Smart Anti-Drone Targeting: A Smart Solution or a Waste of Money
The information field literally exploded at the end of spring the news about the SMASH 2000L (3000) sight. This is due to several news items about the purchase of these sights and, most importantly, a video from Lebanon where a lone IDF fighter shoots down a flying missile thanks to the SMASH sight. DroneLet's try to figure out what this miracle is and what all the fuss is about.
First of all, I would like to understand what the SMASH 2000L (3000) sight is?
SMASH 2000L (3000) is the latest iteration of sights that already have some historyThe history of the SMASH series of sights for the general public began in 2018. It was then announced that Israeli developer Smart Shooter Ltd. was working on a series of "smart" sights. Yes, SMASH is an entire line of sights, each with slightly different functionality, but all sharing common features. Essentially, it's a computerized ballistic computer, like that found on a large combat vehicle, only each soldier has one. weapons.
The manufacturer offers sights for a wide range of weapons.
All sights share common functionality: target tracking, a ballistic computer, and fire control (the sight blocks the trigger if the weapon isn't aimed at the target). Further variations follow. The sight can be night-vision, act as a "gun camera" to record hits, automatically detect targets based on movement, and so on. One option is the ability to engage small UAVs. While the sight wasn't originally designed specifically for these tasks, one model eventually acquired this functionality.
In 2019, a batch of sights was purchased by the US Army, and in 2020 they were delivered to units stationed in Syria for military testing (where, according to Hillary Clinton, they were never deployed, but that's a whole other story).
SMASH series sights for various weapon systems at the exhibition
And so, in 2020, the public got its first glimpse of how the SMASH series sights actually work against aerial targets. Photos from a US Army shooting range in Syria leaked to the press, where, among other things, SMASH sights were being tested mounted on M4 carbines. And what did the footage show? A small quadcopter drone (like the Mavic) lifted a cardboard target cube into the air, and the target was fired at this cube, which was either floating in the air or moving within the kill zone of the shooting range. That's all.
Perhaps this looked impressive in 2020. But it's important to understand that back then, swarms of drones weren't literally hovering over the battlefield, posing a deadly threat. Essentially, there were two types of drones on the battlefield: large, fixed-wing aircraft-type drones, which could be used for reconnaissance or attack, and small quadcopter drones, which, back in 2020, performed almost exclusively reconnaissance functions. In other words, the small drones didn't pose a direct threat, appeared less frequently over the battlefield, and more often simply hovered in the air. SMASH was designed to engage this type of target.
SMASH sights are produced in fairly large batches. This photo illustrated the news about the Indian Navy's purchase of a batch of sights.
What about now?
Almost all information about the sight comes from representatives of the developer, Smart Shooter Ltd., or from representatives of the Israel Defense Forces, which is also actively purchasing the sights. All other information is simply a rehash of what the first two have already said, or is pure speculation.
The manufacturer itself claims that drones can be fired at at ranges of up to 250 meters, including "very small" drones skimming at high speed. So, it seems the manufacturer isn't promising that you'll be able to shoot down FPV drones flying toward you... But when it comes to modern combat and small drones, they pose the primary threat to both individual combatants and aircraft. Yes, classic quadcopters, including those with drop capabilities, are still around, but they've faded into the background.
A photo from 2025 depicting US Marines practicing with M-series carbines equipped with SMASH sights. The targets are clearly visible as balls attached to a rope lifted into the air by a drone.
The IDF, as usual, defeated everyone and achieved success after success. It's been openly stated that SMASH helped achieve incredible results in the fight against drones in both Gaza and Lebanon. Judging by footage leaked by Hamas fighters through Egypt, quadcopters with airdrops were used in Gaza. We know for sure that Hezbollah is using drones in Lebanon. However, what kind of success is being discussed is unclear. Fighting is still ongoing in both Gaza and Lebanon. Hezbollah's frequency of drone use clearly pales in comparison to what's happening in the NWO zone. In Gaza, these are likely isolated incidents. To be honest, the footage of the drone downing in Lebanon barely shows the drone itself or the downing itself. Meanwhile, there are successful shots and the destruction of all enemy UAVs... And the footage is single and unclear.
