The XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon (ACSW) was a developmental
25 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher with programmable
airburst
An air burst or airburst 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. The principal military advantage of an air burst over ...
capability. It is the result of the ''
OCSW The OCSW (''Objective Crew Served Weapon'') 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. It led to the XM312 and XM307 designs.
As ...
'' 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 enemy combatants out to 2,000 meters (2,187 yd), and destroy lightly
armored vehicle
Military vehicles are commonly armoured (or armored; see spelling differences) to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, shells, rockets, and missiles, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured ...
s,
watercraft
Any vehicle used in or on water as well as underwater, including boats, ships, hovercraft and submarines, is a watercraft, also known as a water vessel or waterborne vessel. A watercraft usually has a propulsive capability (whether by sail, ...
, and
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
s at 1,000 meters (1,094 yd). The project was canceled in 2007.
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Overview
The system was under development by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products for the U.S. Army (TACOM). As a part of the ''Small Arms Master Plan'' (SAMP) program, it is intended to either replace or supplement the Mk19 automatic grenade launcher and the M2 heavy machine gun. It fires 25 mm point-detonating and air burst style ammunition, including HE, and HEAT
In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...
at a cyclic rate of 260 rounds per minute and has an effective range up to 2 kilometers.
The primary feature of the XM307 is its attenuated recoil
Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force r ...
system. The weapon controls recoil to a degree that a large tripod
A tripod is a portable three-legged frame or stand, used as a platform for supporting the weight and maintaining the stability of some other object. The three-legged (triangular stance) design provides good stability against gravitational loads ...
and heavy sandbag
A sandbag or dirtbag is a bag or sack made of hessian (burlap), polypropylene or other sturdy materials that is filled with sand or soil and used for such purposes as flood control, military fortification in trenches and bunkers, shielding gl ...
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 is any death, injury, or other damage inflicted that is an incidental result of an activity. Originally coined by military operations, it is now also used in non-military contexts.
Since the development of precision guided ...
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 feature of the XM307 is that it can be converted into the 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. military for a replacement for the aging M2 Browning heavy machine gun, ...
, a 12.7 mm (.50)-caliber version for infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
and light anti-armor support in under two minutes (1 minute, 42 seconds).
Specifications
System
*''Weight'': 50 lb (22.5 kg) (gun, mount, and fire control)
*''Fire Control'': full solution, day/night
*''Portability'': two-man portable and vehicle mountable
*''Stability'': up to 18 inch (457 mm) tripod height
*''Environmental'': operationally insensitive to conditions
Gun
*''Dimensions'': 9.9 W × 7.2 H × 52.3 L max inches (43.3 L charged) / 251 mm × 183 mm × 1328 mm (1100 mm charged)
*''Rate of Fire'': 250 rounds per minute, automatic
*''Dispersion'': less than 1.5 mils, one sigma radius
*''Range'': lethal and suppressive out to 2,000 m
*''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 Systems
Future Combat Systems (FCS) 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 unpr ...
family of vehicles is also under development.[XM307 Ma-Deuce Replacement Gets More Investment](_blank)
/ref> 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
A remotely operated underwater vehicle (technically ROUV or just ROV) is a tethered underwater mobile device, commonly called ''underwater robot''.
Definition
This meaning is different from remote control vehicles operating on land or in the a ...
variant.
However, in 2007 the project was canceled due to the low rate of fire of the prototypes.
See also
* Mk 47 Striker
* LAG 40 grenade launcher
The SB-40 LAG is a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher developed and produced in Spain by the Empresa Nacional Santa Bárbara (EN SB) company (currently a part of the European Land Systems Group of General Dynamics).
Users
* : Used by Brazili ...
, an automatic grenade launcher used by Spain
* Vektor Y3 AGL
The Denel Y3 AGL is a South African-manufactured automatic grenade launcher currently manufactured by Denel Land Systems. , an automatic grenade launcher of South African origin
* Heckler & Koch GMG, a 40mm automatic grenade launcher used by the German Army and other European armed forces
* XM174 grenade launcher
* AGS-30, a similar weapon, 30mm calibre
* 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. military for a replacement for the aging M2 Browning heavy machine gun, ...
, a .50 BMG version of the XM307
* Mk 47, a similar but older automatic 40mm grenade launcher, also replacing the Mk 19 in some roles.
* Barrett XM109
The Barrett XM109 is a prototype anti materiel sniper rifle, chambered for 25 × 59 mm grenade rounds and developed by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing. It was designed in accordance with a requirement set out in 1994, and is capable of defeating ...
, an anti-material sniper rifle firing the same ammunition as the XM307 ACSW
* XM25 CDTE
The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) System, also known as the Punisher and Individual Semiautomatic Air Burst System was an air burst, airburst grenade launcher with programmable ammunition derived from the XM29 OICW. It was fie ...
, a 25mm low-velocity smart cannon/grenade launcher for an individual soldier
* XM29 OICW
The XM29 OICW (''Objective Individual Combat Weapon'') was a series of prototypes of a new type of assault rifle that fired 20 mm HE airbursting projectiles. The prototypes were developed as part of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon ...
* Comparison of automatic grenade launchers An automatic grenade launcher (AGL) or grenade machine gun is a grenade launcher that is capable of fully automatic fire, and is typically loaded with either an ammunition belt or magazine.
These weapons are often mounted on vehicles or helicopte ...
References
External links
Discovery Website - XM307 video clip
* ttp://world.guns.ru/grenade/gl24-e.htm XM307 ACSW Advanced Crew-Served Weapon - Modern Firearms
General Dynamics: Fact Sheet on the XM307
{{DEFAULTSORT:Xm307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon
Grenade launchers of the United States
Automatic grenade launchers
Autocannon
Abandoned military projects of the United States