Drone carrying M250 machine gun completes firing test

A heavy-duty quadcopter carrying Sig Sauer’s new M250 light machine gun has completed a test requiring it to identify and engage targets from the air, the company announced Tuesday.

Sig Sauer completed the test in concert with Israel Aerospace Industries, maker of the Fire Storm 250, a reusable drone that can stay airborne for two hours and is designed with a stabilized machine-gun mount.

According to a Tuesday announcement from the companies, the test required the system to hover over a simulated battlefield, ID targets with an onboard camera and fire on them using both single-shot and semi-automatic firing modes “from varying distances and altitudes.”

It’s a fast development timeline for the drone, which was first unveiled last October. The defense publication Janes reported in February that flight tests for the system were scheduled for summer 2026. The system, as Janes reported, incorporates Sig’s micro-remote-controlled weapon system along with the M250, a version of which is set to replace the Army’s M249 squad automatic weapon as part of the service’s Next-Generation Squad Weapon program.

According to Tuesday’s announcement, the system can carry 200 rounds of ammunition and the 53-pound RCWS. It can take off and land vertically, lending itself to operation in austere forward locations.

“Sensor information and fire-control data are combined into a unified targeting solution, giving the operator a continuous operational picture and supporting a rapid sensor-to-shooter cycle,” the companies said.

An internal combustion engine can accept a variety of jet fuels, allowing the drone to be reused in the field, per the Janes report. It’s designed, according to the company, to accompany tactical units “with limited manpower and support requirements.”

While it’s previously been reported that the system incorporates artificial intelligence to automate components of tracking and detection, the companies emphasized its human-in-the-loop fire control system, allowing human operators to make engagement and fire decisions while receiving imagery and tracking data from the Fire Storm 250’s onboard sensors.

“FIRE STORM 250 brings together the most advanced technologies in the world,” Sali Okanin, Israel General Manager for SIG SAUER, said in an announcement. “We’re proud of the new SIG SAUER M250, which is combat-proven technology. It is a belt-fed platform with greater range than legacy systems and weight savings that not only provide squad-level benefits but also make drone capabilities possible.”

Sig Sauer executives told Military Times earlier this month that fielding for the M250 is expected to begin in the first half of next year. While the Army’s version of the weapon is chambered in Sig Sauer’s internally developed 6.8X51mm ammo, the Israel Defense Forces began using a 7.62X51mm variant in 2025. The Fire Storm 250 reportedly can carry either.

西格绍尔公司周二宣布，一架搭载该公司新型 M250 轻机枪的重型四旋翼飞行器已完成一项测试，该测试要求飞行器从空中识别和攻击目标。

西格绍尔公司与以色列航空航天工业公司合作完成了这项测试。以色列航空航天工业公司生产的“火风暴250”是一款可重复使用的无人机，可以持续飞行两个小时，并设计有稳定的机枪支架。

根据两家公司周二发布的公告，此次测试要求该系统悬停在模拟战场上空，使用机载摄像头识别目标，并使用单发和半自动射击模式从“不同的距离和高度”向目标开火。

这款无人机的研发进度非常迅速，它于去年10月首次亮相。国防刊物《简氏防务周刊》今年2月报道称，该系统的飞行测试计划于2026年夏季进行。正如《简氏防务周刊》报道的那样，该系统集成了西格绍尔公司的微型遥控武器系统以及M250机枪，后者的一个改进型将取代陆军的M249班用自动武器，作为陆军下一代班用武器计划的一部分。

根据周二发布的公告，该系统可携带200发子弹和53磅重的遥控武器站。它可以垂直起降，因此适合在条件简陋的前沿阵地作战。

两家公司表示：“传感器信息和火控数据被整合到一个统一的目标定位解决方案中，为操作员提供持续的作战态势图，并支持快速的传感器到射手循环。”

据《简氏防务周刊》报道，这款无人机的内燃机可使用多种航空燃料，使其能够在战场上重复使用。该公司表示，该无人机的设计目的是伴随“人力和后勤需求有限”的战术部队作战。

虽然此前有报道称该系统采用了人工智能来自动执行跟踪和检测等部分，但这些公司强调了其人机协同火控系统，该系统允许操作员在接收来自 Fire Storm 250 机载传感器的图像和跟踪数据的同时，做出交战和开火决策。

“FIRE STORM 250 融合了世界上最先进的技术，”SIG SAUER 以色列总经理 Sali Okanin 在一份声明中表示。“我们为全新的 SIG SAUER M250 感到自豪，它是一款经过实战验证的技术。它采用弹链供弹，射程比传统系统更远，重量更轻，不仅能为班组带来优势，还能实现无人机作战能力。”

西格绍尔公司高管本月初告诉《军事时报》，M250的列装预计将于明年上半年开始。虽然陆军版本的M250使用西格绍尔自主研发的6.8×51毫米弹药，但以色列国防军已于2025年开始使用7.62×51毫米口径的版本。据报道，Fire Storm 250可以兼容这两种弹药。