The computer controlled grenade launcher of the future is on the way.
[blockquote]May 16, 2011: The spectacular success, and popularity, of the XM-25 grenade launchers in Afghanistan (since late last year, when five of them were sent to combat troops), has forced the U.S. Army to hustle and get more of them to the combat zone as soon as possible. Right now, 36 more are being hand-built (as all prototypes were), and these should be delivered to infantry units by late next year. Meanwhile, mass production has been ordered, and this will result in over 12,000 of the weapons being delivered, starting in 2014.
It was obvious that the XM-25 was a success after only 55 of the 25mm rounds were fired in combat. The users protested having to give them up after the few months of field testing. All this because the XM-25s work as advertised, firing "smart rounds" that explode over the heads of Taliban hiding behind rocks or walls, or hiding in a cave or room. Enemy machine-guns have been quickly knocked out of action and ambushes quickly disrupted with a few 25mm shells. Encounters that might go on for 15 minutes or longer, as U.S. troops exchange fire with hidden Taliban, end in minutes after a few 25mm, computer controlled, rounds were fired.[/blockquote]
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