New XM25 Grenade Launcher Announced by US Military

[Jasper]

So maybe, just maybe, the XM25 will do what it's supposed to do. But even if it does, it won't be a "game-changer" in either of our wars, because irregular wars like Iraq and Afghanistan aren't decided by superior weaponry.

Damn right.

[Requia ☣]

I seriously don't understand why you would spend war budget money (in this war) on anything other than troops supplies and armor (the vehicle kind).   

[Jasper]

Because war is a racket, and the gun exists only to create thin veneer of legitimacy?  I dunno. 

[Requia ☣]

Guns are a principle part of the racket really.  Half the racket is selling shit to the military that's either useless or overpriced by an order of magnitude.

I suppose my cynicism wasn't working for a moment when I wrote that.

[Slyph]

So this thing... right... You point it at a barricade or whatever, and it finds it's range, then you manually dial in a couple more feet, aim up a little, fire, and the idea is that it airbursts over the cover and gets the guys on the other side?

Damn, it's not the worst idea ever, but can't they do it cheaper? I'm guessing the current M.O. for that very specific set of circumstances is to just lay down suppressive fire?

It sounds like this is just an OICW spinoff they're trying to offload.

[Requia ☣]

It's not so much the cost of the gun (60k I think?) as the cost to train people to use it effectively.

[Elder Iptuous]

It sounds like this is just an OICW spinoff they're trying to offload.

it is.