Australia Tests Israeli Smart Sights for Counter-Drone Use
Israeli defense firm SMARTSHOOTER has secured a contract to supply its SMASH 3000 fire control system for evaluation by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the LAND 156 LOE 2 project, the company announced on Thursday.
The effort will assess the system’s suitability for integration into Australia’s dismounted counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities.
In a statement, SMARTSHOOTER said the order “marks a strategic breakthrough into the Australian market after significant appraisal of SMASH Fire Control by the ADF, with potential for follow-on purchases in other programs,” according to Lachlan Mercer, Director of SMARTSHOOTER’s Australia & New Zealand Territory.
The SMASH 3000 is the company’s lightest handheld-operated fire control unit. It integrates artificial intelligence, computer vision, and real-time target tracking algorithms to allow frontline soldiers to detect, track, and accurately neutralize aerial and ground threats. SMARTSHOOTER says the system offers a hard-kill solution against drones and small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) while improving first-round hit probability.
The ADF’s evaluation will determine whether the system meets operational standards for short-range, mobile counter-drone defense, particularly in decentralized ground units operating in remote environments.
According to the company, SMASH 3000 also features real-time situational awareness functions. “The delivered system includes advanced situational awareness capabilities that enable real-time target sharing among soldiers via SMARTSHOOTER’s proprietary platform,” the company said, adding that this enhances “operational coordination and efficiency across the battlefield.”
The SMASH family of systems is currently deployed by armed forces in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Europe, and other NATO countries. The product line includes man-portable, remotely operated, and unmanned ground vehicle-mounted variants, designed to provide improved hit accuracy against both stationary and moving targets — including hostile drones.
Using an onboard computer, SMASH systems are capable of locking on to a moving threat, tracking its motion, and synchronizing the shot release for accurate engagement. The technology is intended to transform conventional rifles into precision-guided platforms.
“We are honored to support the Australian Defence Force and to work alongside yet another highly respected partner,” said Michal Mor, CEO of SMARTSHOOTER. “This marks an important milestone in our long-term commitment to the Australian market, and we look forward to expanding our activities across multiple segments.”
Mor added, “Our SMASH fire control systems deliver precision capabilities at the moments they are needed most — whether the threat is airborne or ground-based, and we remain committed to providing superior operational advantage to our Australian partners.”
SMARTSHOOTER’s entry into the Australian defense market comes as Canberra expands its focus on agile, deployable counter-drone technologies to protect personnel and infrastructure from a growing range of commercial and military UAS threats.