Future Weapons of the Military are for Use on Civilians.

Examining the future weapons of the military make one thing clear: the government intends to one day fight citizens in urban environments.

Once envisioned as an under-the-barrel weapon attached to an assault rifle, the self-contained XM-25 is an entirely new take on the grenade launcher.

Using the onboard ballistic computer and laser rangefinder, the firer can quick-set the exact range at which the 25mm round will explode.

Rounds could be set to go off in midair, just past the corner of building, just inside a sniper's window, or directly above a group of hostiles hunched behind a concrete barrier.

Alliance Techsystems, which is developing the XM-25, credits overhead airbursts with the potential for five times greater lethality, compared with the current M203 grenade launcher, because shrapnel will be more likely to drop onto the target's head.

While the United States has repeatedly-and spectacularly-failed to replace the aging M-16, Singapore has been using a newer and possibly better-performing assault rifle since 1999.

The SAR 21 replaced Singapore's licensed version of the M-16, and has gained a reputation among gun experts as one of the best on the market.

It has a smaller overall profile than the M-16, without sacrificing barrel length and significantly more manageable recoil, due in part to the weapon's center of balance.

The recoil tends to drive directly back against the shooter, instead of pushing the barrel upwards.

All of this is useful in an assault rifle, but particularly for urban warfare, where more compact weapons are crucial to maneuvering indoors, and where close-range, fully-automatic fire is more common.

FUTURE WEAPONS OF THE MILITARY

FUTURE WEAPONS OF THE MILITARY WILL BE USED IN "URBAN ENVIRONMENTS"

As the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) program withered on the vine, the system's most revolutionary element, microchip-embedded explosive rounds that could be detonated at precise ranges, raining fragmentation down on enemies hiding in foxholes or behindBarricades, has managed to put down roots.

The Corner Shot is a brutally simple contraption: a modified gun that, thanks to a hinged frame, under-the-barrel camera and handy video screen, allows the user to shoot around corners.

Currently, there are three versions, each with a different weapon at the business end of the frame-a pistol, a compact assault rifle, or a 40mm grenade launcher. The device is designed for urban environments, where the ability to peek around corners is useful, but being able to open fire behind cover is better.

FUTURE WEAPONS OF THE MILITARY ARE DESIGNED TO FIGHT CITIZEN UPRISINGS

The concept of a discreet, foldable submachine gun is at least two decades old. Legendary gun designer Eugene Stoner developed one in the 1980s, but Magpul Industries made news this past March with its own updated take on the lethal cult classic.

The FMG9, short for Folding Machine Gun, looks like some sort of toolbox with a flashlight mounted on top.

It is a quicker transition than anything Stoner was able to pull off, and that could make the weapon an effective tool for lightning raids on terrorist hideouts where surprise could play a major part. It could also be turned against any citizens resisting the global government.