Integration is the name of the game for Smartshooter, the producer of the SMASH fire control systems (FCS). At the Modern Day Marine (MDM) expo in Washington, DC, Zona Militar spoke with Scott Thompson, Vice President for US Operations, about the new integrated solutions for dismounted troops and the new Smash Dome for on-the-move or fixed 360-degree protection.
The new successful integration involves Smartshooter’s SMASH 2000L with an Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). By linking the two systems, dismounted troops using the SMASH 2000L will have real-time awareness regarding their field of view. Moreover, information can be transmitted between the dismounted soldier (with the SMASH 2000L and the ATAK) and the command center. “The dismounted soldier or marine gets full, real-time, 360-degree situational awareness about any friendly or enemy drone out there.”
Thompson added that the new version has a built-in antenna in the SMASH 2000L. The antenna adds Bluetooth capabilities so the rifle can communicate with the ATAK tablet. This communication allows the dismounted troop to send and receive information in real-time, to identify enemy locations, targets, and friendlies. “Information can be sent into the optic of the SMASH 2000L FCS for the operator to see.”
“This is a proof of concept, but it works,” Thompson explained. The integrated solution was tested in late October 2024 at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in San Bernardino County, California. During that exercise, the SMASH 2000L was attached to an M4 rifle.
“We know we can connect the two systems, and now we need to talk to the US Marines about what they want us to do with this new capability,” the Smartshooter executive added. He confirmed that at Modern Day Marine, he spoke with US Marine officers about the next step.
Besides a drone mode, the SMASH 2000L has lock-and-track, target detection, and day/night operation features. The company is working on adding new features, but declined to discuss specific examples. The FCS can be installed on rifles like the M4, AR15, and M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper Systems. Its power source lasts up to 72 hours.
Smartshooter is also working on another integrated solution, the Smash Dome, which combines the company’s Hopper FCS with a radar attached. The Smartshooter executive told ZM that this new solution now has a thermal camera, a better lens, and a better interface panel.
“The idea is to better integrate Hopper into any sensor or radar, and we’ve done the testing,” Thompson said, stressing, “the Hopper can integrate with any sensor, any radar, any command and control system, or passive sensor.”
The radar identifies the threat and transmits the info to the Hopper, which then fires a round to eliminate the target. Thompson explained that the solution can be placed on the back of a moving vehicle like a Polaris MRZR. Moreover, it can be a static solution, for example, around critical infrastructure, air bases, or a forward operating location base for perimeter patrol and defense missions. “The idea is to create a dome, to have 360-degree protection.”
“We are targeting the Marine Air Defense Integrated System, MADIS, program for the Marines,” Thompson added. He added, “we are very close to an award for the SMASH 2000L for the Marines, too.” The defense news agency Janes reported on 1 May that the US Marine Corps will buy 84 SMASH 2000L systems “as an interim capability for its dismounted counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs) requirement.”
The Hopper FCS is a lightweight remote-controlled weapon station. It is available in two configurations, the Standard Module and the Enhanced Night Vision Module, and is compatible with M4 and DMR Assault Rifles, with calibers ranging from 5.56 to 7.62 mm.
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