Posted on 05/27/2009 10:37:30 AM PDT by Reaganesque
May 27, 2009 The XM25 Individual Air Burst Weapon is looking likely to be the shoulder-fired weapon of choice for the US military to kill or neutralize hidden targets. Due for field test this summer, the lightweight XM-25 "smart weapon" uses High Explosive Air-Burst (HEAB) munitions that can be programmed to detonate at a precise point in the air without the need to impact, spelling trouble for elusive targets, be they behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole.
Developed jointly by the German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch and the US company Alliant Techsystems (ATK Corporation), the XM-25 is a semi-automatic, shoulder-fired weapon with a five-round magazine and weighs in at around 14 pounds (6.3kg) – about the same weight as an M-16 with a 203 grenade launcher. The weapon's XM116 integral fire system provides the weapon with its precision and is capable of controlling individually each of the 25mm rounds in real time. Based on a thermal optic, day-sight, laser range finder, compass and infrared light, the system can precisely measure the distance to the target and program each round to explode close to the mark via the wireless connection. Capable of hitting a point target at 500 meters and area targets at 700 meters with a range of munitions including HEAB, anti-personnel, two types of non-lethal munitions – blunt and agent dispersing airburst - plus armor piercing, and door breaching munitions, this is one very nasty piece of ordinance and a must have on any soldiers list.
In a nutshell, it operates with the soldier sighting the target and the advanced laser rangefinder transmitting range information to the chambered 25mm round. The soldier then essentially points and fires. After the round leaves the chamber and moves towards its target, the system precisely measures the distance traveled and detonates it at exactly the right moment to deliver maximum effectiveness. ATK says that the XM25 increases the warfighter’s probability of hit-to-kill performance by up to 500 percent over existing weapons and extends the effective range of the soldier’s individual weapon to more than 500 meters.
Another high-tech weapon recently field tested by the military is the Lightweight .50 Caliber Machine Gun (LW50MG). Unlike the XM25, which doesn’t offer a weight advantage, the LW50MG weights in at 64 pounds (29kg) complete with tripod, i.e., half the weight of the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun. With 60% less recoil than the M-2, the LW50MG will also offer greater accuracy and speed than the veteran M-2.
For more information visit ATK and Heckler and Koch
Another high-tech weapon recently field tested by the military is the Lightweight .50 Caliber Machine Gun (LW50MG). Unlike the XM25, which doesn’t offer a weight advantage, the LW50MG weights in at 64 pounds (29kg) complete with tripod, i.e., half the weight of the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun. With 60% less recoil than the M-2, the LW50MG will also offer greater accuracy and speed than the veteran M-2.
You are absolutely correct!
I used to purposely set up to the left of Eaker so as to rain hot brass from my SKS on him. It was great fun!
The same thing happened to me about 3 months ago. Guys trying out their new AKs and the 7.62X39 brass flying about 5 shooting stations and landing on me! Quite an ejection system the AK has.
Does it come with those pants?
IMO, It would be better to have these mounted on vehicles such as the Bradly or the Striker, seeing as how they need batteries etc and may prove to be fragile in use. However it is a great concept and one per squad would be devastating fire power.
Sounds like an urban legend to me. I would bet these rounds have a safety device that stops them from detonating within a specified range, something out of the blast area like 10-15 meters. Our torpedoes have such a device why not a round like this? Some fool is bound to program 1 meter, or even 1 foot, into this thing. I bet the weapon won't even fire with that programmed into it.
We at FR, have had the M-16 vs. .308 argument till the cows come home. The .223 argument was that the round was lighter, so you could carry more, Smaller, so it costs less, and was fast and accurate. Always the last comment would be, “Well, I know you are but what am I” and “Look what they ended up choosing”. Now, I’m supposed to believe we need a gun that holds 5 rounds and the ammo is made of gold with platinum pinstripes? Nothing wrong with experimenting, but when it comes to war, cheap and plentiful usually wins.
Seems to me that the simpler the projectile electronics are, the more reliable it would become.
Yeah... the military will spend billions of dollars on the “new high tech weapon of the future” but when it comes to training with that weapon... the soldiers get screwed. This last month we had soldiers leave Ft. McCoy (for Iraq) who had just barely qualified (after 5-6 attempts). Why? No class on their assigned weapon. Commanders are signing off that their unit is trained when they are not. If you are in a position that you could do something about the atrocity... Freep mail me. The chain of command has failed.
- A Senior Weapons Instructor.
But in the movies they all look like they weigh 4 ounces.....
This may sound like a stupid question, but the why the hell is an American Company partnering with a GERMAN firm to manufacture weapons for the AMERICAN military???
Winchester isn’t interested? There are no manufacturers in the U.S. who can produce it??
I smell somebody’s buddy getting a kickback or contract here.
Suppose we get involved in a major war and the supply of weapons from Germany is cut off?
I find many of the most interesting bits of history are reported once, then forgotten (sometimes deliberately).
Forget sudo, just give me root access and get out of my way.
I'm stretching here but...this probably won't be the gold standard of Infantry fielded precision guided weapon systems, it is a ‘bridging’ weapon system. Paradigms should always be shifting to cutting edge strategies, tactics and equipment. To do otherwise is to be caught off guard with the next Blitzkrieg tactic or panther tank. Sometimes ya get bit and the idea doesn't work so bad that ya hafta throw the whole thing away. Sometimes it works enough that you spend money refining it. Rarely is it a smash hit right from introduction...IMHO.
“I want to see one on a striker combined with image recognition and belt feed. Something that could put one through everyone window in a building in a couple seconds. *tump*tump*tump*tump* Brababoom! Building clear.”
THAT would be titties!!! :D As long as the goberment don’t use it on civies. :O
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