Army orders rifle-mounted smart scopes to down small drones

The Army is buying rifle-mounted smart scopes that soldiers can use to shoot down small drones, similar to the advanced fire control systems being used by Marines.

Smart Shooter recently announced that it had received a $10.7 million contract from the Army for its SMASH 2000LE fire control systems and related support services, a company news release says. The smart scopes are scheduled to be delivered between July and September.

Neither the company nor the Army specified how many systems the service is buying under the contract. In March, a Pentagon task force ordered just over 200 of the scopes in a $6.1 million order.

The SMASH 2000LE is mounted on the top of a rifle like a traditional optical scope but its fire control system allows shooters to detect, track, and hit both ground and aerial targets, such as small drones, the news release says.

The system can be added to any type of assault rifle, said Scott Thompson, vice president and general manager of U.S. operations for Smart Shooter.

“Once the user identifies the target (independently or using the detection system guidance) and locks on it, SMASH tracks its movements and synchronizes the shot,” Thompson said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “This is done using computer vision, AI, and advanced algorithms.”

The system is resistant to jamming and can be used to destroy tethered drones — such as those controlled by fiber optic cables instead of radio waves — during both day and night, Thompson said.

An Army spokesperson declined to say which units will receive the smart scopes but confirmed the devices are part of the Army’s growing use of layered defenses against small drones. In a layered strategy, larger equipment engages incoming drones and threats farther away from troops while soldiers with smart scopes use their individual weapons to destroy small drones that penetrate closer.

Drone defense on modern battlefield

Ukraine, Israel, and Iran have all used small drones to devastating effect, underscoring the U.S. military’s need to bolster its drone defenses. In addition to the Army, Smart Shooter also has contracts with the Marine Corps and a Pentagon task force that coordinates defenses against drones, according to the company.

As part of its efforts to counter small drones, the Army has experimented with a new type of ammunition that breaks apart in flight, like buckshot, to increase the likelihood of hitting fast-moving small drones. The service has also launched Project Flytrap to test and field new technologies for soldiers on the ground.

Top Stories This Week

Last of the F-14 Tomcats could fly again under Maverick Act

By Jeff Schogol, Matt White

Six F-16 pilots awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses for Operation Midnight Hammer

Air Force cargo hub stored weapons in unguarded building, IG finds

During a recent exercise in Lithuania dubbed Flytrap 5.0, soldiers practiced detecting enemy drones and developing new tactics, techniques, and procedures to counter them, Lt. Col. Jason Kruck, who leads 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, told reporters during a news conference on Thursday.

The exercise forced soldiers to constantly be aware that they could be under surveillance from enemy drones, Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Harrington, of the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, said in an Army news release.

“It increases the real effect,” Harrington said in the news release. “Now we have to scan up and out as well. Is there potential reconnaissance hovering above us, or is there a one-way attack drone coming in our direction? It changes how we maneuver and react immediately to threats.”