Military

XM25 Prototypes in testing – 500% lethality increase over existing weapon systems

XM25 Prototypes in testing – 500% lethality increase over existing weapon systems
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Air-bursting rounds
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May 27, 2005 The XM25 Advanced Airburst Weapon System is an entirely new class of weapon that takes the concept of a grenade launcher and adds some smarts, thereby increasing the probability of hit-to-kill performance by up to 500 percent over existing weapons. The advanced design allows the soldier to program the air bursting 25mm round so that it flies to the target and detonates at a precise point in the air. It does not require impact to detonate and is hence capable of defeating an enemy behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole.

Alliant Techsystems has delivered the first six prototype XM25 advanced airbursting weapon systems to the U.S. Army for field-testing. The XM25 fires a High Explosive (HE), air bursting 25mm round capable of defeating an enemy behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole. The advanced design allows the operator to program the round so that it flies to the target and detonates at a precise point in the air. It does not require impact to detonate.

The XM25 is ideal for urban combat. It puts precision firepower in the hands of the soldier, allowing them to eliminate threats without causing significant collateral damage. “The initial field tests are very promising,” said LTC Matthew Clarke, U.S. Army project manager, individual weapons. “A weapon system like the XM25 will prove invaluable to our warfighters. It will be a clear differentiator on the battlefield.”

The revolutionary fire control system for the XM25 employs an advanced laser rangefinder that transmits information to the chambered 25mm round. As the round flies downrange to the target, it precisely measures the distance travelled and detonates at exactly the right moment to deliver maximum effectiveness.

The XM25 increases the warfighter’s probability of hit-to-kill performance by up to 500 percent over existing weapons. It also extends the effective range of the soldier’s individual weapon to more than 500 meters.

Interestingly, the Heckler & Koch XM8 modular assault weapon system and the XM25 Advanced Airburst Weapon System both had their roots in the much maligned XM29 OICW yet could both turn out to be the mainstay weapons systems of the future. If testing goes to plan, the XM8 will enter production in 2008.

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11 comments
11 comments
wow2010
May lord bless us not to let such weapon into those monkey\'s hands to hurt peace keepers or innocents who wants nothing to do with wars.
RealityBites
Great! new toys for the psycho\'s. Why not try to make a weapon that doesn\'t murder civilians? or is that the plan?
badman400
Reality, we don't aim to kill civilians. When the terrorists use them for as human sheilds however, THEY are responsible for the deaths.
I want one of these to add to my collection.
Guy Macher
The whole idea that you can eliminate collateral damage is causing us more military casualties. War is about killing people and breaking things. If we think we can have wars that only hurt the bad guys, we're wrong.
Jeff Kunkler
It\'s really really hard to kill ideology with weapons... The people responsible for terrorism are ideologues beyond sense, logic, or critical thinking which means it is very difficult to reason with them. Maybe if we had \"bullets\" that would get their brains a bit of a reboot to see how damaging it is adhere so dogmatically to an ideology whether it be Islam, Judaism or Christianity...
As an engineer, I am jazzed by the tech, but it also scares me as a human being and a father about who and how this gets used...
Soksume
It looks like a kids toy.
EinSascha
Or: what\'s left of the OICW
Ted Hall
Last I heard they\'d fired nearly 60 rounds in combat... Hopefully minimizing the need for heaver weapons in an urban environment...
Being able to put the round four feet past a window or wall is a LOT more discriminating than razing half a city block to get a few \"insurgents\" holed up on a midst of a civilian housing area...
Ricky Qumar
A huge technological wonder. With increased precision, unwanted damage or civilian casualty is avoided which is very necessary, especially in modern urban warfare. This machine will prove considerably effective.
grtbluyonder
Great but maybe not so great when Musthava Jihad gets his/her hands on one.
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