U.S. Orders More SMASH 2000LE Fire Control Systems to Give Soldiers Final Layer of Defense Against Drone Threats.

The U.S. Army is expanding fielding of the Smart Shooter SMASH 2000LE fire control system under a new $10.7 million award announced by Smart Shooter on May 11, 2026, strengthening the ability of individual soldiers to destroy small drones at close range before they can strike troops or vehicles. The decision reflects a major doctrinal shift as FPV drones, loitering munitions, and low-cost reconnaissance systems force frontline units to assume a direct role in air defense at squad level rather than relying solely on higher-echelon protection.

SMASH 2000LE uses AI-enabled target tracking, computer vision, and automated shot-release technology to improve hit probability against fast and evasive aerial threats, giving riflemen a practical hard-kill option during the final seconds of a drone attack. Its integration with wider sensor and battle-management networks aligns with the U.S. Army’s broader push toward layered and distributed counter-UAS warfare, where every maneuver unit becomes part of a connected defensive grid in drone-saturated combat environments.

Related Topic: U.S. and Russia Test Anti-Drone Rounds for Standard Rifles to Counter FPV Drone Threats

The U.S. Army is expanding fielding of SMART SHOOTER’s SMASH 2000LE AI-assisted rifle fire control systems to give frontline soldiers a direct hard-kill capability against FPV drones and other small aerial threats at close range (Picture Source: U.S. Army / Smart Shooter / U.S. Marines, Edited by Army Recognition Group)

Smart Shooter announced on May 11, 2026, that it had received a follow-on U.S. Army award valued at approximately $10.7 million for SMASH 2000LE fire control systems and related support services. The contract, issued through PAE Defensive Fires and executed through Atlantic Diving Supply, is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2026. The decision comes as small drones, FPV systems, and low-cost aerial threats are forcing ground forces to rethink how individual soldiers defend themselves in the final seconds of an attack. According to Smart Shooter’s announcement, the order expands the fielding of SMASH systems across U.S. defense organizations and reinforces the U.S. Army’s effort to push counter-drone capability down to the tactical edge.

The new award confirms that the U.S. Army is no longer treating the counter-small UAS mission only as a specialized air defense task. Instead, Washington is moving toward a more distributed model in which maneuver units, vehicle crews, and individual riflemen all contribute to the defense against drones. This is a major shift for ground combat doctrine. In previous decades, soldiers mainly depended on higher-echelon air defense assets to deal with aerial threats, while the rifle squad focused on ground targets. The rise of quadcopters, reconnaissance drones, loitering munitions, and FPV strike drones has compressed that separation. A small drone can now observe a patrol, direct artillery, strike a fighting position, or attack a vehicle before a traditional air defense system is available. By expanding SMASH 2000LE fielding, the U.S. Army is giving soldiers a direct role in the last layer of air defense.

SMASH 2000LE, also known as SMASH 3000SA, is an enhanced rifle-mounted fire control system designed to improve the probability of hitting small, moving, and time-sensitive targets. The system combines computer vision, artificial intelligence, image processing, and target tracking algorithms to help the shooter detect, lock onto, track, and engage aerial or ground targets with greater precision. Unlike a conventional optic, SMASH does not simply magnify the target; it assists the firing process by calculating the best moment to release the shot once the operator has selected the target and committed to firing. This capability is especially relevant against small drones, which are difficult to engage with unaided small-arms fire because of their speed, low altitude, erratic flight profile, and limited visual signature. The 2000LE configuration adds connectivity features that allow the system to integrate with external sensors and battle management systems, making it part of a wider counter-UAS architecture rather than a standalone rifle sight.

The operational value of SMASH 2000LE lies in the “last 100 meters” counter-drone problem. Electronic warfare can disrupt many drones, radars can provide early warning, and short-range air defense systems can protect larger formations, but none of these layers can guarantee protection when an FPV drone suddenly appears at close range. In that final phase, a soldier may have only seconds to react. SMASH 2000LE gives the rifleman a practical hard-kill option when a drone has penetrated the outer defensive layers or when jamming is unavailable, ineffective, or saturated. For the U.S. Army, this creates a more resilient defensive posture: high-end air defense systems remain available for larger or more complex threats, while soldiers gain a lower-cost kinetic tool against small drones that directly threaten troops, logistics routes, command posts, and vehicles.

This procurement also reflects lessons being tested through Project Flytrap, a U.S. Army counter-drone experimentation effort conducted with allied forces in Europe. During Project Flytrap in Lithuania in May 2026, U.S. infantrymen from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and British paratroopers tested counter-unmanned aerial system integration in a contested field environment at troop level. U.S. Army reporting stated that soldiers integrated counter-unmanned systems, AI-enabled command and control, and live data networks to move faster, decide faster, and fight more effectively across all domains. The same report described Project Flytrap as an effort to evaluate emerging technologies and inform future Army requirements, training, and doctrine along NATO’s eastern flank. SMASH 2000LE fits directly into this approach because it places a counter-drone tool in the hands of the soldier while still allowing connection to broader sensors and command systems.

The doctrinal impact is therefore significant. SMASH 2000LE does not replace Patriot, SHORAD, electronic warfare, directed-energy systems, or vehicle-mounted counter-UAS platforms; it changes the bottom layer of the defense. It means that counter-drone responsibility is no longer confined to specialized operators. The rifle squad becomes part of the air defense chain, with soldiers expected to detect, report, track, and when necessary engage small drones at close range. This supports a U.S. Army doctrine better adapted to drone-saturated battlefields, where every unit may be observed and targeted by low-cost aerial systems. It also reinforces a broader American advantage: the ability to combine rapid procurement, soldier feedback, allied experimentation, and networked battlefield systems to turn combat lessons into deployable capability.

This trend is reinforced by recent U.S. and Russian testing of anti-drone ammunition for standard rifles. On April 12, 2026, Army Recognition reported that U.S. forces and Russia were both examining rifle-fired anti-drone rounds as infantry units seek close-range answers to FPV threats. In the U.S. case, soldiers were observed training with a 5.56 mm L-variant “Drone Round” described as optimized for close-range engagements against small unmanned aerial systems within 100 meters. Russia’s Kalashnikov Concern, meanwhile, reported tests of a 5.45 mm multi-projectile cartridge for the AK-12 against FPV-type drones. These parallel developments show that small-drone warfare is reshaping even basic infantry weapons and ammunition. For the U.S. Army, the future combination of AI-assisted fire control such as SMASH 2000LE with specialized anti-drone ammunition could create a compact counter-FPV package built around weapons already carried by soldiers, reducing cost per engagement and improving close-range survivability.

The follow-on U.S. Army award for SMASH 2000LE confirms that the United States is adapting quickly to one of the most urgent tactical threats of modern warfare. By combining AI-enabled fire control, rifle-mounted precision, networked counter-UAS integration, and emerging anti-drone ammunition concepts, the U.S. Army is turning the individual soldier into an active participant in the air defense fight. This approach strengthens American maneuver units by adding a final, mobile, and cost-effective layer of protection at the point where drones directly threaten troops. In an era when low-cost FPV drones can influence the outcome of a firefight, the expansion of SMASH 2000LE fielding shows a U.S. Army focused on preserving tactical freedom of movement, protecting soldiers, and adapting its doctrine before adversaries can turn cheap aerial systems into a decisive battlefield advantage.

Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.