New Video Showcases Army's Grenade Launcher
A new video (above) showcasing the Army's XM25 airburst grenade launcher shows that while the weapon looks like something out of a sci-fi movie; it is far from a prop. The video is a promotional film for the weapon, which is being billed as a 'game-changer' as it enables soldiers to incapacitate an enemy under cover without having to expose themselves to danger.
The weapon, officially known as the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, is a grenade launcher that enables the user to fire a high explosive airburst (HEAB) round that can be programmed to detonate at precise distances past any form of cover and next to the enemy.
Previously, if an enemy was under some sort of cover, whether hiding behind or beneath something, a soldier would have to put himself at risk in order to maneuver in a way which would enable them to eliminate a hiding enemy . With the XM25, the soldier can set the explosion distance before firing the 'smart rounds', which have embedded microchips that are accurate up to 500 meters (1,640 feet), enabling them to stay out of harm's way. The rounds themselves explode behind or above the enemy, and spread shrapnel in a 360 degree radius.
According to the Army's Program Executive Office (PEO Soldier), the weapon "causes less collateral damage than mortars, artillery or airstrikes." Which they argue makes the weapon valuable in places such as "Afghanistan where protecting the lives and property of the civilian population is critical while defeating the insurgency."
The weapons arrived in Afghanistan in November and are still in an assessment period. As for the effect on us at home, "PEO Soldier just awarded XM25 prime contractor Alliant Techsystems (ATK) with a brand new $65.8 million contract for continued development and testing," according to a report from Defense Review.
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