Israel’s Smartshooter looks to Australia’s unmanned future with new subsidiary
Smartshooter, an Israeli company specializing in countering small unmanned aerial system (UAS) threats and fire control systems, has established a new Australian subsidiary called Smash Australia. The subsidiary, led by Lachlan Mercer, will enable Smartshooter to have a local footprint in Australia, emphasizing its commitment to supporting the Australian, New Zealand, and Oceania military forces. Smartshooter's technology, including the Smash Hopper remote-controlled weapon station, has garnered interest from the Australian Army and its special operations command, aligning with Australia's increasing focus on deploying unmanned systems in military operations. The subsidiary aims to contribute to Australia's Sovereign Industry Content (SIC) by potentially producing counter-drone capabilities locally in the event of conflicts. Smartshooter is leveraging its innovative fire control systems and counter-UAS solutions to pursue contracts in the Australian defense industry, with a focus on unmanned ground vehicles and electronic disruptors for counter-UAS applications.