US deploys 'game-changer' weapon

I remember reading about this when it was combined with a 5.56mm rifle in a single package. Good to see it going to production; combining the best of direct and indirect fire in a single weapon does seem a bit of a game changer.

It's interesting to project the tactical adaptations of people facing the weapon. Seeking L-shaped cover and trying even harder to avoid direct engagement (IEDs, etc) seem obvious; but I'm sure there are many more implications.

This is a grenade launcher with programmable air-burst ammunition. If the enemy is hiding in trenches you can set it to go off over their holes, if the enemy is hiding behind a wall you can set it to go off behind the wall, etc.. It also has uses in more dynamic firefights, since unlike most grenades it doesn't have a timer, you can fire it into a group of enemy soldiers running at you and set it to go off amongst them. Overall it's a pretty potent weapon.

A similar weapon technology was developed by the allies in WWII, it was a radio fused artillery shell called the "VT fuze". It allowed artillery shells to detonate at a specific distance above the ground (or in proximity to an aircraft), instead of on a direct hit. This dramatically increased the effectiveness of artillery (by nearly an order of magnitude), the shells were considered so important that they were only used in situations where they could not be captured and fall into enemy hands.