New weapon in the war, and about time!

[Floyd]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101201/sc_afp/usmilitaryweaponsafghanistan

Everyone has been talking about smart rounds and grenade launchers. Now we have one in the field!

Quote:

After years of development, the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, about the size of a regular rifle, has now been deployed to US units on the battlefields of Afghanistan, where the Army expects it to be a "game-changer" in its counterinsurgency operations.

"For well over a week, it's been actively on patrols, and in various combat outposts in areas that are hot," said Lieutenant Colonel Chris Lehner, program manager for the XM25.

The gun's stats are formidable: it fires 25mm air-bursting shells up to 2,300 feet (700 meters), well past the range of most rifles used by today's soldiers, and programs them to explode at a precise distance, allowing troops to neutralize insurgents hiding behind walls, rocks or trenches or inside buildings.

Yeah, baby!  

[Das Rabble Rouser]

Good news, everyone!  

[Recon_Ninja_985]

read about this a few days ago.

glad theyre finally actually using something they've been wasting money on  

[Requiem ex Inferni]

It's not really "new", since it's been around in development for a while now, but yea.  

[Fresnel]

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.  

[Char-pun]

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

It Aint Cheap Ether confused  

[Valkyrie Hatter]

I had a better idea at one time and I'm kind of surprised they haven't tried it yet.  

[Fresnel]

-Moon Fire Liako-

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

It Aint Cheap Ether confused

That too... and airburst is too difficult to use. You have to be able to rangefind on empty air. It's fine if you've got someone with perfect distance judgement, but that's a very rare trait to find in a person.  

[Valkyrie Hatter]

Fresnel

-Moon Fire Liako-

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

It Aint Cheap Ether confused

That too... and airburst is too difficult to use. You have to be able to rangefind on empty air. It's fine if you've got someone with perfect distance judgement, but that's a very rare trait to find in a person.

Except for Scout Sniper spotters but they and their sniper buddies aren't going to be using the damned thing correct?  

[Recon_Ninja_985]

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

I dont believe it was meant to.

I see it as a support weapon, now a grenadier can come close to matching the amount of a** a saw gunner can be capable of kicking  

[Fresnel]

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

-Moon Fire Liako-

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

It Aint Cheap Ether confused

That too... and airburst is too difficult to use. You have to be able to rangefind on empty air. It's fine if you've got someone with perfect distance judgement, but that's a very rare trait to find in a person.

Except for Scout Sniper spotters but they and their sniper buddies aren't going to be using the damned thing correct?

I don't know if they can do it. I suspect most scout snipers just use laser rangefinders, and only guess if the thing's broken. But the point of airburst is to have the round hit NOTHING and explode at the correct distance, and you can't laser rangefind off nothing.  

[Valkyrie Hatter]

Fresnel

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

-Moon Fire Liako-

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

It Aint Cheap Ether confused

That too... and airburst is too difficult to use. You have to be able to rangefind on empty air. It's fine if you've got someone with perfect distance judgement, but that's a very rare trait to find in a person.

Except for Scout Sniper spotters but they and their sniper buddies aren't going to be using the damned thing correct?

I don't know if they can do it. I suspect most scout snipers just use laser rangefinders, and only guess if the thing's broken. But the point of airburst is to have the round hit NOTHING and explode at the correct distance, and you can't laser rangefind off nothing.

I would think they could since they have to judge the distance of moving targets and where they are going to be but that probably can be told via rangefinder.  

[Fresnel]

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

-Moon Fire Liako-

Fresnel

I foresee failure. I don't know why, but I feel it in my bones. This system just isn't ready to replace the assault rifle.

It Aint Cheap Ether confused

That too... and airburst is too difficult to use. You have to be able to rangefind on empty air. It's fine if you've got someone with perfect distance judgement, but that's a very rare trait to find in a person.

Except for Scout Sniper spotters but they and their sniper buddies aren't going to be using the damned thing correct?

I don't know if they can do it. I suspect most scout snipers just use laser rangefinders, and only guess if the thing's broken. But the point of airburst is to have the round hit NOTHING and explode at the correct distance, and you can't laser rangefind off nothing.

I would think they could since they have to judge the distance of moving targets and where they are going to be but that probably can be told via rangefinder.

They probably just mount those to the scope, a la BORS.  

[war_junky 91]

Fresnel

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

That too... and airburst is too difficult to use. You have to be able to rangefind on empty air. It's fine if you've got someone with perfect distance judgement, but that's a very rare trait to find in a person.

Except for Scout Sniper spotters but they and their sniper buddies aren't going to be using the damned thing correct?

I don't know if they can do it. I suspect most scout snipers just use laser rangefinders, and only guess if the thing's broken. But the point of airburst is to have the round hit NOTHING and explode at the correct distance, and you can't laser rangefind off nothing.

I would think they could since they have to judge the distance of moving targets and where they are going to be but that probably can be told via rangefinder.

They probably just mount those to the scope, a la BORS.

Quote:

If, for example, an enemy combatant pops up from behind a wall to fire at US troops and then ducks behind it, an XM25 gunner can aim the laser range finder at the top of the wall, then program the shell to detonate one meter beyond it, showering lethal fragmentation where the insurgent is seeking cover.

The grenadier can set the burst distance for the point he finds. So all he has to do is find something near the traget and add/subtract distance for the burst. No need to range find on air.  

[Fresnel]

war_junky 91

Fresnel

Smokestack Lightning

Fresnel

Smokestack Lightning

Except for Scout Sniper spotters but they and their sniper buddies aren't going to be using the damned thing correct?

I don't know if they can do it. I suspect most scout snipers just use laser rangefinders, and only guess if the thing's broken. But the point of airburst is to have the round hit NOTHING and explode at the correct distance, and you can't laser rangefind off nothing.

I would think they could since they have to judge the distance of moving targets and where they are going to be but that probably can be told via rangefinder.

They probably just mount those to the scope, a la BORS.

Quote:

If, for example, an enemy combatant pops up from behind a wall to fire at US troops and then ducks behind it, an XM25 gunner can aim the laser range finder at the top of the wall, then program the shell to detonate one meter beyond it, showering lethal fragmentation where the insurgent is seeking cover.

The grenadier can set the burst distance for the point he finds. So all he has to do is find something near the traget and add/subtract distance for the burst. No need to range find on air.

You know, that would almost always work. A pair of +1m and -1m buttons. Hiding next to a building? Wall -1m. Hiding behind a truck? Truck +1m. The only time it fails is against a well-made trench.