XM25 CDTE



The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) System, also known as the Punisher and Individual Semiautomatic Air Burst System is an air burst grenade launcher derived from the XM29 OICW. It was fielded to soldiers serving in the War in Afghanistan and was projected to enter full-rate procurement in 2013. However, the Senate Armed Services Committee eliminated all funding for the XM25 in its revision of the Pentagon's budget in June 2013.

Design
The XM25 CDTE fires 25 mm grenades that are set to explode in mid-air at or near the target. A laser rangefinder in the weapon is used to determine the distance to the target. The user can manually adjust the detonating distance by up to 10 ft shorter or longer; the XM25 automatically transmits the detonating distance to the grenade in the firing chamber. The grenade tracks the distance it has traveled by the number of spiral rotations after it is fired, then detonates at the proper distance to produce an air burst effect. These features make the XM25 more effective than traditional grenade launchers at the task of hitting targets that are behind cover or dug into the ground (i.e. in defilade.) One of the weapon's developers, Richard Audette, believes that the XM25 is a big leap forward because it is the first small arms weapon to use smart technology.

The system has been developed by Alliant Techsystems and Heckler & Koch, while the target acquisition/fire control is developed by L-3 IOS Brashear.

The M203 grenade launcher has an effective range for point targets of 150 meters, and a maximum range for area targets of 350 meters. The XM25 has an effective range for point targets of 600 meters, and a maximum range for area targets of 700 meters. Studies indicate that the XM25 with air burst rounds is 300 percent more effective at engaging the enemy than other squad-level grenade launchers.

Alliant Techsystems has indicated that the rifle may later use bullets with smaller explosive charges which will stun opponents rather than killing them.

Specifications

 * Caliber: Low-velocity 25mm × 40 grenade
 * Thermobaric
 * Flechette
 * Training
 * High-explosive airbursting round (HEAB)
 * Non-lethal
 * Armor Piercing (50 mm armor penetration)
 * Door breaching
 * HEAB Firing Modes:
 * Airburst (In front of or over aiming point)
 * Point Detonation
 * Point Detonation Delay
 * Window (Beyond aiming point)
 * Operation: Gas operated semi-automatic
 * System weight: 14 lb
 * Target acquisition/fire control (XM104)
 * Weight: 2.54 lb
 * 4× thermal sight with zoom
 * 2× direct view optical sight
 * Ballistic computer
 * Digital compass
 * Laser rangefinder
 * Ammunition fuze setter
 * Environmental sensors

History
The XM25 began as an offshoot of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon program that began in the late 1990s. The XM29 was intended to be an individual combat weapon that combined a rifle and airburst grenade launcher. The XM29 weighed 18 lb, far more than an individual rifle or grenade launcher. Its 20 mm airbursting grenades weighed half as much as 540 g 40mm grenades. Even though the grenades were lighter, as a grenade round it was less effective at suppressing the enemy or putting them out of action. In August 2003, the XM29 roles were separated into specific weapons, with the rifle pursued as the XM8, and the airburst grenade launcher as the XM25. The XM25 was part of OICW Increment 2 as the stand-alone airburst component. As a standalone launcher, it was intended to be a special applications and support weapon. It was able to fire larger 25 mm grenade rounds, which would generate 50 percent more, and heavier, fragments compared to the experimental 20 mm grenades. In 2005, six weapons underwent limited field trials and combat testing. Two years later, they were sent overseas for testing in combat situations. The XM25 was planned to be sent into theater in 2008, but minor suggestions from users and tests revealed things that need to be refined.

In the summer of 2010, the United States Army began field testing the XM25 in Afghanistan, with an initial per unit cost of the early models range from US$30000 to $35,000. The Army planned to purchase 12,500 XM25s in 2011 at a cost of $25,000 each and have them fielded by 2012, enough for one XM25 system in each infantry squad and special forces team. According to U.S. Army project manager for new weapons, Colonel Douglas Tamilio, the rounds for the XM25 were expected to cost about $24 each (as of 2010).

