U.S. Army buys more Israeli SMASH counter-drone rifle system

Smart Shooter, the Israeli developer of AI-powered rifle-mounted fire control systems, has secured a $10.7 million follow-on U.S. Army contract for its SMASH 2000LE fire control system, with delivery scheduled for the third quarter of 2026.

The award was issued through PAE Defensive Fires and will be executed through Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc., according to the company’s announcement. It follows a May 2025 contract with the U.S. Army, a July 2025 contract with the U.S. Marine Corps, and a March 2026 contract with JIATF-401 for the U.S. Air Force — a procurement sequence that Smart Shooter describes as expanding SMASH fielding across multiple branches of the U.S. military simultaneously. The contract also includes extended support coverage for the supplied systems.

The SMASH 2000LE, also designated SMASH 3000SA, is an enhanced configuration of Smart Shooter’s core fire control system that adds connectivity enabling integration with external sensors and battle management systems. The underlying technology combines computer vision, artificial intelligence, and target tracking algorithms to allow a soldier carrying a standard rifle to detect, track, and engage aerial targets — specifically small unmanned aerial systems — with the precision that unaided shooting against fast-moving drones cannot reliably achieve. The system mounts directly to a rifle’s Picatinny rail, adding targeting capability without replacing the weapon itself, which means soldiers equipped with SMASH retain their existing firearm while gaining a counter-drone engagement capability that previously required dedicated crew-served weapons or expensive interceptor missiles.

Michal Mor, CEO of Smart Shooter, described the award in terms that connect the procurement directly to the evolving threat environment. “As drone threats evolve in scale, accessibility, and complexity, armed forces increasingly require proven, field-ready systems that can be rapidly deployed and effectively operated at the tactical edge,” Mor said in the company’s announcement. “We remain committed to supporting U.S. military requirements with reliable solutions that enhance precision, survivability, and mission effectiveness.” The language about scale, accessibility, and complexity is a precise description of what has happened to the drone threat since the war in Ukraine began — first-person-view drones that cost a few hundred dollars have become effective weapons against armored vehicles and personnel, and the sheer volume of small UAS threats that modern ground forces face has outpaced the capacity of traditional air defense systems to address them at the individual soldier level.

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The counter-small UAS mission that SMASH addresses has become one of the most urgent capability gaps in ground combat. Ukraine demonstrated that small commercial drones, modified for weapon delivery or used for reconnaissance that directs artillery, can devastate infantry and armored formations with limited investment. Every major army that has observed those operations has been racing to field counter-drone solutions at the squad and platoon level, where expensive radar-guided missiles and dedicated gun systems are impractical. A rifle-mounted fire control system that allows an individual soldier to engage drone threats with standard ammunition at a fraction of the cost of any interceptor represents a fundamentally different approach to the problem — distributing counter-drone capability across the force rather than concentrating it in specialized units.

Smart Shooter’s SMASH family has been deployed by defense and security forces in the United States, Israel, the United Kingdom, Germany, NATO member countries, and additional allied nations, per the company’s statement. The UK connection is particularly relevant given British forces’ extensive involvement in counter-drone operations and the NATO-wide push to field individual soldier-level counter-UAS capability. The system’s combat-proven status is not a marketing claim in this context — it reflects operational use in environments where drone threats have been present and kinetic engagement has been required.

The procurement pathway through PAE Defensive Fires and ADS Inc. reflects how the U.S. military has increasingly structured counter-UAS acquisitions, using existing contracting vehicles and established defense distributors to accelerate fielding timelines rather than navigating full formal acquisition programs that can take years to reach delivery. The JIATF-401 contract from March 2026, which served the U.S. Air Force through the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Task Force structure, similarly indicates that Smart Shooter’s systems are moving through expedited acquisition channels designed for urgent operational needs rather than routine procurement cycles.