XM25 CDTE - History

History

In the summer of 2010, the United States Army began field testing the XM25 in Afghanistan, with an initial per unit cost of the early models range from US$30,000 to $35,000. The Army planned to purchase 12,500 XM25s in 2011 at a cost of $25,000 each and have them fielded by 2012, enough for one XM25 system in each infantry squad and special forces team. According to U.S. Army project manager for new weapons, Colonel Douglas Tamilio, the rounds for the XM25 were expected to cost about $24 each (as of 2010).

Alliant Techsystems has indicated that the rifle may later use bullets with smaller explosive charges which will stun opponents rather than killing them.

Five of the weapons were deployed with the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan in October 2010, along with 1,000 hand-made air-burst rounds. The soldiers reported that the weapon was extremely effective at killing or neutralizing enemy combatants firing on US troops from covered positions. The US troops have nicknamed the weapon, "The Punisher." First contact was 3 December 2010. As of February 2011, the weapon had been fired 55 times at a cost of $1,000 each, but the cost is now expected to be $35 per shot when in full production, scheduled from 2012. The US Army ordered 36 more of the rifles in January 2012. On September 12, 2012, Alliant Techsystems received a $16.8 million engineering and manufacturing development contract modification for the XM25. The contract funds the continuing design, integration, production, and testing of fully functional systems to ensure the weapon's final design meets performance requirements and is production-ready prior to fielding. ATK will be supporting another Army XM25 forward operational assessment scheduled for 2013 with a 36 gun battalion set of new pre-production prototypes.