During AUSA I got to spend some time with a model of the Northrop Grumman Precision Grenadier System which is one of several counter defilade and counter UAS weapon systems currently being evaluated by the US Army.
They’ve been at this project longer than most with early experience during the XM25 Punisher program. A study undertaken years ago for OICW (which the XM25 was derived from) led them to the 25mm ammunition size. Others are using 30mm or even 40mm.
So far, they’ve developed rounds for air-bursting, proximity, close quarter battle as well as target practice and they produce them themselves.
I find the airburst round to be the most impressive. It is a programmable, dual-warhead high-explosive fragmenting round that can be fired in both airburst and point detonate. By dual-warhead they mean that there are explosive charges at both the front and rear of the warhead.
To arm the round, the target is lased (in this case with the XM157) using the middle button. The Grenadier can use the plus and minus buttons above and below the lase button to add or subtract a meter per detent to where the warhead will detonate. This, combined with the dual-warhead would allow for a round to detonate above an open trench or fighting position, or within a room of fired through a window, door, or breach.
The High Explosive Proximity incorporates a proximity sensor to identify and explosively fragment the projectile in-flight to defeat stationary or moving UAS. This round does not require programming.
The CQB round uses buckshot for trench clearing a close-in CUAS.
The training practice round is a marker similar to the 40mm ammunition used in the M320 and is ballistically matched to the 25mm HEAB and 25mm PROX rounds.
Is my understanding that the army is considering replacing the M3 20 grenade launchers in the squad with PGS and that PGS will be the Grenadier’s primary weapon.
Because they selected 25mm, Northrup Grumman offers three round as well as five round removable, box magazines.
Lastly, I’d like to mention that the weapon weighs in at 12.9 lbs loaded with 5 rounds and 11.4 lbs empty and is ambidextrous in controls and ejection. There are ejection ports on either side and the weapon can configured to use either one. For charging, the black lever at the top is spring loaded and nonreciprocating. The shooter pulls it to either side and it snaps back onto the carry position once it is released.
“A study undertaken years ago for OICW (which the XM25 was derived from) led them to the 25mm ammunition size. Others are using 30mm or even 40mm.”
And I’ll wager the payload capacity that was so concerning with the OICW is the same problem they’ll have with using 25mm…again.
Eric,
Just to be clear, this is in competition for the Army PGS against FN but FN is the only one so far to be granted a further development contract?
It’s complicated. There are three companies right now in this, but even then, this is not the final competition for actual adoption. If you remember how next generation weapons went, at first there was a PPON for next generation squad automatic rifle and they gave money to several companies to work on their concepts. Later, they opened up the actual NGSW competition and from that they adopted the system they have now. PGS is still several years out.
Companies to watch at Northrup Grumman, FN, Barrett, and believe it or not Rheinmetall who keep developing their 40mm weapon on their own.
Ah. Got it. Glad you drew the parallel with NGSW. Makes the mud a little clearer for me.
That is the smallest trigger space I have ever seen. I guess they dont think they will ever have to shoot this in Alaska or Russia becasue gloves dont look like an option.
Also i personnal love the schziphrenia we have in wepons development and Soldier load. The head of infantry wants to reduce the weight an Infantryman carries by 55lbs and yet all I see are bigger rifles (M7) with big optics, and big suppressor with bigger cartidrages (6.8x51mm) and now BFG of grenade launcher. Plus all the electronics, radios, EW, EUDs and batteries “they” want to strap to soldiers.
Yup. I don’t think we are gonna reach that 55lbs threshold.
On the upside we are finally getting a “puffy” jacket to replace the heavy and non-packable fleece jacket for the ECWCS. Only took 15 years.
In its defense, this was a printed model and things like that can changed after Soldier Touch Points.
I can say with 100% certainty that the military is not going to transition to this helmet or earpro. What you see is highly conceptual and has not been in the hands of end-users.
This is what Palmer Lucky is telling you you need.
I wonder whether PGS being the soldiers primary weapon will give rise to a holsterable PDW similar to the B&T MP9 / HK MP7 / P320 Flux Raider. This is one of the rare applications where I think such a PDW would make a lot of sense.
I know the current promos have talked about buckshot rounds for CQB, but that hardly seems optimal (swapping mags under stress + reducing HE load + limited volume of large mags that can be carried).
I spoke with the previous PM for pistols about it and there is finally some forward momentum in the Army on leveraging the modularity of MHS which you’ll see soon here on SSD.
Yes, what’s old is new. The original version of all this was an M-79 grenadier carrying a 1911A1.
They should do the funny thing and stick a stripped down M7 carbine under the barrel like the XM29.
God that would be so heavy.