Need to shoot someone hiding behind a rock? The military's got a gun for that. The weapon is called the XM-25, Counter Defilade (a word I had to look up) Target Engagement System--basically, it provides a way to shoot someone who is hiding behind an obstacle. It works by shooting a mini-grenade-like round that is programmed to detonate after passing the barrier. The detonation scatters lethal shrapnel toward the enemy target.
The weapon's computing sight measures the distance to the target precisely using a laser, and corrects automatically for such factors as air pressure, temperature, relative elevation etc. Buttons above the trigger allow the point at which the shells will detonate to be moved nearer or further away. [The Register]
The first set of prototypes arrived in Afghanistan in November and are currently being carried on active patrols. The soldiers are testing them out and suggesting improvements and adaptations to ...
