

US deploys 'game-changer' weapon - bakbak
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101201/sc_afp/usmilitaryweaponsafghanistan

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khafra
I remember reading about this when it was combined with a 5.56mm rifle in a
single package. Good to see it going to production; combining the best of
direct and indirect fire in a single weapon does seem a bit of a game changer.

It's interesting to project the tactical adaptations of people facing the
weapon. Seeking L-shaped cover and trying even harder to avoid direct
engagement (IEDs, etc) seem obvious; but I'm sure there are many more
implications.

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InclinedPlane
This is a grenade launcher with programmable air-burst ammunition. If the
enemy is hiding in trenches you can set it to go off over their holes, if the
enemy is hiding behind a wall you can set it to go off behind the wall, etc..
It also has uses in more dynamic firefights, since unlike most grenades it
doesn't have a timer, you can fire it into a group of enemy soldiers running
at you and set it to go off amongst them. Overall it's a pretty potent weapon.

A similar weapon technology was developed by the allies in WWII, it was a
radio fused artillery shell called the "VT fuze". It allowed artillery shells
to detonate at a specific distance above the ground (or in proximity to an
aircraft), instead of on a direct hit. This dramatically increased the
effectiveness of artillery (by nearly an order of magnitude), the shells were
considered so important that they were only used in situations where they
could not be captured and fall into enemy hands.

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hga
Although the latter changed (by definition) just in time for the Battle of the
Bulge. Patton later commented that it would force a complete change in
infantry tactics.

