The XM29 OICW (Objective Individual Combat Weapon) was the name for a series of prototypes of a new type of battle rifle that fired 20 mm HE airbursting projectiles. The prototypes were developed as part of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon program in the 1990s. The term SABR (Selectable Assault Battle Rifle) was also used at certain points, but is less common. An early XM8 mockup after the break up; became part of OICW Increment 1 A working XM25 prototype is tested in 2005; this was part of OICW Increment 2 OICW prototype; similar to the planned OICW Increment 3 Early Springfield Armory SPIW prototype (Circa 1964) Final Springfield Armory SPIW prototype...

Objective Individual Combat Weapon

Image File history File links Objective Individual Combat Weapon Source: http://afsf. ...

Overview

Developed by Alliant Techsystems, with Heckler & Koch as a major subcontractor, the most commonly seen version of the XM29 consisted of a semiautomatic 20 mm smart grenade launcher, an underslung assault carbine (derived from the HK G36 then in its late developmental stage) firing a standard 5.56 x 45 mm NATO round, and a top-mounted computer-assisted sighting system with integrated laser rangefinder, thermal night vision capabilities, and up to 6x optical telescopic sight. Earlier designs used different configurations and setups. A side-by-side configuration was tested before the underslung approach was adopted. Other variations included just the 20 mm launcher or one that used the MP7 rather than the 5.56 mm NATO rifle. Alliant Techsystems NYSE: ATK is a major US aerospace and defense contractor with sales of approximately USD $2. ... Heckler & Koch G41 Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) (pronounced //) is a German weapons manufacturing company famous for various series of small firearms, notably the MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 personal defense weapon, USP series handguns, high-precision PSG1 sniper rifle, and the G3 and G36 assault rifles. ... A smart grenade is a type of explosive ammunition used in some modern grenade launchers. ... A carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ... H&K G36 The Heckler und Koch Gewehr Model 36 (company designation G36, Bundeswehr designation ) is a modular weapon system designed in West Germany in the 1980s and 1990s. ... U.S. Military 5. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with LIDAR. (Discuss) A laser range-finder, or LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging), is a device which uses a laser beam in order to determine the distance to an opaque object. ... Night-vision is seeing in the dark. ... Caliber: 4. ...

The launcher part has been described variously as a light semi-automatic 20 mm cannon, a grenade launcher, or an airburst weapon. It poses a classification problem, in that it does not fit neatly into any one category. On one hand, it uses much smaller shells and has a much flatter trajectory than grenade launchers. On the other, while its calibre and velocity is more similar to light cannon, it does share traits with other infantry grenade launchers.

Various problems have effectively ended the program as it was originally envisioned, including weight, bulk, and lack of effectiveness of the 20 mm airburst round. Upon cancellation in 2004, it was split into three related programs. OICW Increment One is a program to develop a family of light kinetic energy weapons, OICW Increment Two is a program to develop the airburst grenade launcher as a standalone component, and OICW Increment Three will be a program to re-integrate the two components. The XM8 was developed to meet Increment One requirements, but has since been cancelled in favour of an open request for proposal for the best designs from industry. It is anticipated that XM8 (or something very like it) will compete in that RFP. Meanwhile, the XM25 25 mm airburst launcher was developed to meet the Increment Two requirements. Increment Three will not be initiated until after One and Two are completed. The XM8 is the project name for a lightweight, compact assault rifle under development by the German small arms manufacturer Heckler und Koch (H&K) on behalf of the US Army. ... The XM25 is an airburst grenade launcher derived from the XM-29 OICW. It fires 25 mm grenades that can be set to explode in mid-air after traveling a certain distance. ...

The RFP for the OICW Increment I program was cancelled on October 31, 2005. The status of the Increment I and its impact on the other Increments is not clear. October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Technical characteristics

The XM29 is a combination weapon, which has the 20 mm semi-automatic, magazine fed cannon/grenade launcher as its primary part, and the 5.56 mm compact assault rifle as its secondary part. Both parts are assembled into the single one-man portable unit, with the addition of the target acquisition / fire control system (TA/FCS), which is an essential part of the whole system. The XM29 is planned to become an integral part of the future Land Warrior system, capable of communicating with the other parts of this system, including the tactical computers and helmet-mounted displays. A small cannon on a carriage, Bucharest. ... A grenade launcher is weapon that fires or launches a grenade to longer distances than a soldier could throw by hand. ... A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ... Land Warrior is a United States Army program that uses a combination of commercial, off-the-shelf technology (COTS) and current-issue military gear and equipment designed to: Integrate small arms with high-tech equipment Provide communications and command and control at the infantry soldier level Look at the individual...

