Beretta's Benelli A.I. Drone Guardian 12 bore self-loading anti-UAV shotgun, seen at the EnforceTac 2025 exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, in February. (Janes/Amael Kotlarski)
Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) presented its new A.I. (Advanced Impact) Drone Guardian 12 bore self-loading counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) shotgun at the EnforceTac 2025 defence exhibition, held from 24 to 26 February in Nuremberg, Germany.
The A.I. Drone Guardian was developed specifically to counter UAVs. It consists of the shotgun, the sights, and a specific new cartridge developed by Norma Precision, part of the BDT group.
Shotgun
The shotgun is based on the Benelli Defense (part of the BDT group) M4-A1 self-loading, 12 bore, magazine-fed shotgun. Perhaps the most significant change introduced, compared with the standard M4 or M4-A1 shotgun, is the introduction of Benelli's new Advanced Impact (the ‘A.I.' in A.I. Drone Guardian) technology. Introduced in 2023 for its civilian line of shotguns, the Advanced Impact technology consists of larger and longer forcing cones both inside the barrel and the choke. The choke is now lengthened to 10 cm. Benelli said this technology allows for up to 50% more muzzle velocity and penetration in certain cases compared with previous barrels, and for a variety of loads.
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