean the Pentagon has placed an order or committed funding towards purchasing Cerberus MI.

Instead, the approval establishes that the aircraft has satisfied the
relevant assessment requirements for inclusion on the government procurement list.

For Skyborne, the decision provides an opportunity to introduce its aircraft into American defence procurement channels without requiring prospective government customers to pursue separate policy exemptions.

Michael Creagh, the company's chief executive for the Asia-Pacific region, said the design was intended to accommodate changing military requirements without replacing the entire aircraft.

Our focus has been on building a system that can adapt to emerging
operational requirements without continually replacing the underlying hardware, said Creagh.

The company has not disclosed the number of aircraft American agencies might acquire, the expected contract value, or any delivery schedule.

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