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US Marines Integrate Moving Stock Aiming System to Enhance Rifle Accuracy Against Drones.
The U.S. Marines are exploring an automated targeting system for standard infantry rifles, aimed at improving every soldier’s capacity to defend against the rising threat of drones on the battlefield. The ZeroMark Fire Control System (FCS) innovation incorporates an automatic adjustment mechanism to fine-tune the aiming point, optimizing precision against unmanned aerial threats. Currently undergoing tests with the 3rd Marine Division in Hawaii, this equipment marks a significant advancement for accurately targeting moving threats, which are often challenging to counter through traditional methods.
U.S. Marine fires a ZeroMark Fire Control System attached to an M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle during a live-fire demonstration on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Oct. 23, 2024 (Picture source: US DoD)
Developed by New York-based startup ZeroMark, founded in 2022, the ZeroMark FCS has received investment from prominent backers, including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Ground Up Ventures, and benefits from $7 million in funding for research and development. The system relies on sophisticated machine vision technology, with electro-optical cameras and LiDAR sensors to detect and track targets in real time.
The system’s distinct feature lies in its motorized buttstock, which adjusts the rifle’s angle to optimize shooting accuracy, allowing the shooter to target drones more effectively. Unlike existing assisted-aiming systems like the SMASH 2000 series from Israeli firm Smart Shooter, ZeroMark’s FCS uses advanced vision algorithms to steer the weapon’s barrel, even making slight angular adjustments to maximize shot alignment.
ZeroMark’s technology, described as a “fire control system,” includes a small computer and motorized stock. CEO Joel Anderson explains that this motorized stock creates a virtual pivot between the shoulder and rifle, allowing small degree adjustments to refine shot trajectory and compensate for both drone and shooter movement, as well as variations caused by noise or torque.
Installation on any rifle takes just 30 seconds, potentially making drone defense a manageable task for the average soldier. Anderson states that the system “makes hitting a small drone at 200 yards as easy as hitting an 18-meter-diameter circle,” making such skills accessible to a broader range of soldiers.
A former U.S. Navy member and the first security director of MongoDB, Anderson says he drew inspiration for ZeroMark after driving a Tesla with autopilot and wondering why similar technology wasn’t available to soldiers. Seeing a growing need for anti-drone solutions, he presented the prototype to a16z partners, who encouraged him to launch the startup in 2022.
ZeroMark’s development is focused solely on countering offensive drones. While acknowledging that the concept of a weapon “that never misses” may be controversial, Anderson clarifies that the company avoids marketing its systems to law enforcement, stating: “I don’t believe the world is ready for that, nor am I. I don’t want to see AI-enabled weapons in police hands.” To mitigate potential misuse, the company has incorporated remote management, license-based activation, and fleet management features to ensure responsible use.
FCS units are already in use by private security firms to protect assets like boats against potential drone threats related to piracy. ZeroMark is in talks to send its devices to Ukraine and is engaging in discussions with the U.S. Department of Defense for testing and evaluation that could lead to larger orders.
Beyond self-targeting capabilities, Anderson envisions ZeroMark software being applied in other contexts, such as cameras capable of identifying drone types, origin, or payload. In the long term, he envisions integrating the system into head-up displays or auditory interfaces to deliver real-time critical information to soldiers.
Anderson sums up his vision: “Large systems like aircraft carriers don’t win wars. They help project power but don’t capture Husseins, don’t kill Bin Ladens, don’t bring hostages home; soldiers do... and I want them to be as untouchable as an F-22 in the sky.”