The US Army’s XM25 ‘Punisher’ Program Is Officially Dead

By Tactical-Life

The U.S. Army‘s troubled program to develop the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) weapon, also known as the “Punisher,” is officially dead.

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XM25 Program Issues

Developed by Orbital ATK and Heckler & Koch, the XM25 is a shoulder-fired weapon that fires 25mm grenade rounds. According to Military.com, it comes with a fire control system that enables the user to identify a target, determine its range via a laser rangefinder, and program the rounds to explode above or near the targets out to a distance of 600 meters. The selling point was that soldiers could use the weapon to target enemies from cover.

But, as Stars and Stripes reports, the XM25 started running into trouble when operational testing commenced in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2013. The system got mixed reviews from units, and testing was stopped completely after three soldiers sustained injuries during malfunctions. This, coupled with mounting cost …Read the Rest

Source:: Tactical Life