Russia will showcase the Bison air-target engagement system outside the country for the first time. The system, developed by High Precision Systems, part of Rostec, will make its international debut at Egypt International Airshow.

Bison is designed to destroy small aerial targets flying at low altitude, which can be difficult for conventional air-defense systems to engage. The system uses PKT machine guns chambered for 7.62 mm ammunition.

According to Rostec, much of the engagement process is automated. Bison can detect a drone, lock onto it and transmit targeting data to the machine-gun mounts. The operator is then left to make the final decision to open fire.

Bekhan Ozdoev, Industrial Director of Rostec’s Weapons Cluster and a member of the Bureau of the Russian Engineering Union, said the system is already on combat duty and is being used against real aerial targets. He added that Bison has a rapid reaction time and is intended for situations in which only seconds remain to counter an incoming threat.

Ozdoev described Bison as the final defensive line around a protected site. The system can operate independently or alongside other counter-drone equipment as part of a layered air-defense network.

Egypt International Airshow will take place from September 8 to 10 at the airport in El Alamein, Egypt.