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WillThisWeaponChangeInfantryWarfareForever?|TheDiplomat

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Will This Weapon Change Infantry Warfare Forever?

The U.S. Army is about to acquire a new weapon that could dramatically
impact infantry warfare.
By Franz-Stefan Gady
April 05, 2016

TheU.S.Armyisintroducinganewshoulderfiredweaponthathasthepotentialtochange
infantrytacticsandrevolutionizeinfantrywarfareinawayunseensincetheBattleof
KniggrtzinJuly1866.Thatbattle,whichmarkedthebeginningoftheendoftheline
infantryattack,sawAustriantroopscarryingmuzzleloadersoutgunnedbyPrussian
infantrymencarryingbreechloadingneedleguns.
Accordingtoitsfiscalyear(FY)2017budgetrequest,theU.S.Armywillproduce105socalled
XM25CounterDefiladeTargetEngagement(CDTE)weapons,aprecisionguidedgrenade
launcher,anddistributethemamongspeciallytrainedsoldiers.Accordingly,thearmyhas
requested$9.764millioninFY2017fortheprogramandhopesfor$14.852millioninFY
2018,$24.930millioninFY2019,$32.158millioninFY2020,and$25.798millioninFY
2021,IHSJanesDefenseWeeklyreports.
Fornow,notmuchwillchangeonthebattlefieldfordismountedsoldiersincombat.
However,oncetheweaponisdistributedmorewidelyatthesquadlevelthroughouttheU.S.
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WillThisWeaponChangeInfantryWarfareForever?|TheDiplomat

military,theimpactoftheXM25couldberevolutionaryandfundamentallychangesmall
infantrytactics.TheXM25willessentiallydestroythevalueofcoverandwithitthenecessity
oflongdrawnoutfirefights.Itwillalsomaketheoldinfantrytacticoffiringandmaneuvering
toeliminateanenemyhidingbehindcoverobsolete.
TheXM25isanextgeneration,semiautomaticweapondesignedforeffectivenessagainst
enemiesprotectedbywalls,dugintofoxholesorhiddeninhardtoreachplaces,accordingto
thewebsiteofOrbitalATK,theproduceroftheXM25.TheXM25providesthesoldierwitha
300percentto500percentincreaseinhitprobabilitytodefeatpoint,areaanddefilade
targetsoutto500meters.Theweaponfeaturesrevolutionaryhighexplosive,airburst
ammunitionprogrammedbytheweaponstargetacquisition/firecontrolsystem(TA/FC).
TheU.S.ArmyhasalreadytestedtheweaponincombatinAfghanistan.There,theweapon
receivedmixedreviewsbysoldiersusingit.RangerunitsfoundtheXM25tooheavyand
cumbersomeforthebattlefield.Theywerealsoconcernedthatthelimitedbasicloadof25
mmroundswasnotenoughtojustifytakinganM4A1carbineoutofthemission,according
tomilitary.com.Yet,someoftheU.S.Armyunitsthatemployedtheweaponremarkedthat
theweaponendedsocalledtroopsincontact(TIC)eventsveryquickly.Manyofthesquads
thattookitonpatroldidnotwanttogivetheweaponupwhenthetrialemploymentwas
concluded,accordingtoaseniorU.S.militaryofficialinterviewedbyTheDiplomat.
Theweaponspotentialrevolutionaryimpactoninfantrytacticsisundeniable.The
introductionoftheXM25isakintootherrevolutionarysystemssuchasthemachinegun,the
airplaneandthetank,allofwhichchangedbattlefieldtactics.NolongerwillourSoldiershave
toexposethemselvesbyfiringandmaneuveringtoeliminateanenemybehindcover.Our
Soldierscanremaincovered/protectedandusetheirXM25toneutralizeanenemyinhis
coveredposition,wroteanofficeroftheU.S.ArmyProgramExecutiveOfficeSoldierin2010.
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