Anti-drone sphere: Piсket Inferno RTC combat module
Inferno RTC combat module
Protection of vehicles and infantry from FPV-drones has evolved into an independent engineering discipline in recent years. Solutions offered range from stations EW From automatic cannons to turret-mounted shotguns like the Israeli Smash Hopper, the American startup Picket Defense Systems unveiled a concept previously unseen in C-UAS reviews: a compact close-combat module with a spherical block of fixed barrels and constant rotation—the Inferno RTC.
A promising solution
Picket Defense Systems is a young American company specializing in countermeasures. drones (C-UAS). The public debut of its first development took place at the special operations forces exhibition SOF Week 2026 in Tampa, Florida, from May 18–21, 2026; the prototype was unveiled by the company's CEO, Bo Jardine.
The Inferno RTC (Rotating Turret Close-In) module is designed to counter light UAVs—primarily FPV kamikazes and autonomous drones, including those operating in swarms. The device is positioned as a "last line" of defense: a means of intercepting targets that have penetrated the main echelons. Defense and EW.
By the time of the debut, the company had produced prototypes and was preparing for full-scale testing. Following these tests, Picket Defense Systems intends to offer the module primarily to the Pentagon, but also to foreign customers.
Sphere with equipment
The Inferno RTC's design differs significantly from traditional remotely controlled weapon stations. A sphere with multiple openings is mounted on a cylindrical base mounted on the carrier, each containing a fixed, single-shot barrel. Some of the barrels are aimed horizontally, while others are at varying elevation angles, which together cover a significant portion of the upper hemisphere. A separate question is how well the zenith is covered: an FPV attack "downhill," almost vertically from above, is the most inconvenient for this architecture, and the presence of barrels pointing close to vertical has not been reliably confirmed by publicly available data. This is one point that field trials should clarify.
Two modifications are being developed, and the difference in the stated dimensions is explained precisely by this—we are talking about two different machines, and not about the range of parameters of one:
- Lightweight (manpack-portable): about 36 barrels, weight ~20,5 kg (45 lbs), sphere height ~300 mm. Calibers: 5,56 mm rifled, .410 and .20 smoothbore. Manpack format - the module can be carried by a dismounted crew;
- Heavy: up to 54 barrels, weight ~41 kg (90 lbs), height ~400 mm. Calibers: 12-gauge smoothbore (bullet/buckshot) and 40 mm with low-velocity grenades (LV). A portable format is no longer envisaged here—mounting is only possible on vehicles (armored vehicles, light pickup trucks, or fixed positions).
The key here is the completely passive detection scheme. The module has no radar, and, according to the developer, this is intentional: the 3D microphone array and optical channels (video cameras, thermal imagers) do not emit or reveal the carrier to enemy electronic reconnaissance. Processing is performed by a local AI module based on TinyML, without access to external networks.
This is also where the second feature the company insists on comes from: the module remains operational against fiber-optic-controlled drones, targets against which electronic warfare systems are powerless.
Module on a carrier vehicle
Operating principle: Zero Slew Time
The main architectural difference between the Inferno RTC and conventional RWMS is the absence of barrel aiming in the traditional sense. The sphere continuously rotates 360° in azimuth. When the system detects a UAV, the AI calculates which of the dozens of barrels will be on the target's vector and at what moment, and initiates a shot within that millisecond window. The developer calls this principle Zero Slew Time. There's no need to rotate: the correct barrel automatically approaches the target, with no adjustment delay.
This leads to an important distinction, usually separated by commas in press releases, even though they refer to two different figures. The company claims the detection range of the microphone-optical circuit is 90–120 meters. The guaranteed kill zone, however, is significantly smaller—approximately 40 meters in all directions. At longer ranges, the accuracy of buckshot, the detonation efficiency of a 40mm grenade, and the permissible millisecond error in response no longer ensure a reliable hit on a small, high-speed target.
After firing at the same target, a different barrel can be used; the module's full ammunition complement lasts for several dozen cycles before reloading.
The operator is not involved in the firing sequence—the module operates automatically. This eliminates the time needed for human decision-making and manual reaction, but shifts responsibility for target classification to the algorithm. False alarms are inevitable in such a system, and in fully autonomous mode, this is a question not only of efficiency but also of friendly fire safety: the quality of friend-or-foe detection based on acoustic-optical characteristics, without a radar interrogator, becomes a critical parameter.
Strengths and tradeoffs of the concept
The Inferno RTC concept solves several problems that traditional RWS struggle with. The main one is the improvement in reaction time. At a range of 40 meters, an FPV drone flying at 25–40 m/s reaches its target in 1–1,5 seconds, while any conventional electric turret with a rotating barrel physically doesn't have time to slew. The "all barrels are already aimed, the shot is fired the moment the vector matches" approach eliminates this delay. Plus, it features passive sensors (no unmasking), independence from external networks, and is effective against fiber-optic drones. In this sense, the Inferno RTC closes a gap that systems like the Smash Hopper or robotic pods with Sentinel-class automatic cannons remain fundamentally open: the final seconds of approach, when the motor can no longer keep up.
There is also a downside to this scheme.
Discreteness of elevation angles. Between fixed barrels with different inclinations, there are "empty" directions; intermediate angles are unattainable. This is compensated for by a larger number of barrels and a selection of inclinations, but this does not eliminate the problem—especially when shooting at a target located precisely between two adjacent inclinations.
Single-charge. Each barrel is single-use until reloaded. If the intended shot misses the target, a repeat shot at the same point in space can only be fired after the sphere rotates and positions the next barrel at the correct angle. And at the remaining range of 20–30 meters, there may not be a second to do so.
There's a third factor—acoustics. Directional microphones work well in quiet environments and on stationary media. They also work well on moving vehicles, in combined arms combat, when operating one's own equipment, and weapons The accuracy of acoustic tracking decreases. This is likely why the module also includes optical/thermal channels; their actual contribution to detection will become clearer based on test results.
Finally, the 40-meter range itself. With such a kill zone, the Inferno RTC by definition cannot be a primary air defense system—it only works in conjunction with electronic warfare and longer-range detection systems. This is consistent with the company's positioning, but it imposes a strict requirement: without upper echelons of defense, the module remains a one- or two-shot system before ramming.
The Inferno RTC's niche is narrow: finishing off anything that's already penetrated the last few meters of a vehicle. The concept seems logical for this task—we'll see how it performs on the range.
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