The U.S. military has recently released images showcasing Marines from a unit bound for the Middle East, equipped with an advanced optical system designed to enhance their ability to counter small unmanned aerial systems (drones).

Photos, dated April 4, depict members of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) utilizing a smart scope optic mounted on their M4 carbines. This equipment is being employed as part of their training regimen against small drones. Approximately 2,500 Marines from this unit are currently embarked on the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, which commenced its deployment in March to support ongoing operations in the Middle East. At the time the photographs were taken, the Marines were aboard a vessel in the Pacific Ocean.

SMASH 2000L: A New Edge Against Drones

A representative from Smart Shooter Inc. confirmed to Task & Purpose that the optic visible in the photos is their SMASH 2000L advanced fire control system. Scott Thompson, vice president and general manager of U.S. operations for Smart Shooter Inc., stated, “With SMASH 2000L, dismounted Marines are equipped with an effective, combat-proven solution against the growing threat of drones and small unmanned aerial systems.”

Thompson further noted that a Pentagon task force, established in 2025 to coordinate drone defenses, awarded a contract for Smart Shooter fire control systems in March. The SMASH 2000L is engineered to track drones and other moving targets, while also compensating for the shooter’s movements, as Thompson explained in July. This fire control system performs necessary ballistic calculations and prevents the shooter from firing until the optimal moment for a successful hit. The system can also be unlocked to allow for free firing if required.

Deployment and Strategic Importance

The Marine Corps confirmed in July that it would begin fielding the SMASH 2000L later that year, prioritizing units that had either already deployed or were slated for imminent deployment. The recent images, showing Marines with the SMASH 2000L mounted on their M4s, were posted on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), a publicly accessible platform featuring military-produced media.

While the Marine Corps refrained from providing specific details about the smart scope, Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan, a spokesman for Combat Development and Integration, emphasized the focus on capabilities rather than the systems themselves. Flanagan highlighted that Marines in the 11th MEU are training with technology enabling them to detect, track, identify, and neutralize small drones while dismounted. He added, “This training will allow the Marine Corps to maintain operational superiority and safeguard Marines, maritime forces, and the Joint Force against the evolving [unmanned aerial systems] threat in diverse operating environments.”

Marine Corps officials announced last year that new technology to assist dismounted Marines in destroying and jamming small drones would soon be introduced. Lt. Gen. Eric Austin, deputy commandant for combat development and integration, remarked in April 2025 that “One of the things that is apparent to all of us is that unmanned aerial systems are a threat not just to infantry Marines, but to all Marines.”