The Defene Visual Information Distribution Service website, which aims to provide media organizations with an accurate and reliable access to US commanders and soldiers deployed to support military operations around the world, has published photos of soldiers testing an interesting sight.
The electro-optics mounted on standard M4A1 carbines are "smart" Smart Shooter SMASH 2000 sights made by Israeli.
Soldiers from the Special Operations Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (SOJTF-OIR) were photographed during shooting tests firing at drones carrying wooden boxes. As statistics show, explosives carried by drones are a threat often encountered by American soldiers fighting in Syria and Iraq.
The SMASH 2000 system consists of an optical sight system that is attached to the top of a weapon using a standard Picatinny rail, together with a special pistol grip and a push button that is attached to the weapons handguard. The shooter is aiming in the same way as with a regular holographic or collimator sight.
However, in the case of the SMASH 2000, when the reticle crosses the target, the soldier can press the button mentioned above to "lock" the target's reticle. The software control system calculates the optimal aiming point using a camera and a laser rangefinder, even if the target is moving. The system also takes into account the shooter's movements, which can be done involuntarily due to stress or fatigue.
Then the shooter can shoot at the target by manually pointing the sight to the aiming point displayed by the SMASH 2000. The operator can switch to the "locked" mode, in which the system will be active only when it detects that the weapon is pointing in the right place, which will significantly reduce risk of accidental firing at bystanders, while significantly increasing the likelihood of hitting with the first bullet.
The SMASH 2000 can also record video from the camera or take photos for later analysis. The material can then be used for training purposes, helping soldiers improve their shooting skills.
It is worth mentioning that the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) was interested in general advanced optics and small arms fire control systems to improve the efficiency of its operators in the field. The USSOCOM's interest in advanced aiming systems, especially sniper rifles, dates back to at least the 1990s. In the years 2008–2015, the DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) also experimented with a guided caliber .50 bullet as part of the EXACTO (Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance) program.
Sources: thedrive.com,dvidshub.net
