Raytheon new infantry missile

[Cdnwolf]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/10/16/raytheon-tests-40mm-pike-missile-with-range-of-over-2-kilometers/

[raketenjagdpanzer]

I question the effectiveness of a missile that can have a 40mm diameter warhead (at most). We have missiles that fit all niches: AT4 (and the Predator-SRAW), tons of LAWs in stocks, licensed copies of the Swedish BILL system, Javelin, and TOW, as well as Hellfire on-call.

[SquireNed]

I think part of the point of the 40mm missile isn't that it's necessarily an anti-armor device, but rather that it has other opportunities. Basically, you've got at least a grenade payload, laser guidance, and kilometer-plus range. Ostensibly, you can put any grenade payload in there, so it's able to put down signal smoke, frag, HE, and other rounds (illumination, thermobaric, airburst, and so forth).

A 40mm payload threatens pretty much any soft-body vehicle, which in counterinsurgency is probably a great boon. At the least you could immobilize a technical or VIED with a missile, and you can bring two or three projectiles along and still come out better than a M72 LAW in terms of carrying efficiency because a LAW is at least twice as long and three times wider than the final projectile and the weight would be equivalent. The M320 adds weight to a weapon, sure, but it does not require the addition of a second weapon. Also, diameter of missile payloads is likely less important than weight, and the Pike weighs >2 pounds while M72 rockets weigh 2.2 pounds. If we assume that there have been no improvements in efficiency and design of the motors in the rockets, and indeed the Pike's actual effective payload is likely less than that of the M72's, the fact that the Pike can hit at kilometer ranges and further should make the M72 and other portable munitions somewhat afraid.

It reminds me of Eclipse Phase, where small homing missiles are the common alternative to grenades because they're simply so incredibly hardcore you'd never want to throw or launch anything unguided ever again.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

And I believe that that is probably the whole idea behind the Pike.
It can replace for example, the M72 and AT4 for softskin targets leaving them for their proper role of light anti-armour and of more significance, it's guided and has a much smaller firing signature than LAAWs

The Pike gives you the ability to lob a grenade into an enemy position from hundreds of metres away with a very high accuracy potential. Think of the possibilities; you have a weapon that allows an infantry team to target an enemy beyond the range of their standard weapons and all without the need to attach something like a light mortar or a rocket launcher to the unit and without the firing signature that those weapons have.

I tend to also believe that this is exactly the sort of thing that the West needs to be examining (even if it isn't directly taken into service) to maintain the technology lead over Russia and China.

[SquireNed]

Keep in mind that insurgents use RPG's for air-burst capabilities (some RPG projectiles automatically detonate after traveling 950 meters); it's only logical that we one-up their anti-infantry engagement range.

[Tegyrius]

This looks like someone betting on a funding or performance failure with the XM25 program. It seems to offer similar capability - light, accurate, long-range explosives at the fireteam/squad level - without the dependency on the bulky and heavy OICW-derived 25mm launcher. If you run out of Pikes, you can still fire the whole rainbow of 40mm conventional grenades through your launcher. If your launcher fails, it's probably underslung on a perfectly serviceable 5.56mm assault rifle or carbine.

- C.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I had forgotten the XM25 was back on the scene and yes it does appear as if Raytheon (with the Pike) is betting on non-/limited- adoption of the 25mm grenade & launcher but I'd ask, isn't there room for both in the inventory?

[rcaf_777]

well with the pike your using a existing and combat proven weapons system. all they did is made a new round. With the XM-25 it a whole knew weapon system with now new rounds and designed to complement the XM-8 rifle.

sounds vastly different to me

[swaghauler]

I had forgotten the XM25 was back on the scene and yes it does appear as if Raytheon (with the Pike) is betting on non-/limited- adoption of the 25mm grenade & launcher but I'd ask, isn't there room for both in the inventory?

The big issue is cost. I've heard that the XM25 goes north of $25K for the launcher alone but is much beloved by the troops who are "field testing" it in Afghanistan (when they can get the rounds for it). The Pike will probably run in the $10K range for a single round if SRAW pricing is any indicator of Raytheon's pricing strategy. Laser guidance is also very common in the world so you're not surrendering any advanced or "proprietary" technology with it. If you give the XM25 Grenade Launcher to an allied army; You are giving them the experimental technology that lets you "airburst" grenades over an enemy's head. I see both making "a showing" in the NATO arsenal (especially among the more "budget minded" members).

[StainlessSteelCynic]

And this is the sort of thing that was in my mind when I was posting. There's a lot more flexibility with the XM25 (different grenades types, different fusing options etc. etc.) but do you really want to transfer that sort of technology to anybody but the closest allies? As you say, laser guidance knowledge is not proprietary technology so supplying the Pike is lot less worrisome in terms of tech transfer (and even if it is less flexible, it still seems a very capable system for its intended role).

The big issue is cost. I've heard that the XM25 goes north of $25K for the launcher alone but is much beloved by the troops who are "field testing" it in Afghanistan (when they can get the rounds for it). The Pike will probably run in the $10K range for a single round if SRAW pricing is any indicator of Raytheon's pricing strategy. Laser guidance is also very common in the world so you're not surrendering any advanced or "proprietary" technology with it. If you give the XM25 Grenade Launcher to an allied army; You are giving them the experimental technology that lets you "airburst" grenades over an enemy's head. I see both making "a showing" in the NATO arsenal (especially among the more "budget minded" members).