Share and Follow
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The U.S. Army is giving its soldiers a high-tech edge in the fight against drones, and it’s called SMASH.
During a live-fire training exercise on June 6 in Germany, a soldier with the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment used the SMASH 2000L smart scope mounted on an M4A1 rifle to target drones in the sky.
The demo was part of Project Flytrap, a multinational training event.
A U.S. Soldier assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment peers through the scope of a Smartshooter SMASH 2000L attached to an M4A1 carbine rifle during Project Flytrap at Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, June 6, 2025. The Smartshooter attachment provides the weapon operator with unmanned aerial system lock-on functionalities that fire automatically at its targets. (This photo has been blurred for operational security purposes) (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Magaña)
The smart scope weighs about 2.5 pounds and fits onto standard-issue rifles. It has already been used by NATO partners and tested in combat zones.
In the ongoing Ukraine war, both sides use less expensive drones to drop explosives or spy on troops. In Israel, terrorists have flown quadcopters into military positions. These small drones are fast, quiet, and deadly.
A U.S. Soldier assigned to 3rd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment peers through the scope of a Smartshooter SMASH 2000L attached to an M4A1 carbine rifle during Project Flytrap at Joint Multinational Readiness Center, Hohenfels Training Area, Hohenfels, Germany, June 6, 2025. The Smartshooter attachment provides the weapon operator with unmanned aerial system lock-on functionalities that fire automatically at its targets. (This photo has been blurred for operational security purposes) (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elijah Magaña)
Until now, stopping drones often meant using big, complex systems but SMASH changes that. With SMASH, a single soldier can knock a drone out of the sky without needing backup.
