Article

2004-08-15 Home Front: Tech

New Airburst Ammo Developed For US Ground Troops

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Frank G 2004-08-15 11:28|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Where was that tested on?

Posted by The Right Rev Dr Jesse 2004-08-15 11:42:52 AM|| 2004-08-15 11:42:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Sounds like a nasty one. Human rights orgs are gonna just love it. I mean, after all, it isn't a landmine.

Posted by eLarson 2004-08-15 11:50:47 AM|| 2004-08-15 11:50:47 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Tater has volunteered to cooperate with field testing. Just hope the arsenals can get some to the field before he blleds his last drop.

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-08-15 12:01:24 PM|| 2004-08-15 12:01:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 This has been around for quite a while - it was originally part of the weapons system that is based on the XM-8.

Take a look at that thing - looks like the M41 Pulse Rifle from the movie Aliens.

Nice thing is the laser can range it, then the round will burst and frag inside the building or shelter. Combine that with accurate sniper fire, and the new "non-lethal" suppressive weapons, the UCAVs and recon-UAVS - lets just say that "guerilla" forces will not have anyplace to hide.

Posted by Oldspook 2004-08-15 12:17:10 PM|| 2004-08-15 12:17:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 On the surface this sounds good, and it does have advantages. However, I can forsee a major problem: not identifying a target before engaging it. This can drive "collateral casualties" through the roof, or severely limits where you can use such rounds.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-08-15 1:10:15 PM|| 2004-08-15 1:10:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 And this is a problem because?

Posted by Mrs. Davis 2004-08-15 1:11:55 PM|| 2004-08-15 1:11:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Anonymoose--That doesn't sound like a problem unique to this ammunition. Could you clarify if I'm missing something in your statement?

Posted by Dar 2004-08-15 1:55:12 PM|| 2004-08-15 1:55:12 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 "...a major problem: not identifying a target before engaging it."

That's what UAVs are for.

Posted by Dave D. 2004-08-15 2:13:59 PM|| 2004-08-15 2:13:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 This does get a bit niggling, but ammunition that conforms to the Geneva Convention is supposed to be both "wounding", not "killing" ammunition, and most definitely has rules for its use--mostly to protect non-combattants. If you can't see what you are shooting at, you can't say if it is a combatant or not.
Okay, so much for the technicalities. Practically speaking, *the majority* of what we are doing in Iraq is not "kill the enemy" stuff, but "hearts and minds" stuff. And while it is annoying, this means that the typical serviceman is *oriented* to *not* killing non-combatants.
If you start issuing them increasingly lethal weapons in increasingly non-hostile situations, you are asking for trouble. This is why so much emphasis has been put on "non-lethal means", and even backing off instead of having an emotionally gratifying slaughter.
In a way, it is the same situation of a US Marine guarding an embassy with a hostile crowd outside. He may have an M16 with ball ammunition, but even if they bust in he may prefer to wire a door shut with a coat hangar, as silly as it seems, for the "greater good."
One of our biggest goals in Iraq right now is to turn a military operation into a police operation, re-defining the enemy from "soldiers" into "criminals". Because at this time, it is better for all concerned if they are arrested rather than gunned down.
Again, not very emotionally gratifying, but very practical, for this situation.
Nuanced military operations of this type are done not because we are weak, but because we are very, very strong, and experienced.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-08-15 2:22:33 PM|| 2004-08-15 2:22:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Well, Anonymoose, that's why the XM26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System (12-gauge) is going to be good; it's XM8-compatible and would allow the wielder to deliver five shots per magazine of nonlethal shells.

Posted by Edward Yee 2004-08-15 4:31:08 PM|| [http://edwardyee.fanworks.net] 2004-08-15 4:31:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 History Chanel and Discovery have talked about this munition.It is supposed to be part of the CIWS combat arms system.They showed it being fired threw a window and exploding in the room.

Posted by Raptor 2004-08-15 4:57:52 PM|| 2004-08-15 4:57:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 This ammo should make a humane alternative to using a TOW round to knock down a structure on top of a sniper. Collateral damage will decrease because it is much more precise than any type of propelled grenade. Remember too that the rounds will be used by American troops who are unlikely to use the new toy for reconnaissance by fire of a school playground.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-08-15 5:06:40 PM|| 2004-08-15 5:06:40 PM|| Front Page Top

12:33 Halfass Pete
12:25 Halfass Pete
12:03 Halfass Pete
08:16 JFM
08:16 JFM
22:11 Anonymous6587
14:16 Zhang Fei
07:45 MacNails
07:07 Mike Sylwester
03:40 gromky
02:21 Zenster
01:48 Rafael
01:18 Zhang Fei
01:15 Zenster
00:44 gromky
00:17 Bomb-a-rama
00:16 Classical_Liberal
00:14 Bomb-a-rama
00:09 Bomb-a-rama
00:08 Anonymoose
00:03 Frank G
00:00 Frank G
23:59 Frank G
23:55 Robert Stevens