ATK won a $65.8 million contract for engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) of the XM25, an Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System.
The current 30-month contract funds the continued design, integration, production, and testing of the systems. ATK is the prime contractor, systems integrator and ammunition provider for the XM25 program. Program partners include Heckler & Koch delivering the weapon and L-3 Brashear providing the integrated fire control system, comprising thermal capability with direct-view optics, laser rangefinder, compass, fuze-setter, ballistic computer, laser pointer, and illuminator. The XM25 consists of a rifle that fires a 25-millimeter airbursting round programmed by the weapon’s integrated target acquisition and fire control system to detonate directly above an intended target.
The Army is currently conducting a forward operational assessment, which began in Nov. 2010, with pre-production prototype weapons equipping troops in Afghanistan. The weapons are actively carried on patrols and in various combat outposts in areas that are experiencing high levels of enemy activity. Soldier feedback from this assessment will assist future decisions regarding budget, tactics, basis of issue, and improvements soldiers want to see in the weapon’s fielded version.
