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U.S. Army Testing New Small Arm
By kris osborn
Published: 7 Apr 2009 14:14
The US Army is test-firing a first-of-its-kind semiautomatic rifle that can detonate its 25mm airbursting rounds on, above or near a target at a specific distance. Made by Alliant Techsystems and L-3 Communications, the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, slated to enter service by 2012, is being test-fired at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The rifle incorporates day and night sights and a laser rangefinder, Tamilio said. "This allows a soldier to go beyond the ranges of what they can get today."
The XM25 can hit targets up to 750 meters away, more than twice as far as most grenade launchers and even a bit farther than many rifles and machine guns.
It also allows troops to hit targets hiding behind defenses, such as walls or in a ditch.
To fire an airbursting round, the soldier paints the target - or the wall or berm in front of the target - with the laser rangefinder. That range is then programmed into the round, which detonates after rotating the prescribed number of times.
"When you pull the trigger, it sets the round to go off," said Richard Audette, deputy program manager for soldier weapons, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.
Tamilio said this would help in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Right now, if a squad is getting shot at from 300 to 400 meters away, all they can do is fire rifles and their M249 SAW," Tamilio said. "In Iraq, we have had cases where soldiers have been pinned down by sniper fire from the top of a roof, and the only thing they were able to take the sniper out with was with a JDAM [Joint Direct Attack Munition] bomb.
"You are talking about thousands of dollars for that bomb," Tamilio said. "We are talking about doing the same thing with a $25 round. This has huge applications in Afghanistan, where you have a lot of rocks and things people [enemies] can get behind."
By kris osborn
Published: 7 Apr 2009 14:14
The US Army is test-firing a first-of-its-kind semiautomatic rifle that can detonate its 25mm airbursting rounds on, above or near a target at a specific distance. Made by Alliant Techsystems and L-3 Communications, the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, slated to enter service by 2012, is being test-fired at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The rifle incorporates day and night sights and a laser rangefinder, Tamilio said. "This allows a soldier to go beyond the ranges of what they can get today."
The XM25 can hit targets up to 750 meters away, more than twice as far as most grenade launchers and even a bit farther than many rifles and machine guns.
It also allows troops to hit targets hiding behind defenses, such as walls or in a ditch.
To fire an airbursting round, the soldier paints the target - or the wall or berm in front of the target - with the laser rangefinder. That range is then programmed into the round, which detonates after rotating the prescribed number of times.
"When you pull the trigger, it sets the round to go off," said Richard Audette, deputy program manager for soldier weapons, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.
Tamilio said this would help in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Right now, if a squad is getting shot at from 300 to 400 meters away, all they can do is fire rifles and their M249 SAW," Tamilio said. "In Iraq, we have had cases where soldiers have been pinned down by sniper fire from the top of a roof, and the only thing they were able to take the sniper out with was with a JDAM [Joint Direct Attack Munition] bomb.
"You are talking about thousands of dollars for that bomb," Tamilio said. "We are talking about doing the same thing with a $25 round. This has huge applications in Afghanistan, where you have a lot of rocks and things people [enemies] can get behind."
