US troops in Afghanistan are testing a high-tech "smart" rifle that uses computer-chip-embedded rounds that can detonate behind walls, LiveScience.com reported Wednesday.
Using sensors, lasers and optics, the XM25 rifle guides 25mm rounds -- each embedded with a microchip -- to hit a target up to about 2,300 feet (700 meters) away, the report said.
Once reaching the target hidden behind walls, rocks or trenches, the bullets, which act like grenades, can be detonated, according to the report.
The report explains the way how the rifle works -- a laser is built into the targeting scope that sits on top of the weapon. It measures the distance to a target -- for instance, the wall that conceals a combatant. The soldier then can modify the distance to allow the bullet to detonate past the wall.
When the soldier pulls the trigger, this information is wirelessly relayed to the computer chip in the shell.
A magnet inside the bullet generates alternating current as it spins through the air, and conveys information to the microchip to let the bullet know how far it's traveled.
Once the computerized bullet reaches its programmed distance, it will explode, spreading shrapnel evenly in all directions, the report said.
The XM25 rifle is being developed by firearms producer Heckler & Koch, and costs $ 25,000 to $ 35,000 apiece, according to the report.
Troops operating in various outposts with high levels of enemy activity began carrying the semi-automatic XM25 rifles in November, the report said.
Depending on the feedback from the soldiers, the Army will decide whether to issue 12,500 smart rifles to troops in Afghanistan, starting in 2014, said the report. (PNA/Xinhua)
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Topic: XM25 Rifle Detonates Behind Walls (Read 705 times)