Israeli firm develops an infantry drone that can fire machine guns and sniper rifles at targets while flying

• An Israeli company has developed an armed drone system that can fire infantry weapons while flying.
• The Smash Dragon can strike static and moving targets while hovering above.

An Israeli arms manufacturer has developed a robot weapon that can fire infantry weapons at static and moving targets while flying.

The Smash Dragon, designed by Israeli company Smart Shooter, can be mounted on different forms of unmanned aerial platforms, such as drones, and can strike targets while hovering over them.

An assault or sniper rifle can be mounted to the system and remotely triggered by an operator.

The weapon is "extremely lightweight" and uses a "unique stabilization concept," which allows it to precisely hit targets no matter how fast the drone is traveling, the company said in a press release shared with Insider.

The system has sophisticated computer vision capabilities and works during the day and the night.

The SMASH Dragon has completed successful live firing tests and is in the advanced stages of development but is not yet operational, the company said.

The system will utilize the company's Smash 2000 technology, which uses built-in targeting algorithms to track and strike targets with precision.

The technology has been used to take down Hamas drones and incendiary balloons launched from Gaza, The Jerusalem Post previously reported.

"Smart Shooter's SMASH technology offers precise elimination of threats at ground, air, and sea," Smart Shooter CEO Michal Mor said in a statement shared with Insider.

"We are now happy to offer the same precise, combat-proven target engagement technology mounted on an unmanned aerial platform that can be controlled from a distance," he said.

Mor said it was critical to keep the system lightweight as weight impacts mission endurance and cost when it comes to drones.