The XM-25 is a hand-held weapon that uses a laser to work out the exact distance to the target and can be programmed to detonate before or after the place it is due to land.

	A shipment of XM-25 grenade launchers are to be sent to Afghanistan for the first time, it was reported today

A microchip inside the grenade tells it how far it should travel before it explodes, allowing soldiers to precisely target hidden enemy fighters.

Each round contains a small magnet that generates AC current as it spins through the air, allowing tiny on-board microprocessor to determine how far it’s traveled.

Now a military website is claiming that the first batch of XM-25s are to be sent out to be used by US troops in Afghanistan. Each weapons is estimated to cost around $25,000

Defence blog Soldier Systems claims that five developmental XM-25 grenade launchers are being sent to the 101st Airborne in eastern Afghanistan. A further 36 weapons will be sent shortly after.

The XM25’s air-bursting 25mm rounds are capable of defeating an enemy behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole. It comes with a thermal sight and can hit targets up to 500 metres away.

The system is being developed by defence firms Heckler & Koch and Alliant Techsystems.

It is expected that the weapon will be fully deployed in 2012.