Posted on 11/28/2010 6:29:13 PM PST by Pan_Yan
Since the dawn of modern warfare, the best way to stay alive in the face of incoming fire has been to take cover behind a wall. But thanks to a game-changing "revolutionary" rifle, the U.S. Army has made that tactic dead on arrival. Now the enemy can run, but he can't hide.
After years of development, the U.S. Army has unleashed a new weapon in Afghanistan -- the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, a high-tech rifle that can be programmed so that its 25-mm. ammunition does not necessarily explode on impact. Instead, it can be set to detonate either in front of or behind a target, meaning it literally will go through a wall before it explodes and kills the enemy.
It also has a range of roughly 2,300 feet -- nearly the length of eight football fields -- making it possible to fire at targets well past the range of the rifles and carbines that most soldiers carry today.
Lt. Col. Christopher Lehner, project manager for the semi-automatic, shoulder-fired weapon system for the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office Soldier, said that the XM25's capability alone is such a "game-changer" that it'll lead to new ways of fighting on the battlefield, beginning this month in Afghanistan.
...
Lehner said the first XM25s were distributed to combat units in Afghanistan this month. The 12-pound, 29-inch system, which was designed by Minnesota's Alliant Techsystems, costs up to $35,000 per unit and, while highly sophisticated, is so easy to use that soldiers become proficient within minutes.
"That's how intuitively easy it is, even though it's high-tech," Lehner said. "All a soldier needs to know how to do is laze the target. It decimates anything within its lethal radius."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The XM25, designed by Minnesota's Alliant Techsystems, has been in development for about seven years and the first prototypes have been doled out to combat units in Afghanistan this month. The 12-pound, 29-inch system, which costs up to $35,000 per unit, is so sophisticated that soldiers are proficient users literally within minutes. (Credit: U.S. Army)
I think I am in love...
Prediction - Obamolester will discontinue its use as it gives the ‘mean ol’ U.S. soldier’ an advantage over the poor, freedom-fighting Muslim.
Wife asked if she could have a new car before I purchase one of these. The $35,000 price tag is a little daunting.
I saw some of this on the Future Weapons show. Pretty darn cool.
>>The $35,000 price tag is a little daunting.<<
People pay more than that for rings — tell her to think of it as a diamond ring that keeps on giving...
Ok...
It’s a fancied up shotgun with special ammo. big wup. How many rounds in the mag? 5?
Doesn’t this come with a 5.56mm rifle?
Something similar to this was demoed on TLC (I think it was TLC). Actually, it was the ammo that touted.
Very cool system!
You can run. You can hide. But you’ll just die tired and hidden...
The ammo is the impressive feature, not the gun.
Send a boat load to our guys in Korea too. American technology and expertise.....still the best in the world.
Future weapons with the navy SEAL? CCouple years ago? Yeah...I think it’s the same thing, let me see if i can find a video of it working.
Wait’ll you price the ammo! I’ll bet it’s not cheap!
the guns software should be set to delete if they find their way into enemy hands.
McNamara’s ghost. Another POS toy. If half the troops had M-14’s in Nam and Afghanistan - more would have lived.
It's the Gun and the Ammo. They are not mutually exclusive.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.