US army tests new electronic rifle scope in Syria for the first time, which won’t let soldiers fire until the system can guarantee the shot will hit its target
- US soldiers in Syria are testing an electric scope with a Linux targeting system
- They’ll first mark a target through the scope by pressing a button on the grip
- If their aim is off, the system won’t let them shoot even if the trigger is pressed in
- The scopes have previously been used by the IDF but this marks the first testing by US troops in Syria
US soldiers deployed in Syria are testing a new electronic rifle scope that won’t allow a shot to be fired until an onboard targeting system can guarantee it will hit its target.
Called SMASH 2000, the scopes use a Linux-based imaging system to calculate the most accurate bullet trajectory to a specific target, which soldiers first ‘mark’ by aiming the scope and pressing a small button near the rifle grip.
When the soldier is ready to fire, the system determines if their aim is true, and if the soldier’s aim is off, the system won’t allow the gun to fire even if the trigger is pulled.
US troops in Syria are testing a new scope, called SMASH 2000, that won’t allow soldier’s to fire unless the targeting system believes the shot will hit its target
In field testing at the US Army’s al-Tanf base in Syria, near the country’s southeastern borders with Jordan and Iraq, soldiers have used the SMASH 2000 scope to target small drone-mounted boxes as they move across the sky.
The scopes have previously been used in the field by the Israel Defense Force, but according to manufacturer Smart Shooter Ltd., this marks the first time they’ve been used in Syria.
‘The US Special Forces bought the system to use in real combat situations,’ Smart Shooter’s Dr. Abraham Mazor told The Jerusalem Post.
Mazor declined to say what specific types of military operations the technology were being considered for by the US Army, but promotional images release by the Army emphasized the scopes usefulness as counter-drone measure.
According to Smart Shooter, the scopes come with a built-in ‘Drone Mode,’ designed to track small, high-speed targets accurately at a distance of up to 400 feet.
The scope was designed by the Israeli company Smart Shooter Ltd., which has previously seen similar targeting systems used by soldiers in the Israel Defense Force
Soldiers first mark a target through the scope by aiming at it and marking it in the system by pressing a small button on the rifle grip. Soldiers then have to keep the crosshairs on the marked target in order for the system to allow a shot to be fired
In addition to targeting and trajectory calculations, the scopes can also be used as simple surveillance devices, allowing the gun handler to create video recordings as if it were a camera.
The al-Tanf base was first established in 2016 and has been used primarily to train local Syrian groups for combat against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known as ISIL or ‘Daesh’ in Arabic.
‘Coalition and partner forces regularly train on various weapon systems in a joint effort to help set conditions for the enduring defeat of Daesh in Syria,’ a caption of an image from the testing released by the Army explained.
The SMASH 2000 scope comes with a ‘Drone Mode,’ that helps it track small, fast moving aerial targets at distances of up to 400 feet
The US Army testing of the SMASH 2000 scope marks the first time the technology has been tested in Syria, at the al-Tanf base where the US military trains local soldiers to fight against ISIL
The Army initially purchased 98 scopes from Smart Shooter in 2019 and put them through preliminary testing in California, before moving on to testing in Syria
US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) initially purchased 98 scopes from Smart Shooter in March 2019, and put them through preliminary testing at Beale Air Force Base near Yuba, California in August of 2019.
Smart Shooter believes its technology could turn into a major business initiative.
The company has partnered with German firearms manufacturer Sig Sauer to market the scopes in a range of machine gun and assault rifle configurations, which it’s currently marketing to other military and law enforcement organizations.