XM307
Encyclopedia
The XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon (ACSW) was a developmental 25 mm belt-fed Grenade Machine Gun with smart shell capability. It is the result of the OCSW
or Objective Crew Served Weapon project. It is lightweight and designed to be two-man portable, as well as vehicle mounted. The XM307 can kill or suppress
human beings out to 2,000 meters (2,187 yd), and destroy lightly armored vehicles, watercraft
, and helicopter
s at 1,000 meters (1,094 yd). The project was canceled in 2007.
and the M2 heavy machine gun. It fires 25 mm point-detonating and air burst
style ammunition, including HE, and HEAT
at a cyclic rate of 260 rounds per minute and has an effective range up to 2 kilometers.
The primary advantage of the XM307 is its attenuated recoil
system. The weapon controls recoil to a degree that a large tripod
and heavy sandbag
s are not required to effectively employ this weapon. Because of its reduced recoil impulse and light weight, other mounting options are possible, such as small unmanned vehicles and aircraft. The XM307's airburst rounds make it much easier to bypass walls protecting enemies that could cause collateral damage
if fired upon directly. Operators do not have to shoot through the wall, just through an opening or over the top to kill the people behind the cover, leaving the structure of the building intact. An additional advantage of the XM307 is that it can be converted into the XM312
, a .50-caliber version for infantry
and light anti-armor support in under two minutes (1 minute, 42 seconds).
Gun
family of vehicles is also under development. The weapon system, which would be mounted on the vehicle, will be remotely operated from within the vehicle.
In December 2005 funding was granted for a remotely operated vehicle
variant.
However in 2007 the project canceled due to the low rate of fire of the prototypes.
OCSW
The OCSW was a U.S. Military arms program started in the 1980s that led to a hybrid smaller prototype automatic autocannon developed by General Dynamics Armament Systems...
or Objective Crew Served Weapon project. It is lightweight and designed to be two-man portable, as well as vehicle mounted. The XM307 can kill or suppress
Suppressive fire
In military science, suppressive fire is a fire that degrades the performance of a target below the level needed to fulfill its mission. Suppression is usually only effective for the duration of the fire. Suppressive fire is not always a direct form of fire towards targets; it can be an effective...
human beings out to 2,000 meters (2,187 yd), and destroy lightly armored vehicles, watercraft
Watercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
, and helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s at 1,000 meters (1,094 yd). The project was canceled in 2007.
Overview
The system was under development by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products for the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). As a part of the Small Arms Master Plan (SAMP) program, it is intended to either replace or supplement the Mk19 automatic grenade launcherMk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
and the M2 heavy machine gun. It fires 25 mm point-detonating and air burst
Air burst
An air burst is the detonation of an explosive device such as an anti-personnel artillery shell or a nuclear weapon in the air instead of on contact with the ground or target or a delayed armor piercing explosion....
style ammunition, including HE, and HEAT
Heat
In physics and thermodynamics, heat is energy transferred from one body, region, or thermodynamic system to another due to thermal contact or thermal radiation when the systems are at different temperatures. It is often described as one of the fundamental processes of energy transfer between...
at a cyclic rate of 260 rounds per minute and has an effective range up to 2 kilometers.
The primary advantage of the XM307 is its attenuated recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
system. The weapon controls recoil to a degree that a large tripod
Tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The word comes from the Greek tripous, meaning "three feet". A tripod provides stability against downward forces, horizontal forces and moments about the...
and heavy sandbag
Sandbag
A sandbag is a sack made of hessian/burlap, polypropylene or other materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification, shielding glass windows in war zones and ballast....
s are not required to effectively employ this weapon. Because of its reduced recoil impulse and light weight, other mounting options are possible, such as small unmanned vehicles and aircraft. The XM307's airburst rounds make it much easier to bypass walls protecting enemies that could cause collateral damage
Collateral damage
Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...
if fired upon directly. Operators do not have to shoot through the wall, just through an opening or over the top to kill the people behind the cover, leaving the structure of the building intact. An additional advantage of the XM307 is that it can be converted into the XM312
XM312
The XM312 is a heavy machine gun derived from the XM307 25 mm autocannon and chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge. It was designed in response to a request by the U.S...
