XM25 Gun in Testing, 500% Increase in Lethality Proposed

The business of killing, it seems, is in dire need of optimization. Which is why

the weapon makers at Alliant Techsystems have delivered the first six prototype XM25 advanced airbursting weapon systems to the U.S. Army for field-testing. The XM25 fires a High Explosive (HE), air bursting 25mm round capable of defeating an enemy behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole. The advanced design allows the operator to program the round so that it flies to the target and detonates at a precise point in the air. It does not require impact to detonate.

The revolutionary fire control system for the XM25 employs an advanced laser rangefinder that transmits information to the chambered 25mm round. As the round flies downrange to the target, it precisely measures the distance travelled and detonates at exactly the right moment to deliver maximum effectiveness.

The XM25 increases the warfighter’s probability of hit-to-kill performance by up to 500 percent over existing weapons.

So if I’m getting this, there’s some sort of chip inside the bullet, eh?

The technology sounds great. The implications are somewhat sadder.

Now, please applaud my touching socio-political insight.

Read the article VIA Gizmag.