SOF Week 2026: BDT shows purpose-built line of counter-UAS ammunition

News

May 21, 2026

The SHATTER4K counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) ammunition -- designed and produced in partnership with Swiss P Defense -- is currently available in 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm (0.22 inch and 0.3 inch, NATO-standard) calibers; both sizes have similar layout with the shells hosting various lead balls.

Jack Cadman, Military Group Manager at BDT, explained that the new product line can be fired with conventional standard assault rifles without “hardly ever affecting the shotgun.” Cadman asserts that the ammunition does not require any modification in the weapon. “It breaks down and moves into projectiles. So, you are not firing one bullet, you are firing a number,” he said. “Therefore, it increases the effective hit rate against drones.”

While conventional Beretta shells are made out of tungsten, SHATTER4K ammunition uses a new polymer. According to Cadman, while this composite material has the same effect of the tungsten, “[it has] greater supply-chain security.”

Beretta rounds are currently on display at the SOF Week 2026 conference and exhibition, currently underway in Tampa. On the show floor, the vendor is also featuring its RWS UDD ammunition, which it launched during 2025, together with its available shotgun rounds. The RWS UDD has been engineered for engaging UASs in densely populated urban areas while minimizing the risks of collateral damage. With an efficient range of 300 m (328 yards), the company says this ammunition can also be used for protecting critical infrastructure against attacks by uncrewed platforms. 

Eyes on Britain's Project Grayburn

Another solution BDT is exhibiting at SOF Week 2026 is the New Assault Rifle Platform (NARP). This weapon, alongside the Sako ARG40 rifle, is part of the company’s proposal for the British military’s Project Grayburn. Project Grayburn -- an initiative by the U.K. defense ministry to replace its current SA80 assault rifle, which entered service in 1985 and stopped production in 1994 -- is expected to enter the competition phas in 2027, with a contract being awarded in 2028.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated its intention to substitute its aging legacy weapons with a modular, adaptable system with interchangeable upper receiver groups for different roles. The solution must also be capable of defeating emerging types of body armor and be able to engage targets at longer ranges. In terms of procurement prerequisites, the MoD requires domestic manufacturing of the arms to enhance the country’s sovereignty and bolster its manufacturing capacities. The deal will involve the purchase of between 150,000 and 180,000 weapons. 

With a focus on those requirements, BDT has been acting along multiple lines: On May 19, it announced an exclusive agreement with the London Proof House for the testing and safety certifications of its small arms. 

“We are also inviting a select few U.K. Ministry of Defence members, along with politicians, to come down and test the weapons, so they can see for themselves," Cadman said.