US Marine Corps buys Israeli-made computerized rifle sights

Tests of the SMASH 2000L sight during a live-fire exercise at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, Virginia, September 7, 2023

SMARTSHOOTER Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of the Israeli defense technology firm, has received a new order from the United States Marine Corps (USMC) for its SMASH 2000L fire control systems, the company announced on Monday.

The SMASH 2000L, SMARTSHOOTER’s lightest handheld fire control system, combines artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced tracking algorithms to allow dismounted forces to detect, track, and eliminate aerial and ground threats. The system is especially effective against small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), providing a reliable, combat-proven hard-kill solution for Marines operating in contested environments.

The Marine Corps is procuring SMASH 2000L as an interim solution to meet an urgent operational requirement for dismounted counter-drone capabilities. This latest order follows successful testing and evaluation of the system by USMC units.

“With SMASH 2000L, dismounted Marines are equipped with an effective, combat-proven solution against the growing threat of drones on the battlefield,” said Michal Mor, CEO of SMARTSHOOTER. “This new order is an important step toward potential adoption of the SMASH fire control systems at the squad level, and we remain committed to supporting the Marine Corps with cutting-edge, operationally proven kinetic capabilities.”

The SMASH system was initially selected by the U.S. Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) and the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) as the kinetic solution for squad-level counter-drone operations. It has already been fielded by U.S. Special Operations Forces, the Marine Corps, and several NATO allies.

SMARTSHOOTER’s SMASH family of fire control systems is designed to improve precision and situational awareness, ensuring that every shot counts. The technology has been deployed in combat by defense and security forces in the U.S., Israel, the U.K., NATO, and other allied nations.

The company did not disclose the quantity of systems ordered or the delivery timeline.