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| Science |
| US Army Will Start Testing Smart Grenade Launchers In 2016 |
| 2015-11-01 |
| The XM25 is a smart grenade launcher built by Orbital ATK and has been in the works for several years now. Unlike regular grenade launchers, what makes the XM25 so special is its ability to hit targets that might be standing behind a wall or who are otherwise shielded. All they have to do is point the gun, which has a range of 1,640 feet, at their target or the general location. From there, the built-in laser rangefinder in the XM25 will do the job of calculating the distance for you and will be able to determine when the grenade explodes. All the soldier has to do is pull the trigger and they're good to go. If the target is behind a wall, they just need to dial in a little bit extra distance to make up for it. According to the Lt. Colonel Chris Lehner, "No longer will our Soldiers have to expose themselves by firing and maneuvering to eliminate an enemy behind cover. Our Soldiers can remain covered/protected and use their XM25 to neutralize an enemy in his covered position. This will significantly reduce the risk of U.S. casualties and change the way we fight." Video |
| Posted by:Sven the pelter |
| #5 Kinda nifty. Too bad, at $250K a shot, we can forget training or equipping anyone other than the SOCOM Superfriends/Justice League |
| Posted by: Nguard 2015-11-01 13:38 |
| #4 Also, Raytheon is pushing a rocket that can be fired from a 40mm grenade launcher (called Pike) that's basically an itty bitty Javelin missile. |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2015-11-01 12:02 |
| #3 ..yes, the people who brought you the utopia of micro-management economic central planning will bring you the magic of micro-management of the battlefield. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2015-11-01 07:15 |
| #2 According to the Lt. Colonel Chris Lehner, "No longer will our Soldiers have to expose themselves by firing and maneuvering to eliminate an enemy behind cover. 'Fire and maneuver' no longer required now that we have the XM25 SATLINK to the Oval Office. Don't forget the battery pack and extra rounds. Simply remain in your hidey-hole and await further instructions. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-11-01 04:47 |
| #1 What they need next is a dragon fly sized drone to check what is behind the wall before destroying everything in back of it. |
| Posted by: Sven the pelter 2015-11-01 00:19 |