The U.S Army recently unveiled two lighter more lethal weapons systems in development that are currently being tested by the soldiers; the laser sighted XM-25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System and the LW50MG lightweight .50-Caliber Machine Gun. (The Taliban should be worried...)

XM-25
The semi-automatic XM-25 represents the U.S. Army’s first shoulder fired ‘smart’ weapon. The new system weighs in at 14 lbs and fires the 25mm dual-warhead, low velocity, flat trajectory smart ammunition round that explodes over a target. Effective range of the XM-25 is 750 meters, double that of the 40mm M-203 grenade launcher currently in service and a perfect fit for the longer ranges being encountered in Afghanistan.

According to Richard Audette, deputy program manager for Soldier Weapons, a soldier fielding the XM-25 finds a target, then lasers the target, then aims and fires. The computerized system determines the targets range, then arms and fires the round detonating it at the precise moment above the target.

LW50MG lightweight .50-Caliber Machine Gun.
The lightweight LW50MG .50 caliber machine offers the same incredible stopping power as the venerable M-2 .50 caliber machine gun, only in a much lighter (some 64 lbs) , more forgiving and more accurate platform.

In addition to being roughly half the weight of the M2, the LW50MG has 60 percent less recoil which translates into more accurate and quicker rounds being fired downrange.

Another major improvement over the M2 is the ability to pull out a barrel without having to screw in a new one. With the LW50MG, you simply pull out the old barrel, insert the new barrel, lock it into place and start firing.

According to Richard Audette, even though the LW50MG is still in development, it has proven to be very, very durable and accurate firing the same .50 caliber rounds the same distance.