, a .50-caliber version for infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and light anti-armor support in under two minutes (1 minute, 42 seconds).
Specifications
System- Weight 50 Pounds (19.05 kg) (Gun, Mount, and Fire Control)
- Fire Control Full Solution, Day/Night
- Portability Two-Man Portable & Vehicle Mountable
- Stability Up to 18-Inch Tripod Height
- Environmental Operationally Insensitive to Conditions
Gun
- Dimensions 9.9W×7.2H×52.3L max inches (43.3L charged)/ 251.46×182.88×1328.42mm (1099.82 charged)
- Rate of Fire 250 Shots per Minute, Automatic
- Dispersion Less than 1.5 Mils, One Sigma Radius
- Range Lethal and Suppressive Out to 2,000 Meters
- Ammunition High-Explosive Airbursting, Armor Piercing, and Training Ammunition (HE, AP, TP, TP-S)
- Feed System Weapon-Mountable Ammunition Can (Left Feed)
Variants
A Remotely Operated Variant (ROV) for the Future Combat SystemsFuture Combat Systems
Future Combat Systems was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unprecedented fast and flexible battlefield network...
family of vehicles is also under development. The weapon system, which would be mounted on the vehicle, will be remotely operated from within the vehicle.
Program status
In May 2004, the development phase was funded through FY 2007.In December 2005 funding was granted for a remotely operated vehicle
Remotely operated vehicle
A remotely operated vehicle is a tethered underwater vehicle. They are common in deepwater industries such as offshore hydrocarbon extraction. An ROV may sometimes be called a remotely operated underwater vehicle to distinguish it from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the air. ROVs...
variant.
However in 2007 the project canceled due to the low rate of fire of the prototypes.
See also
- LAG 40 grenade launcher - Automatic Grenade Launcher used by Spain.
- Vektor Y3 AGLVektor Y3 AGLThe Y3 is a South African automatic grenade launcher manufactured by Denel Land Systems. It fires 40x53mm grenades at a rate of 280–320 rounds per minute.It can be vehicle mounted using a special bracket or used with a tripod....
- Automatic Grenade Launcher of South African origin. - Heckler & Koch GMGHeckler & Koch GMGThe GMG is an automatic grenade launcher developed by Heckler & Koch for the German Army. It is also often referred to as GMW .-Design details:...
- A 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher used by the German ArmyGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
and other EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an armed forces. - XM174 grenade launcherXM174 grenade launcherThe XM174 is a mounted automatic 40mm grenade launcher heavily based on the M1919A4 machine gun and the M79 grenade launcher but fed from an ammo can...
- AGS-30AGS-30The AGS-30 is a Russian-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service with the Russian armed forces.-Description:...
, similar weapon, 30 mm calibre - XM312XM312The XM312 is a heavy machine gun derived from the XM307 25 mm autocannon and chambered for the .50 BMG cartridge. It was designed in response to a request by the U.S...
- (.50 cal..50 BMGThe .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
version of the XM307) - Mk 47 - A 40 mm Grenade Launcher, also replacing the Mk 19 in some roles.
- Barrett XM109Barrett XM109The Barrett XM109 is an anti-materiel rifle, chambered in 25 × 59 mm, under development by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing.-Overview:The XM109, originally known as the Objective Sniper Weapon or "Payload Rifle" , is a semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle, designed primarily for engagement of light...
- An anti-material sniper rifle firing the same ammunition as the XM307 ACSW. - XM25XM25The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, also known as the Punisher, Individual Semiautomatic Air Burst System, and the Bowling Tube is an air burst grenade launcher derived from the XM29 OICW...
- A 25mm low-velocity smart cannon/grenade launcher for an individual soldier.