Five of the weapons were deployed with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan in October 2010, along with 1,000 hand-made air-burst rounds. The soldiers reported that the weapon was extremely effective at killing or neutralizing enemy combatants firing on US troops from covered positions. The US troops have nicknamed the weapon, "The Punisher." First contact was 3 December 2010. As of February 2011, the weapon had been fired 55 times in nine engagements by two units in different locations. It had disrupted two insurgent attacks on observation posts, taken out two PKM machine gun positions, and destroyed four ambush sites. In one engagement, an enemy machine gunner was wounded by or so frightened of the XM25 that he dropped his weapon and ran away. The units with the XM25s had no casualties during the nine engagements. The weapon was called "revolutionary" and "a game-changer." One platoon leader commented that engagements that would normally take 15 to 20 minutes were over in just a few minutes. They performed flawlessly with no maintenance issues. Soldiers were so pleased that they carried it as their primary weapon without carrying an M4 carbine as a secondary. There were no complaints about its weight, but improvements to the battery life and a range increase to 1,000 meters are being sought. Each round was hand built at a cost of $1,000 each, but the cost is expected to be $35 per shot when in full production, scheduled from 2012. The US Army ordered 36 more of the rifles in January 2012. On September 12, 2012, Alliant Techsystems received a $16.8 million engineering and manufacturing development contract modification for the XM25. The contract funds the continuing design, integration, production, and testing of fully functional systems to ensure the weapon's final design meets performance requirements and is production-ready prior to fielding. ATK will be supporting another Army XM25 forward operational assessment scheduled for 2013 with a 36 gun battalion set of new pre-production prototypes.

On February 2, 2013, an XM25 exploded during a live-fire training event. The primer and propellant ignited as the result of a double feed, although safety mechanisms prevented the round’s warhead from detonating. The gun was inoperable after the explosion and the soldier received minor injuries. In response, the Army removed the XM25 from service in Afghanistan. ATK noted that there were nearly 5,900 rounds fired between failures.

The misfiring caused the Army to delay the decision to move the XM25 into full-rate production, pending changes to the design of the weapon and ammunition, operating procedures, and training techniques. Testing continued at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where developers incorporated 130 design improvements. Despite the incident, Pentagon budget proposals included $69 million for 1,400 XM25 systems. The Army planned on a total of 10,876 units, two per infantry squad and one per special forces team. The post-Afghanistan strategy emphasizes the effectiveness of "the soldier and the squad."

In June 2013, the Senate Armed Services Committee eliminated all funding for the 1,400 XM25 systems the Army wanted to purchase from the 2014 budget. The malfunction in February raised concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the weapon. The "unreliable performance" of the weapon led to funding being cut, as well as the recommendation to review alternative air-burst weapon systems.

In August 2013, the Army revealed that the XM25 may move to low-rate initial production (LRIP) by August 2014. The weapon is currently in the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase and not yet ready for fielding. By August 2014, it is expected to reach milestone C, starting LRIP for 1,100 weapons and needed ammunition. Low-rate production would lead to type-classification, resulting in removing the "X" from its designation. Improvements are being made concerning the fire control system, battery life, weight, and magazine size. Following milestone C in 2014, the system will go through initial operational tests and live-fire tests in 2015. The XM25 is expected to be combat-ready by the end of 2015, and be fielded with all brigade combat teams, as well as the Army Special Operations Command, Special Forces detachments, and Ranger Regiments. Automated production will reduce the price of the system to $35,000 for the weapon and fire control system, and $55 per round.

Program status

 * April 2005 - First prototypes are delivered to the U.S. Army for field-testing.
 * September 2005 - Test firing by regular troops at Grafenwöhr Training Area.
 * Summer 2009 - Field tests in Iraq or Afghanistan.
 * November 2010 - Preliminary deployment in Afghanistan.
 * 3 December 2010 - First contact.
 * 12 September 2012 - EMD contract.
 * 2 February 2013 - Misfire during live-fire event, XM25 removed from field in Afghanistan.
 * 2013 - Scheduled to begin low-rate initial production.
 * June 2013 - Funding cut for XM25.