We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:10:59 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Since Augetter got the Whatziss... let's go ahead with this one.A Soldier aims an XM-25 weapon system at Aberdeen Test Center, Md. It fires 25 mm grenades that are set to explode in mid-air at or near the target. It features an array of sights, sensors and lasers housed in a Target Acquisition Fire Control unit on top, an oversized magazine behind the trigger mechanism, and a short, ominous barrel wrapped by a recoil dampening sleeve.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:55:26 -0600 oh and it shoots 40 mm grenades, not these 25 mm firecrackers http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95478 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95478 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:43:21 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95477 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95477 Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:38:31 -0600
That sight package is, no matter how robust it's claimed to be, way too fragile for long term foot mobile use by grunts too far away from the armory for extended periods.

It'll probably do fine with units that start and end their day's patrols from an organized base with lots of logistics support. But any unit that needs to be in the field for extended periods will, most likely, come to see such a weapon as more liability than use.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95472 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95472 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:06:28 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95471 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95471 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:00:21 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95466 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95466 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:34:54 -0600
*Big* problems with soldier-proofing it.

It looks like they still have a ways to go -- I see entirely too many external moving parts that'll need to be kept dirt-and-dent-free in combat. And that Fire Control Center mounted up top for setting the fuzes on the 25mm round will need *lots* of batteries...
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Papa Ray
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]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95453 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95453 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:02:18 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95449 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95449 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:02:12 -0600 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95448 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/11/ill_take_one.html#comment-95448 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:11 -0600
We used to call the old M-79 Grenade Launcher the shoulder mortar.
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