Game-changing rifle arrives in Afghanistan

how intuitively easy it is, even though it’s high-tech,” Lehner said. “All a soldier needs to know how to do is laze the target. It decimates anything within its lethal radius.”

Once the trigger is pulled and the round leaves the barrel, a computer chip inside the projectile communicates exactly how far it has traveled, allowing for precise detonation behind or ahead of any target.

We have found that this has really made our soldiers so much more accurate and being able to deliver this high-explosive round in about five seconds,” said Lehner, taking into account the time it takes a soldier to laze, aim and fire the weapon. Once fired, Lehner said, the round will reach its target in a “second or two,” meaning the entire process from aiming to direct hit lasts less than ten seconds, compared to ten minutes or longer for traditional mortar fire.

Fox News quotes Army officials describing a potential battlefield scenario, which might go something like this:

— A patrol encounters an enemy combatant in a walled Afghan village who fires an AK-47 intermittently from behind cover, exposing himself only for a brief second to fire.

— The patrol’s leader calls for the XM25 gunman, who uses the weapon’s laser range finder to calculate the distance to the target.

— He then uses an incremental button located near the trigger to add one meter to the round’s distance, since the enemy is hiding behind a wall.

— The round is fired, and it explodes with a blast comparable to a hand grenade past the wall and above the enemy.

This is revolutionary for many reasons,” Lehner said, citing increased efficiency, safety, and lethality. “This is the first time we’re putting smart technology in an individual weapon system for our soldiers. We feel it’s very important to field this because it keeps us ahead of the technological curve of our potential enemies. We have a feeling other people will try to copy us — this is the future.”

Lehner said the Army plans to purchase at least 12,500 XM25 systems beginning next year — enough for one system in each infantry squad and Special Forces team.

The military is not overly concerned that the weapon might be captured by the enemy, because they would be unable to obtain its highly specialized ammunition, batteries, and other components. Lehner said he expects other nations will try to copy its technology, but it will be very cost-prohibitive.

This is a game-changer,” Lehner said. “The enemy has learned to get cover, for hundreds if not thousands of years. Well, they can’t do that anymore. We’re taking that cover from them and there’s only two outcomes: We’re going to get you behind that cover or force you to flee. So no matter what, we gotcha.”