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| Afghanistan |
| Army Sending New Airburst Gun to 101st |
| 2010-10-16 |
| The Army is set to field the first prototype of a new weapon that could deny the protection of buildings and canals to an enemy in Afghanistan that frequently uses the cover of local villages to fire on American troops. The XM-25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System is a new shoulder-fired gun that shoots a fist-sized round packed with an explosive warhead that detonates over the heads of enemy forces at pre-determined ranges. Call it a cross between an M203 grenade launcher and a 60mm mortar. Though the weapon was originally set to go to an Army Special Forces detachment in Afghanistan this summer, senior Army officials received an urgent request from a battalion with the 101st Airborne in Afghanistan for a more effective weapon to beat back their wily Taliban foe. As a result, the Army's top gear buyer, Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, orchestrated the moves to get the Screaming Eagles the XM-25 first. Army officials would not disclose which specific 101st battalion would receive the XM-25, citing security concerns. "The field wanted that capability and the leadership supports us providing that capability," Fuller said during an Oct. 14 media roundtable at the Pentagon. "They actually wanted a large number [of XM-25s] and we just can't build them that fast." The Army agreed to set aside $10 million to purchase 36 of the airburst weapons. PEO Soldier Weapons has five XM-25s on hand and will send those, along with two civilians who will help maintain the weapons and teach Soldiers how to operate the gun. Though the XM-25 emerged from the ashes of the ill-fated Objective Individual Combat Weapon, which was canceled early this decade, the technology has quietly progressed while Army engineers refined the fire control system and ammo and reduced the gun's weight. Made by Heckler and Koch and firing Alliant Techsystems-made high explosive air bursting 25mm rounds, the XM-25 is a semi-auto bullpup design weighing about 12 pounds. It uses an L3 Communications-made laser targeting optic to determine a target's range and compensate for altitude and other environmental conditions to dial in precisely where the round is going to impact or explode. Officials say the new weapon will address the range and firepower problems Soldiers face with an Afghan enemy that often fires from long distances behind tough cover. "A squad's pinned down and they're getting fire from 600 meters away," explained the Army's top weapons buyer, Col. Doug Tamilio. "That [XM-25] gunner's going to come out and go 'boom, boom, boom,' fire five rounds, and there isn't going to be anybody shooting back at them." "They're going to go 'oh my God, I want more!' " Tamilio said that the deployment to a line infantry unit as opposed to a special ops team will help developers refine the weapon design and its use. "The accuracy and the range of this thing are going to open up whole new ideas on how to use it," he said. "As we find lessons learned here, we'll make a better weapon system so when we finally produce this weapon on the production line, we'll have a lot of good Soldier feedback." The Army plans to buy thousands of the XM-25 in the future, placing one airburst weapon in each infantry squad. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #14 Rambler, I never knew until this evening just how excitable you Navy types are. ;-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-10-16 23:31 |
| #13 Pappy, As an old friend of mine used to say: Why nuke? Chem them 'til they twitch and puke! Or: Nuke them til they glow, and then shoot them in the dark. Note to mods (especially dear tw): Of course, I do not really advocate either of these alternatives. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-10-16 23:11 |
| #12 Oh my. Pappy dear, come over here and sit beside me on the fainting couch, and have a cup or several of this nice chamomile tea. I've dipped my handkerchief in a bit of cologne to sooth your fevered brow, and you'll feel better directly, I promise. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-10-16 23:05 |
| #11 You two are pikers. Nukes. Lotsa nukes. One every three miles. Start at Gibraltar. End at the Pacific. Glow in the Dark, Baby! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-10-16 22:17 |
| #10 What I find really stupid is the lack of napalm. It's what you use for these sorts of things, it goes over barriers, around corners and down in holes or sucks the O2 right out of them. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2010-10-16 20:53 |
| #9 Why are we using this little shit, send in the Buffs and level the place 1 square mile at a time.You could rotate them much like a Gatling. one dropping another in flight a third Loading and a fourth returning. Hell we've got iron bombs a plenty. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-10-16 20:42 |
| #8 This thing will make a big difference in a few situations, but it will be heavy all the time. Hopefully, just the possibility that the US troops might have this thing will cause the enemy to stay away. |
| Posted by: rammer 2010-10-16 16:57 |
| #7 If I remember correctly, it's about 2m. The demo firing video's I've seen show it sending fragments through plywood, not sure how tough the wool is compared to 3/8" plywood but I'm sure they'll see. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2010-10-16 12:07 |
| #6 I haven't had any luck finding data about the 25mm round, specifically its hazard area. A 40mm grenade has a kill radius of only 16 feet. This may matter, for an odd reason. Afghanistan has lots of sheep, and those hardy breeds have very tough wool. Woven into a blanket, they might prove fragmentary resistant. Sleep in it at night, then cover themselves with it when attacking forces with this type grenade launcher. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-10-16 11:41 |
| #5 Nothing like an air burst to clear out those dead zones. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-10-16 10:20 |
| #4 So much for hiding behind rocks .... |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-10-16 02:45 |
| #3 I suspect these could be a game changer. Until now taking cover meant you were safe unless someone had mortar, artillery or a really skilled grenadier. Guided munitions have recently come into play but most are REALLY expensive. This is a definite advance over a grenade launcher and much cheaper than guided munitions. Being hit with an airburst grenade would ruin your day. |
| Posted by: tipover 2010-10-16 02:39 |
| #2 Is this going to be a game-changer in the art of land warfare, or just yet another arrow in the quiver of small arms? |
| Posted by: gromky 2010-10-16 00:37 |
| #1 Of course, since this is an area weapon, and the Taliban usually hide among women and children, the usual suspects will argue that this is a terror weapon and should be banned. The usual suspects weapon of choice for our troops would be a rubber band gun. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2010-10-16 00:28 |