HK XM25

HK XM25
general information
Military designation:	XM-25
Country of operation:	United States
Developer / Manufacturer:	Heckler
Manufacturer country:	Germany
Weapon Category:	Grenade launcher
Furnishing
Overall length:	750 mm
Weight: (unloaded)	approx. 5.9 kg
Technical specifications
Caliber :	25 × 40 mm
Possible magazine fillings :	4 cartridges
Ammunition supply :	magazine
Fire types:	Semi-automatic
Visor :	2-way optical / infrared
Closure :	Turret lock
Charging principle:	Gas pressure charger
Lists on the subject

The XM25 is a semi-automatic grenade launcher with the ability to fire programmable ammunition . It was developed by Heckler & Koch in collaboration with Alliant Techsystems (since 2015 Orbital ATK ) for the US Army as part of the Small Arms Master Plan , after the Objective Individual Combat Weapon program was split into two parts ( HK XM8 and HK XM25) for weight reasons. was divided. The weapon was originally to be introduced to the troops from 2014. Prototypes were already being used in Afghanistan at the turn of 2010/2011. The program ended in 2018.

technology

weapon

The special feature of the system is the ability to detonate high-explosive grenades in the air at a programmed distance in order to be able to fight concealed opponents. If the grenade is supposed to explode in the air, the electronics count the rotations that the grenade makes to maintain its gyro stabilization. A sensor is used for this, which detects the relative rotation of the earth's magnetic field. The grenade is fired after the number of rotations programmed into the grenade by the ballistic computer before it was fired. The detonation point can be determined very precisely because the twist length is independent of the ammunition speed. The grenade is programmed without contact using induction coils. The XM25 rifle is similar to the HK XM29 , but it used smaller grenades (20 mm) and also had a kinetic part for self-defense.

Although officially called the grenade launcher, the rifle is of ATK airburst Assault Weapon (: about dt. Air Explosive offensive weapon ) performed since his grenades fly in a very flat trajectory. The ammunition is derived from the 25 × 59 mm grenades, but not identical. The following types of ammunition are available to the shooter:

Practice bullets (TP) without explosives
Air-igniting grenade that can also detonate in contact or delay mode (HEAB)

Other types of ammunition are being considered, for example armor-piercing or non-lethal ammunition.

Target computer

The ballistic computer is called XM104. It weighs around 1.5 kg and has the following skills:

Thermal imaging device with fourfold magnification (2x optical and 2x digital)
Optical sight with double magnification
Ballistic computer for flight path calculation
Digital compass
Laser Distance Meter (LEM)
Ignition programming of the grenades
Consideration of environmental influences

Program course

25 × 40 mm armor-piercing grenade

April 2005: The first prototypes were delivered to the US Army. In September test shots were carried out by regular troops in the Grafenwoehr Training Area .

Due to a lack of information, there has already been speculation about hiring. However, after South Korea developed the Daewoo K11 and has been producing it in series since 2010, the XM25 project was intensified again. The originally planned six-shot magazine was replaced by a four-shot magazine.
2009

Further test shots were carried out. The weapon was exhibited in January and February 2009 at US bases in Germany (Kaiserslautern, Bamberg, Vilseck) and Italy (Vicenza).

2010: Between October 2010 and March 2011, 5 weapon prototypes were tested by the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan . 55 HEAB projectiles were fired in nine battles. Since these were still handcrafted, each shot cost $ 1,000. The weapon, which the soldiers called the Punisher , ended the firefight after a few minutes.

2011: The Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase took place from the end of April . Here, the design is improved, the experience gained from the front is incorporated, and preparations are made for series production.

2012: An additional 36 slightly modified prototypes were ordered for $ 24.7 million ($ 686,000 each) and shipped in late 2012.

2013: The 36 prototypes with over 100 improvements were tested in Afghanistan from the beginning of the year. The decision for series production should then be made in autumn. In March 2013 there was an accident during a target practice in Afghanistan. The bolt pushed two projectiles forward into the chamber at the same time, igniting the percussion cap of a grenade. The soldier suffered minor injuries. In August it was announced that production for 1,100 weapons, including ammunition, should start in August 2014, until then errors should continue to be eliminated. The weapon system was then to be renamed M25 at the end of 2014 and officially introduced by the end of 2015.
2017: On May 16, 2017, the US Army terminated the contract because Orbital ATK was unable to deliver on time due to a legal dispute with Heckler & Koch. Heckler and Koch refer to an international agreement from 1868 - the so-called Saint Petersburg Declaration and the prohibition of high-explosive shells weighing less than 400 grams that explode when hitting soft targets.
2018: In the summer of 2018, the United States Army ended the program.

Web links

Commons : XM25 - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement system may lose 'X' by next August. The United States Army, August 9, 2013, accessed August 22, 2013 .

↑ ^a ^b Garland Chad: Army's XM25 program officially goes kaput. In: stripes.com. Stars & Stripes, August 10, 2015, accessed October 29, 2018 .

↑ https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227116-900-radio-controlled-bullets-leave-no-place-to-hide/

↑ ^a ^b XM25, Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) system. (No longer available online.) In: Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier. The United States Army, April 2013, archived from the original on July 31, 2013 ; accessed on September 9, 2013 .

↑ 25mm Grenade Launcher Rises From The Dead

↑ Army's latest high-tech equipment to be featured at exhibitions in communities in Germany, Italy

^ Military.com - 'Punisher' Gives Enemy No Place to Hide