The RAS (Robotic Automated Systems) platoon of the 13th “Rhino” Light Brigade of the Dutch Army from Oirschot apparently carried out a two-day live-fire drone defense test with the Smash Fire Control System from the Israeli manufacturer Smart Shooter Ltd. at the Lizum-Walchen high mountain training area in Austria in the first half of February.
The Smash Fire Control System was tested at a tactical level at a range of up to 200 meters in harsh weather conditions, fog and driving snow and proved to be extremely effective. The target is not disturbed or blinded, but actively destroyed. All 67 drone targets were successfully hit with up to three shots each and it made no difference whether the copter drones were stationary in the air or moving. The Dutch unit reported on the tests on its Facebook channel on February 16 and said that soldiers equipped with the Smash Fire Control System – it was not detailed whether it was Smash-2000 or Smash-2000 Plus (product overview) – are able to significantly increase the probability of hitting ground targets and drones. The system can also be useful for protecting sensitive strategic installations such as air bases, ships or during military operations abroad. The tests took place as part of the Dutch army’s “Nucleus C-AUS roadmap”.
According to the manufacturer, the Smash Fire Control solution ensures (product description) that every shot finds its target. It brings precision missile targeting algorithms and advanced electro-optical processing capabilities to standard assault rifles. It operates automatically, but not autonomously, allowing the operator to quickly neutralize manned or unmanned targets on the ground or in the air. It is described as a cost-effective solution that can be integrated into any type of assault rifle and combined with other drone defense systems to provide an effective multi-layered defense solution for the modern battlefield. In the trade magazine “UAS Weekly”, Smart Shooter CEO Michal Mor commented: “Our Smash fire control solution is an ideal ‘hard-kill solution’ against drones and unmanned aerial vehicles at close range. It ensures high hit probabilities and requires very little training. We are pleased to see another successful trial conducted by the Dutch Army and are confident that the Smash technology will completely revolutionize the world of handguns.” Smart Shooter, in a team with German manufacturer SIG-Sauer, has already sold the Smash-2000 to the US Army and US special forces have already tested it in battlefield conditions on the M4A1 in al-Tanf, Syria. The system has also been introduced in the IDF in Israel. And in various videos (see article below, from minute 5:50), the system is linked to the targeted and remote-controlled killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The company is headquartered in Kibbutz Yagur, has a US subsidiary in Maryland and an office in Düsseldorf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcZJhLuZMRE
Update: This report US Special Forces are now also likely to be interested in the Smart Shooter System.
