The U.S. Marine Corps has officially placed a significant order for the SMASH 2000L computerized fire control system from SMARTSHOOTER Inc., marking a critical evolution in how dismounted infantry units will engage aerial threats. Procured to meet an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR), the Israeli-designed optical system utilizes artificial intelligence and advanced computer vision to turn standard issue infantry rifles into highly effective counter-drone weapons, reflecting a rapid adaptation to the changing realities of modern combat.
The proliferation of cheap, weaponized small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and First-Person View (FPV) kamikaze drones—heavily utilized in conflicts spanning Ukraine to the Middle East—has forced the U.S. military to completely rethink squad-level air defense. Traditional iron sights or red dots are vastly insufficient for hitting a quadcopter moving erratically at 60 miles per hour. The SMASH 2000L solves this by integrating an advanced electro-optical processing unit directly onto the rifle's Picatinny rail.
When a Marine looks through the SMASH 2000L, the system’s AI automatically detects, highlights, and tracks potential targets, distinguishing between drones and background clutter. Once the shooter locks onto the target and pulls the trigger, the system engages a "fire block" mechanism. The rifle will not actually discharge a round until the user’s aim perfectly aligns with the system's calculated intercept point, effectively guaranteeing a first-round hit against a moving aerial target. This "hard-kill" kinetic capability is essential for environments where electronic warfare jamming is ineffective or unavailable.
The SMASH 2000L is specifically designed to be the lightest variant in SMARTSHOOTER's lineup, minimizing the weight penalty on the end user's primary weapon. According to Michal Mor, CEO of SMARTSHOOTER, the system has already undergone rigorous testing and evaluation by USMC units in contested environments. This recent acquisition follows previous adoption by U.S. Special Operations Forces and the U.S. Army's Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO), signaling that computerized fire control is quickly becoming standard issue across the Department of Defense.
The system is capable of operating day or night, ensuring that infantry squads are not left vulnerable to drone swarms during low-light operations. While the exact quantity of the systems ordered by the Marine Corps remains undisclosed, the UOR designation implies a rapid rollout to frontline combat elements deployed in high-risk zones such as the Indo-Pacific. By removing human error regarding lead calculation, windage, and trigger flinch, the optic essentially turns a standard rifleman into a precision anti-air marksman.
The era of "dumb" glass is ending. The combat debut of FPV drones has forced the military to adopt AI fire control faster than anyone predicted. The SMASH 2000L proves that the future of infantry lethality isn't just about better ballistics; it's about algorithmic assistance. For the civilian market, this tech is currently locked behind heavy ITAR and DoD barriers, but the writing is on the wall. Give it five to ten years, and consumer-grade smart optics will completely revolutionize competitive shooting and hunting.