SMARTSHOOTER has secured a contract to supply its SMASH 3000 fire control system for evaluation under the Australian Defence Force’s LAND 156 Phase 1, Line of Effort 2 program, which is assessing options for a dismounted interim counter-UAS (C-UAS) capability.
The contract marks the company’s first major breakthrough in the Australian market following several years of assessment and trials by Defence. The evaluation will determine whether the handheld SMASH 3000 system is suitable for integration into the ADF’s evolving counter-drone ensemble.
The SMASH 3000 is the lightest system in SMARTSHOOTER’s product line and is designed to improve accuracy against both ground and aerial threats. It combines artificial intelligence, computer vision and automated target-tracking algorithms to help soldiers detect, track and engage small drones and other moving targets. The system is intended to significantly increase hit probability while reducing the cognitive load on operators.
As delivered to the ADF, the system includes enhanced situational awareness tools and the ability to share targeting information in real time across a connected soldier network.
SMASH systems are already in service with militaries in the United States, Israel, Europe and the United Kingdom, where they are used to counter the growing threat posed by small uncrewed aerial systems. Their adoption reflects a broader global shift toward lightweight, soldier-portable C-UAS technologies as drone activity proliferates on battlefields and in grey-zone environments.
For Australia, the LAND 156 program is part of Defence’s wider effort to rapidly field counter-drone options while longer-term solutions are developed. If the SMASH 3000 system meets requirements during the evaluation period, it may be considered for broader procurement under subsequent capability phases.
SMARTSHOOTER has also indicated it intends to expand its presence in the Australian and wider Asia–Pacific market as Defence organisations across the region explore more responsive, networked counter-drone technologies.
