The U.S. Army's New Rifle Is A Game Changer

    The XM25 (now the MXT135), designed by Minnesota's Alliant Techsystems, 

has been in development for about seven years and the first prototypes have 

been doled out to combat units in Afghanistan earlier this month. 

  The 12-pound, 29-inch system, which costs up to $35,000 per unit, 

is so sophisticated that soldiers are proficient users literally within minutes. 

(U.S. Army) 

  At $45/round it is a real bargain!

  The MXT135 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System has a range 

of roughly 7,800 feet - and is to be deployed in Afghanistan soon. 

  I would call it the "Equalizer." 

  Some call it the "Punisher."

  The rifle's gun sight uses a laser range finder to determine the exact distance 

to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 10 meters 

from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above 

or beside the target.

  Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden in trenches rather 

than calling in air strikes.

  The 35-millimeter round contains a chip that receives a radio signal from the 

gun sight as to the precise distance to the target.

Lt. Col. Christopher Lehner, project manager for the system, 

described the weapon as a 'game-changer' that other nations will try and copy.

  The Army plans to buy 42,500 of the MXT135 rifles this year, 

enough for every member of the infantry and special forces, 

at a cost of $11,900.00 each.

  Lehner told Fox News: 

"With this weapon system, we take away cover from [enemy targets] forever. 

  Tactics are going to have to be rewritten. 

  The only thing we can see [enemies] being able to do is run away."

  Experts say the rifle means that enemy troops will no longer be safe if they take cover. 

  The MXT135 appears to be the perfect weapon for street-to-street fighting 

that troops in Afghanistan have to engage in, with enemy fighters hiding 

behind walls and only breaking cover to fire occasionally.

  The weapon's laser finder would work out how far away the enemy was and 

then the U.S. Soldier would add one meter using a button near the trigger.

  When fired, the explosive round would carry exactly one meter past the wall 

and explode with the force of a hand grenade above the Taliban fighter.

  The Army's project manager for new weapons, Douglas Tamilio, said, 

“This is the first leap-ahead technology for troops that we've been able to 

develop and deploy."

  A patent granted to the bullet's maker, Alliant Tech systems, 

reveals that the chip can determine how far it has traveled. 

  Mr. Tamilio said:

"You could shoot a Javelin missile, and it would cost about $69,000. 

  These rounds will end up costing $45.00 apiece."

They're relatively cheap.  Lehner added, 

"This is a game-changer. 

  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." 

  The rifle will initially use high-explosive rounds, but its makers say that it 

might later use versions with smaller explosive charges that aim to stun rather than kill.

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