US Gives Troops 'Smart' Grenade Launcher

They say a counter-insurgency war is won with hearts and minds, not weapons—but the new XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System can't hurt. The US military's latest innovation is a grenade launcher that can fire explosive charges 2,300 feet—well beyond the accurate range of an AK-47 or M16 rifle—and set them to explode at precise distances, the Telegraph reports. Foes who take cover behind walls or other cover are out of luck.

"This is the first time we're putting smart technology into the hands of the individual soldier," a top military official said. He reports that the weapon, already in limited use in Afghanistan, is giving soldiers "an edge" against the tactics of the insurgency, which rely heavily on using the craggy landscape for cover. Read more on the XM25 at the Week.
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