Israeli defense company Smart Shooter wins U.S. counter-drone contract worth up to $150 million
The company's rifle-mounted SMASH system is being procured for U.S. force protection and base defense.
Israeli defense technology company Smart Shooter has been awarded a three-year U.S. government contract with a ceiling of up to $150 million for its SMASH counter-drone fire control systems, expanding the company's role in an American military effort to defend troops and installations against increasingly widespread drone threats.
The single-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, announced by the U.S. Department of War on September 29, gives Smart Shooter a framework under which future orders can be placed over the next 36 months. The $150 million figure is a maximum ordering ceiling rather than a guaranteed purchase.
Smart Shooter will be the sole supplier under the agreement for the SMASH systems, training and related services covered by the contract. The scope includes hardware, software and updates, training and support, with the quantity and timing of deliveries to be determined through individual orders.
The contract was awarded by the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, which coordinates counter-drone efforts across the U.S. military and federal agencies. It supports the task force's Domestic Shield program, which is focused on countering drone threats in the United States, as well as associated missions overseas.
The award is significant because it puts a rifle-mounted system at the center of a U.S. effort to address a threat that has become increasingly difficult to contain with traditional air-defense systems. Rather than relying solely on larger and more expensive interceptors, SMASH is designed to give individual soldiers the ability to engage small drones using their standard service weapons.
The system uses artificial intelligence, computer vision and target-tracking algorithms to track an aerial target, calculate a firing solution and synchronize the release of a shot when the weapon is aligned with the target. The soldier remains responsible for deciding whether to engage.
The system can also connect to external sensors and battle-management systems, allowing it to form part of a broader counter-UAS network rather than operating solely as a standalone sight.
The contract follows an earlier agreement between Smart Shooter and JIATF-401 announced in March, as well as a series of contracts with different branches of the U.S. military over the past year.
Smart Shooter secured a $10.7 million U.S. Army contract in May for SMASH 3000SA systems, following a $3.4 million Marine Corps contract in June and a $1.8 million Navy contract. The company signed binding contracts worth approximately $43 million during the first half of 2026, with the U.S. accounting for 55% of those new orders. Its total backlog reached $51.6 million at the end of the second quarter.
The latest contract therefore comes as the U.S. has already become an increasingly important market for Smart Shooter. Thousands of its systems are deployed across U.S. military services, according to the company.
Smart Shooter, based in Kibbutz Yagur, was founded in 2011 by former Rafael executives Michal Mor and Avshalom Ehrlich. The company develops fire control systems for firearms and robotic platforms.
