The U.S. Army has taken another step toward bolstering its counter-drone capabilities by awarding a $13 million contract to Israel’s Smart Shooter Ltd. The deal includes the SMASH 2000L advanced AI-powered sights that significantly improve the accuracy of air and ground targets. The move reflects the Pentagon’s growing concern about the drone threat on the modern battlefield and its desire to adapt infantry tactics to meet new challenges.

According to Defense News, the contract was signed in May 2025, and the first tests of the SMASH 2000L system took place on June 6 as part of the Project Flytrap exercise at the Hohenfels training ground in Germany. A soldier from the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, demonstrated the capabilities of the sight mounted on an M4A1 rifle by successfully engaging aerial targets. The system, developed by Smart Shooter Ltd, based in Yagur, Israel, uses advanced computer vision and artificial intelligence algorithms to automatically detect, track, and engage drones. The SMASH 2000L, also known as the SMASH 3000, is the lightest in the company's lineup, weighing in at about 1,1 kg (4 lbs) and easily integrates with most standard assault rifles, including the M15, AR25, and SRXNUMX.

The sight’s unique feature is its ability to operate in “drone mode,” allowing soldiers to effectively combat small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which are becoming an increasingly common threat. According to Reuters, drones have been used extensively in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East for reconnaissance, fire adjustment, and strikes, highlighting the need for affordable and mobile solutions to counter them. The SMASH 2000L automatically detects the drone’s flight path, provides aiming cues, and fires only when the probability of a hit is high, minimizing human error such as fatigue or stress. The system has a battery that provides up to 72 hours of operation and is capable of engaging targets up to 200 meters away for aerial targets and up to 300 meters for ground targets.

The contract with Smart Shooter Ltd is part of the Pentagon’s Counter-Small Unmanned Systems (C-sUAS) program, launched in 2020 under the auspices of the Joint Counter-Drone Office (JCO). As The War Zone notes, the SMASH 2000L was chosen as the only infantry-based kinetic solution capable of effectively engaging drones without the need for sophisticated air defense or electronic warfare systems. The system was previously tested in Syria in 2020, where US Special Forces used it to shoot at targets suspended from commercial drones, proving its effectiveness. The SMASH 2000L is also being tested by the US Marine Corps and is being used in Israeli army operations in the Gaza Strip, where it “increases the chances of hitting a target fourfold,” according to Israel Defense.