A French Army Leclerc main battle tank has shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle using 120 mm OEFC ammunition during live-fire tests in Abu Dhabi. The firing also demonstrated the Leclerc’s anti-drone capability. Hundreds of tungsten pellets, exiting the tank’s barrel at supersonic speed, struck the target with precision and slammed it into the ground. The test was officially confirmed by the French Military Governor of Strasbourg and the commander of the 2nd Armoured Brigade. With these first concrete tests, the Leclerc tank is now being integrated directly into anti-drone warfare.
Drawing on experience from conflicts in the Middle East, the 5th Armoured Regiment (5 RC) adapted the Leclerc’s firing doctrine and the 120 mm OEFC round to neutralise drones, achieving a doctrinal innovation. The main goal of this effort is to develop an opportunistic Leclerc anti-drone network using existing capabilities, particularly the Proteus gun system.
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Test conditions Tougher Than Real Combat
The validation firings carried out in Abu Dhabi were conducted against targets flying under conditions more demanding than actual combat. During the tests, the drone’s approach axis was set completely perpendicular to the tank’s firing axis. Instead of flying a straight line, the drone followed a non‑linear, erratic flight path. It was also selected as a smaller target, carrying no explosives or fuel. These tests have shown that the Leclerc’s anti‑drone capabilities remain effective even under difficult conditions, with the drone flying at altitudes higher than anything observed so far on the battlefield.
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Despite test parameters that confirm the military adage “tough training, easy combat”, the target was struck and neutralised by the tungsten pellets fired from the gun. This development shows just how effective the Leclerc’s anti‑drone role could be on the modern battlefield. French military officials stressed, regarding this new concept, that it is not impossible for France to field such a capability.
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Source: C4Defence– Le Blechert-Leclert / LinkedIn
