Smartshooter, the producer of fire control systems (FCS), announced on 28 May a new contract with the US Army for its SMASH 2000L FCS, worth US$13 million. Zona Militar spoke with Smartshooter CEO Michal Mor about the significance of this contract.
Mor confirmed that the “first delivery is expected to occur in the second half of 2025.” However, the company’s CEO declined to discuss the total number of systems that will be delivered. As Zona Militar recently reported, the US Marines have also announced the acquisition of a number of Smash 2000Ls.
Mor told ZM, “at this stage, all branches of the US military are in different phases of evaluating, integrating, or fielding our SMASH systems.”
Via the contract with the US Army, the SMASH 2000Ls will be deployed as part of the Army’s Transformation In Contact (TIC2.0) forces, a specially designated formation for accelerated testing and integration of advanced technologies on the battlefield, the company explained in a 28 May press release.
Mor is confident about the future of Smartshooter’s relationship with the US armed forces. The new contract with the US Army “reflects the growing recognition of SMASH as a true revolution for maneuvering forces, empowering dismounted soldiers with precise, effective counter-UAS capabilities and fundamentally enhancing their ability to respond to emerging threats on the battlefield.”
In an e-mail interview with ZM, Mor highlighted that Smartshooter’s success is due to integration. “Beyond the widespread operational use of SMASH systems by forces around the world, one of the most significant milestones for Smartshooter is the integration of our systems into structured combat formations, providing personal protection for both the individual soldier and the unit as a whole,” the CEO said.
Recent projects regarding the future of the US military include the US government moving forward with the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), the US Navy developing a hybrid fleet, and the growth of artificial intelligence/machine learning across several military domains. However, the troops on the frontlines will continue to be the decisive factor.
“Wars are ultimately won with boots on the ground,” Mor stated. “Maneuvering forces operate in complex combat environments, and the SMASH systems give these soldiers a decisive edge by enabling precise engagement of only the intended target, even at extended ranges, while minimizing their own exposure to danger,” the CEO added.
The SMASH 2000L is the company’s lightest handheld-operated fire control system attached to a soldier’s rifle. Using computer vision, artificial intelligence, and advanced tracking algorithms, the system enables soldiers to detect, track, and eliminate aerial and ground targets with accuracy. The system is “an ideal solution” for dismounted soldiers to eliminate small uncrewed aerial systems (sUASs).
At the recent Modern Day Marine (MDM) expo in Washington, DC, ZM spoke with Scott Thompson, Vice President of Smartshooter’s operations in the US, about integrated solutions involving the company’s systems, including the new Smash Dome for 360-degree coverage. The company also showcased the SMASH 2000L at the expo, which was successfully integrated 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 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.”
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