APRIL 23, 2026 – In a significant leap forward for battlefield technology, Army infantry drone operators successfully tested a new warhead designed for delivery by an unmanned aerial system.
The live-fire demonstration of the bunker rupture and kinetic explosive round, which took place at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, March 26, comes only weeks after the initial design and rapid prototyping of the system, and showcases the Army’s accelerated approach to innovation in the face of evolving threats.
The Army continuously transforms by using the latest technologies to gain a warfighting advantage, ensuring the force is lethal, modern and ready. The development of this air-delivered munition directly supports that mission, as well as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s readiness and transformation priorities.
The Braker project, led by a team from the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center and Project Manager Close Combat Systems, aimed to create a lightweight, powerful and lethal warhead that could be deployed from a small, agile drone.
“Our Picatinny team went from concept to live-fire in two weeks,” said Army Col. Vinson Morris, project manager of Project Manager Close Combat Systems. “Braker proves our ability to rapidly develop and safely deliver devastating effects from small, unmanned aircraft systems. We are now creating the architecture with Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit and the small, universal payload interface for industry to scale this critical warfighter advantage.”
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is a safe and effective method for integrating lethal payloads with UAS platforms, designed and developed by engineers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center.
The rapid development-to-testing timeline of Braker was made possible by the Army’s emphasis on additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing.
In early March, engineers from the Armaments Center began designing, explosive pressing, housing manufacturing and integrating the warhead to be used on a low-cost and expendable one-way attack drone.
Shortly thereafter, transfer and compatibility tests were conducted at Picatinny Arsenal, and approximately a dozen warheads were assembled, one of which was tested on a makeshift test range bunker.
After proving worthiness and validating effectiveness, the prototype warheads departed Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, for Redstone Arsenal, where a live demonstration was conducted for Army leaders.
The successful detonation of a target deployed by a device attached to a drone demonstrates a new and potent capability for the modern warfighter. It also illustrates how quickly engineers can design, fabricate and integrate hardware to meet urgent and compelling needs.
“Rapid demonstrations of overwhelming lethality, such as Braker, are attributed to years of continued technology investments and the organic core technical competencies and facilities resident at the [U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command] Armaments Center,” said Anthony Sebasto, executive director of the Munitions Engineering and Technology Center.
By Eric Kowal
Picatinny Arsenal