A photo from a U.S. Army firing range in Germany in February 2026. A soldier with an M4 carbine equipped with a SMASH sight is clearly visible, with the cables leading to the weapon's trigger system.
Meanwhile, earlier this year, more footage emerged from the US Army, this time from Germany. US Army soldiers were again practicing firing at aerial targets using M4 carbines equipped with SMASH sights. What did we see this time? A quadcopter lifted several targets into the air on a rope attached to the ground, and the soldiers fired at these targets, swaying in the wind. For 2026, that looks pretty bleak.
And here are the targets at a shooting range in Germany. Again, the drone lifted a rope, the other end of which is attached to a weight on the ground and to the target's rope.
Meanwhile, news of someone purchasing a batch of SMASH series sights began pouring in. The Belgian military signed a contract, and the Australian Army will purchase sights worth half a million US dollars for testing. The British and German militaries took notice of the system as early as 2023.
Western militaries are understandable. At some point, they discovered that they weren't just lagging behind in the drone arms race, but simply lacked certain types of weapons and were completely incapable of countering them. This was, in part, hysterical. The Western press was full of headlines about how their militaries, for example, lacked fiber-optic drones and had no idea how to counter them. Under such circumstances, it was perfectly logical to turn their attention to a development that had long been in existence, and, what's more, had even been combat-tested.
SMASH sight in the British Army, this time the X4 model
On the other hand, it's clear that the SMASH sight isn't a panacea for small drones per se. In fact, it was designed to combat a single type of drone under very specific conditions. Any reports from the Israeli military can likely be divided by 10, while the Americans, who may have already used this sight against drones, are still silent about any actual combat successes. Based on the manufacturer's claims and footage from firing ranges and IDF reports, SMASH significantly increases a soldier's chances of hitting a small drone hovering or moving near them at ranges of up to 250 meters. However, it's unclear at what speed the sight can detect drones moving. It's more likely that it will be able to help shoot down an FPV that hasn't yet acquired its target, or, for example, when firing at a larger hexocopter drone (like the Baba Yaga).
It's unknown how many SMASH sights are in Israeli units in Lebanon, but it's clear they're either woefully insufficient or not as effective as the manufacturer claims. Still from a Hezbollah drone's FPV video. These Israeli soldiers either didn't have the smart sight, or it was useless against the "kamikaze drone."
But all these tasks are quite solvable with concentrated fire from a unit, even a small one—not even a squad, but a fire team. The extent to which a computerized sight can realistically solve such a problem remains an open question. There are plenty of images online of soldiers destroying hovering UAVs using weapons with traditional optics, and shooting down flying FPV drones with concentrated fire from conventional machine guns. Experience and perseverance are key here. But it's precisely this lack of experience that a ballistic computer sight can perhaps compensate for. Moreover, its advantages are obvious. There's no need to carry a specialized counter-drone secondary or even have a dedicated drone-destroyer in the unit. The sight is essentially universal, and if there are no drones overhead, it can help engage other targets.
The US Army clearly isn't relying on just one system to combat drones. Pictured is a soldier from the 1st Cavalry Division during a live-fire exercise in June 2026. He's carrying a classic, clearly well-worn pump-action shotgun.
The SMASH series of sights continues to be constantly improved. Many Western militaries are still only just considering them. Apparently, the performance-to-cost ratio isn't to everyone's liking. But perhaps the Israeli developers have predicted a future when every soldier on the battlefield, using specialized countermeasures, will periodically have to assume the role of drone-buster. At least for now, the trend is toward an ever-increasing number of drones over the battlefield, and literally everyone will have to fight them.
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