The U.S. Marine Corps has procured the SMASH 2000L fire control system from Israeli defense company Smartshooter to enhance Marines’ ability to shoot down small drones.
The SMASH 2000L, Smartshooter’s lightest handheld system, integrates artificial intelligence, computer vision, and tracking algorithms. It allows Marines to detect, lock onto, and engage aerial and ground targets with precision.
“The SMASH 2000L gives the rifleman a higher probability of kill when engaging unmanned aircraft systems,” Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan, spokesman for Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration told Task & Purpose. “It attaches to a standard M4, enabling Marines to defeat drones with small arms while retaining the weapon’s normal ground target capabilities.”
The exact number of systems procured has not been disclosed due to security reasons.
Marine units will begin receiving the SMASH 2000L advanced fire control system at the start of the next fiscal year on Oct. 1, according to Flanagan.
The acquisition builds on earlier deployments of SMASH systems by U.S. Special Operations Forces, the Marine Corps, and NATO allies.
The SMASH system is already in use by military and security forces in Israel, the U.K., and other NATO countries.
