US soldiers 3D print ‘Widowmaker’ munition dropper
Mounted on a PDW C-100 drone platform, it enables soldiers to deliver M67 fragmentation grenades, M18 smoke grenades, and training munitions with speed and precision during simulated combat scenarios
According to DVIDS, soldiers from the US Army’s Multi-Purpose Company, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Mobile Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), are testing a 3D printed munition dropper, nicknamed the Widowmaker, to increase responsiveness and flexibility during Combined Resolve 26-1. Mounted on a PDW C-100 drone platform, the Widowmaker enables soldiers to deliver M67 fragmentation grenades, M18 smoke grenades, and training munitions with speed and precision during simulated combat scenarios.
“With this system, we can create platoon-level effects on target much faster than traditional methods,” said Spc. Basil Holland, an Infantryman with 1-502’s Multi-Purpose Company (ARES). “It allows us to respond quickly to targets that are danger close.”
The system allows soldiers to rapidly identify and strike targets using multiple drones working together – one to locate, and another to deliver effects. By reducing the need for external fire support, platoons can react faster to emerging threats during training against opposing forces (OPFOR).
The Widowmaker design was developed entirely in-house by soldiers using standard-issue munitions, commercial 3D printers, and computer-aided design programs. “None of us had prior computer design experience,” said Holland. “We started from a clean slate, and after a few months, we had a working prototype that’s been very successful in engaging targets from about 350 feet.”
Unlike experimental models still in development elsewhere, the Widowmaker platform can be produced quickly using non-specialized parts. A single drone can drop up to four grenades per sortie – two at a time in rapid succession – giving platoons a scalable tool for various mission sets.
The design is already being shared with the 101st Airborne Division’s innovation lab at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and other units to encourage wider implementation.
As Combined Resolve 26-1 continues, soldiers will employ the new munition dropper in training against OPFOR to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for drone-enabled effects on the modern battlefield.
