US Navy Firing Powerful Anti-Drone Missiles on Aircraft Carrier at Sea

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Fluctus channel. Small drones have transformed the air defense problem. A low-flying aircraft that costs only a few thousand dollars can observe troops, transmit coordinates, carry explosives, or approach a ship from an unexpected direction. Because these targets are difficult to detect and may arrive in groups, American forces combine missiles, guns, electronic systems, Lasers and constant observation rather than depending on a single defensive layer. For the Marine Corps, one of the units responsible for this mission is Low Altitude Air Defense, commonly shortened to LAAD. Its gunners protect expeditionary forces, airfields, command posts, logistics areas, and aircraft operating close to the ground. They must identify a target, determine whether it is friendly or hostile, Select an appropriate weapon and engage before the aircraft crosses the defended area. The portable FIM-92 Stinger remains one of their best-known weapons. The complete system weighs roughly 35 pounds and uses an infrared-seeking missile designed to pursue the heat signature of an aircraft. Before firing, Marines inspect the launch tube, grip stock, sighting equipment, battery coolant unit, and identification components. The gunner shoulders the launcher while an assistant scans the sky, confirms the target, watches the surrounding area, and helps enforce safety procedures. When a target enters range, the gunner uncovers the launcher, installs the battery coolant unit, and activates the system. The seeker begins cooling and searching for infrared energy. An audible tone indicates that it has detected a possible target, but the Marine must still judge distance, direction, background, and identification. After achieving a stable lock, the gunner leads the aircraft, squeezes the safety and trigger, and holds the launcher steady as the missile leaves the tube. Its booster clears the operator before the flight motor accelerates it toward the target. During live fire training with 2nd LAAD Battalion, Teams rehearse this entire chain under range control. There's a little plug underneath and we're just attaching that to this. Every launch. Instructors inspect every launcher and missile, position the firing team, establish communications, and clear the airspace. The launch produces a sharp blast and a trail of smoke, but qualification depends on much more than pulling a trigger. Gunners must demonstrate correct target acquisition, Safe handling, Rapid decision-making and immediate actions if the system fails to fire. Crews also rehearse misfire procedures, replacement of expended components, rapid movement between positions, and communication with radar controllers. These repetitions matter because an approaching aircraft may remain visible for only seconds, leaving no time to search for equipment or debate responsibilities clearly. At sea, the problem becomes more complicated. Warships and amphibious assault ships may face drones approaching just above the horizon, where waves, weather, and ship movement complicate detection. During familiarization training aboard USS Kearsarge, Marines prepared and fired a Stinger launch simulator from the flight deck. The device reproduces important handling and launch actions without sending a live missile across the carrier's operating area. Sailors secure the deck, Marines adopt stable firing positions, and supervisors monitor the simulated engagement while aircraft operations remain carefully separated. AD units are also evaluating directed energy weapons. During a second LAAD test, Marines operated a compact laser system intended to track and defeat small unmanned aircraft. Instead of launching an explosive projectile, a laser concentrates energy on a vulnerable point until heat damages the drone. The approach offers a deep magazine when electrical power is available and can reduce the cost of each engagement. Yet, lasers depend on tracking quality, power, range, atmospheric conditions, and time on target. Stingers provide reach and mobility, while lasers promise inexpensive repeat shots. Together, they illustrate why modern drone defense is becoming a layered contest between detection, identification, weapon selection, and reaction time. The first defensive measure is sometimes administrative. Bases such as Anderson Air Force Base establish no drone zones because an unauthorized aircraft can threaten flight operations, photograph restricted areas, or collide with a crewed aircraft. Warning signs, public information, patrols, sensors, and reporting procedures help keep civilian operators away, but a hostile drone requires a physical response. Counter-UAS training teaches Marines to recognize silhouettes, estimate altitude and speed, report direction, and coordinate fire without confusing friendly aircraft for a target. Weapon choice depends on range and circumstances. Stinger may be suitable for a larger or more distant aircraft, but firing an expensive missile at every small quadcopter would quickly exhaust supplies. Conventional weapons therefore remain part of the defensive toolbox, During a second LAAD Counter UAS Range, Marines used M240B machine guns against aerial targets. The belt-fed 7.62mm weapon can deliver sustained fire, but hitting a small moving drone demands controlled bursts and careful leading. A team tracks the target, places the sights ahead of its path, fires, observes the tracer stream and corrects aim. Multiple guns can create a denser defensive pattern Although every round must be controlled because bullets that miss eventually return to the ground. At shorter distances, Marines have trained with the M1014 combat shotgun. Its spreading pellets increase the probability of striking a small drone at close