HEAB launcher

A working XM25 prototype is tested in 2005;This was part of OICW Increment II. It uses somewhat bigger (25 mm) grenades than the earlier launcher portion of the XM29 (20 mm)

Early in 2002 the XM29 prototypes were successfully tested with the newest 20 mm HEAB (High Explosive Air Bursting) munitions, which would be the major "kill factor" for the XM29 weapon. The launcher is capable of firing in semi-automatic mode only, and is gas operated. It has a bullpup layout with the detachable box magazine located in the butt of the weapon. The rifled barrel is used to launch the 20 mm grenades up to 1,000 meters with good accuracy. In the standard configuration most of the fire controls for the grenade launcher unit are located on the rifle unit, including the single trigger for both firing modules. It is quite possible, however, that a separate stock will be developed for the grenade launcher unit, allowing it to be used without the rifle unit attached. ImageMetadata File history File links OCPAXM25test2005. ... ImageMetadata File history File links OCPAXM25test2005. ... The XM25 is an airburst grenade launcher derived from the XM-29 OICW. It fires 25 mm grenades that can be set to explode in mid-air after traveling a certain distance. ... Steyr AUG is one of the most successful bullpup rifles Bullpup is a firearm configuration in which the action (or mechanism) and magazine are located behind the trigger. ...

The launchers has the provisions for the TA/FCS system to be mounted on its top, and the appropriate interfaces, so the data provided from the TA/FCS can be used to program the 20 mm grenade fuses. The safety and arming device/unit (SAU) used in the fuse is based on MEMS (Micro ElectroMechanical Systems) technology. These fuses have multiple function modes; including direct impact and airburst. In the latter mode the fuse is pre-programmed to detonate the warhead at a preset range, which is calculated by measuring the distance to the target (via a laser range finder) and calculating the amount of turns the projectile will make to reach that distance and feeding that into the fuse before firing. During the flight the fuse counts the number of rotations taken and detonates the warhead when the correct amount of turns has been attained. This allows the round to defeat targets without direct impact, using the blast and fragmentation effect of the high explosive warhead. The fragmentation produced by the warhead’s airburst detonation allows the attack of multiple targets with one munition and can be more deadly to the enemy than direct fire. This is a major advantage over present small arms, which in most cases require a direct hit on the target to be effective, normally only affects one target at a time and allows for greater aiming errors. Due to the warhead's forward and rearward fragmentation spread, it also makes possible the defeat of targets in defilade; in trenches, behind walls and so on. The high explosive warhead also has the advantage of not being dependent on its kinetic energy to be effective, so unlike bullets, its terminal effectiveness does not decrease with increasing ranges. A mite next to a gear set produced using MEMS. Courtesy Sandia National Laboratories, SUMMiTTM Technologies, www. ... Enfilade and defilade are military tactical concepts used to describe a fighting units exposure to enemy fire. ...

The disadvantage of this system is the extreme complexity of the electronic fuses, which results in a high price of a single round of ammunition. The plans stated that one HEAB round must cost about US $25, and it is still to be seen what the actual price of munitions will be. It is interesting that the present design of the HEAB ammunition actually has two small HE warheads at the front and at the rear of the projectile, with the electronic fuse module located between them. While the HEAB is considered a primary round for the 20 mm grenade launcher, it is entirely possible to develop a low cost anti-armour 20 mm round with a Shaped Charge warhead, which will be effective against lightly armoured vehicles (APC, MICV and like) and various hardened targets. Image:APCTalha. ...

TA/FCS

The target acquisition/fire control system (TA/FCS) is the most expensive and complicated unit of the whole system, since it must combine day and night vision capabilities, laser range-finding unit, ballistic computer, and various interfaces to the grenade launcher and external systems. It is used to find the targets in any light and weather conditions, determine the range to the target, calculate and display the aiming data, so the grenade or bullet can be fired to the desired point of impact, and then supply the data to the grenade launcher, so the range can be preset into the grenade fuze. In the case of damage to the TA/FCS the 20 mm grenade launcher still can be used in the direct impact mode, as can the rifle part of the system.

Efficiency and cost issues

Research and testing shows that the XM29 can be up to 500% more effective than present small arms. However, the program has been effectively cancelled due to problems with cost, weight, bulk, and the lack of lethality of the airburst round. The final prototypes of the XM29 weighed in at about five and a half kilograms when empty, and nearly seven when loaded. Soldiers also complained of the sheer bulk of the weapon system. Regarding cost, some experts even commented that the idea of the XM29 "...seems to make a soldier so expensive to field that he can't be risked in combat."

External links

• Modern Firearms - XM29 OICW
• Alliant Techsystems
• Heckler & Koch (English - United States)
• HK Pro - More information including pictures
• OICW I cancelled