US military unveils 'smart gun'

[Aslan]

A US soldier prepares to fire the XM-25

A new gun the US military hopes will help take on the Taliban has been unveiled.

Called the XM-25 it has been described by the US Army as a 'game changer'.

It uses a laser guidance system and specially developed 25mm high explosive rounds which can be programmed to detonate over a target.

Richard Audette helped develop it for the US Army and says it's a big leap forward because it's the first small arms weapon to use smart technology.

Full solution

"The way a soldier operates this is basically find your target, then laze (laser) to it, which gives the range, then you get an adjusted aim point, adjust the fire and pull the trigger.

"Say you've lazed out to 543 metres... When you pull the trigger it arms the round and fires it 543 metres plus or minus one, two or three metres."

The XM-25 is already being used by US soldiers in Afghanistan
It means the weapon can be used to target insurgents hiding behind walls or in ditches without the need to call in air strikes.

"That makes it a full solution fire control weapon".

It's already been issued to soldiers in the US military serving in Afghanistan and could be used by British special forces too.

In a statement the MOD wouldn't comment on the new gun but said it is committed to provide front line troops in Afghanistan with the best possible equipment.

In addition it said it is always interested in evaluating emerging technology.

BBC - Newsbeat - US military unveils 'smart gun'

 

[rohailmalhi]

Lets see wht it can do in Afghanistan .Ameriacan have already tried every damn thing against these taliban gurillas butthey are pretty much unsucessful although they are damn sucessful in killing civilians with precision strikes........

 

[cybertron]

@rohilmahli
r u actualy buying their point that they r unveiling this to show that they would finish out taliban.
dear its advertising strategy.
after taliban is out they would find sum1 else.
would the gun get the same publicity if they used it just in their army training grounds.
BIG NO
unfortunatly afg people also are also among the taget practices in this case.
americans can continue earning big bucks with their guns.congrats

 

[FullMetalJacket]

@rohilmahli
r u actualy buying their point that they r unveiling this to show that they would finish out taliban.
dear its advertising strategy.
after taliban is out they would find sum1 else.
would the gun get the same publicity if they used it just in their army training grounds.
BIG NO
unfortunatly afg people also are also among the taget practices in this case.
americans can continue earning big bucks with their guns.congrats

Finish off the Taliban you say? For every 5 or so Taliban killed, another 5 is joined or has arrived in Afghanistan. Fighting the Taliban is like fighting half of Afghanistan.

 

[Malik Usman]

I already posted this under my thread:

Smart Weapons :: Programmable rounds can target behind walls

 

[Safriz]

Lets see wht it can do in Afghanistan .Ameriacan have already tried every damn thing against these taliban gurillas butthey are pretty much unsucessful although they are damn sucessful in killing civilians with precision strikes........

Smart weapons need smart soldiers thats the problem.

 

[humza_313]

@rohilmahli
r u actualy buying their point that they r unveiling this to show that they would finish out taliban.
dear its advertising strategy.
after taliban is out they would find sum1 else.
would the gun get the same publicity if they used it just in their army training grounds.
BIG NO
unfortunatly afg people also are also among the taget practices in this case.
americans can continue earning big bucks with their guns.congrats

yes i agree.>! but the main purpose of this weapon is not to wipe out taliban..! that isny posssible..! they are gonna make money by selling this weapon to different countries..!

if anyone of u had a chance to play hitman 2 ..! the chinese guys have a gun that resembles this one..!

 

[humza_313]

Smart weapons need smart soldiers thats the problem.

and smart fighter aircraft need smart pilots..! u know what i mean .>! buhahahahahahaha

 

[humza_313]

I already posted this under my thread:

Smart Weapons :: Programmable rounds can target behind walls

but they cant target inside caves..! thats where most of thier taliban friends are camping..! if this would have been possible..! russian wouldnt have wasted 10 years getting thier hineys kicked ..!n:

 

[XYON]

This XM-25 weapon system was long time coming in the US arsenal but it has some serious drawbacks.

a. Its too cumbersome & relatively heavy to carry and use by a grunt in the field along with its ammunition which is almost the size of a 40mm grenade!!

b. It only works for shelters that are exposed from a side (like a broken wall, behind a large rock, behind a tree, a road-side ridge etc). It will not work if the shooter is perched inside a building or a built-up shelter.

c. The rifle requires practice in precision shooting by the soldier something similar to that of a sniper. One has to first select & aim at the right spot and then shoot. This requires good a minute or two to get done in day and night using either day scope or TI. Generally in a field fire-fight, the soldiers do not have that much of the time in hand to return rapid fire using M-16 variants.

However, let us see the claimed effectiveness of this weapon system in the field trials in Afghanistan. However I have serious doubts that it will replace the user-friendly 5.56 or 7.62 rifle system currently used by millions of soldiers!

 

[Icarus]

When will these guys realize, this particular war will not be won through smart weapons. Quite the contrary, you'll have to "Go Primitive", the only way to win this war is by putting your men into the line of fire, They will have to look their enemy in the eye and realize that if they don't kill him, he sure as hell will. Man to man....................

 

[Thomas]

but they cant target inside caves..! thats where most of thier taliban friends are camping..! if this would have been possible..! russian wouldnt have wasted 10 years getting thier hineys kicked ..!n:

actually we can and have in Afghanistan. It's called a Blu-118/B Thermobaric weapon. Which is why rarely does the Taliban fight from caves anymore.

BLU-118/B Thermobaric Weapon Demonstration / Hard Target Defeat Program

 

[XYON]

actually we can and have in Afghanistan. It's called a Blu-118/B Thermobaric weapon. Which is why rarely does the Taliban fight from caves anymore.

BLU-118/B Thermobaric Weapon Demonstration / Hard Target Defeat Program

DAMN!!!!

It must be a might LARGE rifle for the soldier to carry to house this bullet!!!!

Seriously speaking! thermobaric shoulder-fired grenade launchers are far more effective inside caves then this air-dropped monster!!

 

[Thomas]

DAMN!!!!

It must be a might LARGE rifle for the soldier to carry to house this bullet!!!!

Seriously speaking! thermobaric shoulder-fired grenade launchers are far more effective inside caves then this air-dropped monster!!

Yes indeed!!!

1 bomb can take out a pretty large cave complex in 1 shot without risking troops.

 

[Icarus]

Yes indeed!!!

1 bomb can take out a pretty large cave complex in 1 shot without risking troops.

Are these weapons(thermobaric) being used in Afghanistan and how effective have they proved to be in cave warfare ? Don't you believe that the use of flame throwers and Napalm will prove effective against these tunnels like against the japs on Iwo Jima ? I'd really appreciate your take on this......
P.S: Would you mind telling me your unit and rank ? I have pretty good friends in the 101st, I even have the regimental pocket knife !