range, particularly when the target is low and approaching quickly. Operators load the shotgun, confirm a safe firing sector, shoulder the weapon, follow the drone smoothly, and fire only when it enters the planned engagement zone. The limited range makes the shotgun a final protective layer rather than a complete solution. The SMASH 2000L adds computerized assistance to an ordinary rifle. Its fire control sight allows the shooter to mark and track a moving target. The system calculates an aiming solution and permits a shot when alignment is correct, helping compensate for the difficulty of manually leading a small aircraft. The Marine still identifies the target and decides whether to fire. Each method has limitations. Machine guns offer volume, shotguns protect close sectors, and smart sights improve precision, but all require an unobstructed line of fire and disciplined ammunition management. Layering them around a protected site gives defenders several chances to stop a drone instead of trusting one expensive weapon with every engagement. Practice helps teams conserve ammunition, recognize malfunctions, change positions quickly, and communicate with nearby friendly units. Destroying a drone is not always the safest answer. Near fuel stores, populated areas, aircraft parking ramps, or sensitive equipment, Falling debris and gunfire can create another hazard. Non-kinetic systems attempt to interrupt the link between the aircraft and its operator, forcing the drone to land, return home, or lose the ability to complete its mission. The drone defender resembles a rifle, but transmits directed radio frequency energy instead of bullets. An operator detects the drone, aims the device, and activates the jammer. By interfering with command or satellite navigation signals, the system can separate the aircraft from its controller. The exact reaction depends on the drone's programming. It may hover, land, or return home. During an Army warfighting assessment, troops demonstrated how such a device could be carried and employed by one person. The operator keeps the antenna pointed toward the target while maintaining awareness of nearby aircraft and friendly communications. Because jamming uses electromagnetic energy, teams must coordinate frequencies and understand local restrictions before transmitting. At Al Udeid Air Base, the counter-small unmanned aircraft program connects several functions. Sensors first search for a potential aircraft. Operators then classify the track, compare it with authorized flight activity, and pass information to the appropriate response team. This command and control layer is essential because a weapon is useful only after defenders know where the drone is, what it may be doing, and whether engagement is permitted. Another approach captures the aircraft physically. In the drone hunter test, an interceptor drone pursues the intruder and deploys a net. Operators or autonomous tracking software guide the hunter into position. match the target's movement, and release the net at close range. The CAPTURE drone can then be carried away or lowered under control, preserving electronic components and stored data for examination. CAPTURE has investigative value. Memory cards, flight logs, cameras, and radio components may reveal the launch point, route, intended target, or operator's methods. It can also prevent an explosive payload from striking the defended site. However, nets require a successful pursuit, jammers may be ineffective against autonomous aircraft, and radio interference can affect friendly systems. For that reason, non-kinetic defense works best as part of a larger network. Sensors provide warning, command posts confirm identity, jammers disrupt control, interceptor drones attempt capture, and kinetic weapons remain ready if the target continues forward. The goal is not simply to shoot first, but to select the safest, effective response before time expires. The final layer combines proven missiles with technologies designed for repeated, low-cost engagements. The FIM-92 Stinger has served for decades because it is portable, self-contained, and guided after launch. A small team can move with ground forces, establish a firing position, and threaten low-flying aircraft without a large radar vehicle against suitable drone targets. That mobility can close gaps around bases, convoys, and temporary landing zones. However, However, every missile is a limited and comparatively expensive round. Swarms could force defenders to choose which targets deserve interception. Directed energy addresses that magazine problem. Air Force experiments have examined high-power microwave and laser systems for counter UAS missions. A laser focuses heat on one point, damaging a motor, sensor, control surface, or battery. A microwave system spreads electromagnetic energy across a wider area and can disrupt electronics inside one drone or several nearby aircraft. Radar, electro-optical cameras, or radio frequency sensors locate the target. The weapon mount turns toward the track. For a laser, fine steering keeps the beam concentrated despite wind. For a microwave system, Operators define the engagement sector and transmit a pulse intended to overwhelm electronic circuits. Stingers reach outward, jammers interrupt control, rifles and shotguns protect close range, nets capture selected targets, and directed energy offers repeated engagements. From loaded gunners on land to Marines training aboard an amphibious carrier, counter-drone defense is becoming a carefully connected shield. Success depends on seeing the threat early, identifying it correctly, and choosing the right response within seconds. That is the end of this video. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to subscribe to this channel so you don't miss any of our new content. Thank you.