XM25 combat weapon deployed to Afghanistan

by Mark R - on December 1st, 2010

This is the XM25 weapon system, and it is the first-ever programmable “smart” grenade launcher.

It is called “smart” because this shoulder-mounted weapon uses micro-chipped ammunition to fire 25mm air-bursting shells up to 2,300 feet, which is well past the range of most rifles. The XM25 then programs these shells to explode at a precise distance. This allows for neutralizing insurgents behind walls, rocks, trenches, or even inside buildings.

According to a recent quote, this “sort of cover has protected people for thousands of years”, and now this smart technology is in the hands of the soldier “for the first time”. This XM25 includes many sights, sensors, and lasers that can read the distance to a target, and assess elements like air pressure, temperature, and ballistics. This data is sent to the microchip embedded ammo of the XM25 before it is launched.

This pinpointed firepower is going to be very advantageous in order to reduce civilian casualties in Afghanistan. My source says that the weapon is so advanced technologically, that the average soldier needs very little training.

I can’t help but be reminded of the movie Aliens when I see this gun. I guess we are truly living in a science-fiction warfare age. Perhaps that is not a good thing.

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