Breaking News
AUSA 2025: Northrop’s PGS Offers Mobile Firepower for Infantry C-UAS and Defilade Threats.
Northrop Grumman showed its Precision Grenadier System in Washington, a lightweight, semi-automatic 25 mm launcher paired with programmable airburst and proximity rounds. The concept aims to give squads organic counter-UAS and counter-defilade firepower without sacrificing mobility, a gap the U.S. Army has struggled to close since XM25.
During AUSA 2025 in Washington D.C., Northrop Grumman presented the Precision Grenadier System (PGS), a lightweight, shoulder-fired 25 mm weapon conceived to give dismounted soldiers enhanced firepower without sacrificing mobility. The concept centers on pairing a compact launcher with a programmable ammunition family to defeat targets in defilade, in close quarters, and in the small-UAS threat set. By aligning the weapon with existing U.S. Army fire control and proven ammunition manufacturing practices, the program positions itself as a practical path to frontline relevance. For infantry units tasked to maneuver under drone observation and in complex terrain, this combination is timely and consequential.
PGS, as presented, concentrates squad-level effects into a single, manageable form factor: a 5.5 kg, semi-automatic, magazine-fed 25 mm launcher paired with an ammunition family that spans airburst, proximity, buckshot, and training (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
PGS emerges from a defined lineage and industrial approach. Northrop Grumman draws on 38 years of experience in integrated weapon systems and medium-caliber ammunition for the U.S. government and allies, and the launcher’s architecture traces back to the earlier XM25 developed by Alliant Techsystems, acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2018. The development pathway emphasizes risk reduction through common components and the use of existing automated production lines. Technically, the system integrates inductive in-barrel programming for reliability, mates to the U.S. Army’s XM157 fire control to set advanced fuzing and deliver a ballistic solution, and is built around a titanium barrel with a reinforced polymer over-mold to cut mass. The launcher weighs about 5.5 kg, uses five-round magazines, and maintains semi-automatic operation with ambidextrous controls to streamline training and employment.
Against comparable solutions, PGS aims to broaden effects while keeping handling characteristics familiar. Its recoil has been tested and shown comparable to currently fielded counter-sUAS systems, helping operators maintain shot cadence and sight picture. The form factor, magazine-fed, semi-automatic, and sized like a standard automatic rifle, supports rapid multi-shot engagements that are harder to achieve with heavier crew-served or single-shot shoulder systems. The ammunition suite is the differentiator: a programmable High Explosive Air Burst (HEAB) dual-warhead round capable of both airburst and point-detonate; a High Explosive Proximity (PROX) round with an onboard sensor to fragment in flight against stationary or moving UAS with no programming required; a Close Quarter Battle (CQB) buckshot round for breaching, room and trench clearing, and close-range C-UAS; and a Target Practice (TP) round that is inert, low-cost, and ballistically matched to HEAB and PROX. Compared with legacy approaches that rely on a single munition type, this palette lets a grenadier shift from overhead fragmentation in defilade to proximity defeats against drones or to pellet effects for confined spaces, without changing weapon systems.
The operational logic is straightforward: one portable launcher, multiple effectors, and a common fire-control interface to shorten the sensor-to-shooter loop at squad level. In urban or complex terrain, the HEAB round creates angles of attack over cover and behind obstacles, addressing the classic problem of defilade. In drone-contested airspace, the PROX round removes the programming step and automates timing, improving the chance of a first-round defeat against small UAS that are stationary, hovering, or moving. In close quarters, the CQB buckshot round enables breaching and room or trench clearing, while still offering close-range C-UAS effects where a proximity fuze is impractical. The TP round, matched ballistically to combat rounds, allows units to train with realistic trajectories while containing cost and logistics. Inductive fuze setting in-barrel reduces external connections and environmental sensitivity points, which supports reliability in austere conditions. Together, these elements suggest a soldier-carried capability set that previously demanded multiple weapons and munitions.
Strategically, a squad-level 25 mm system with smart munitions touches several layers. Militarily, it gives small units organic means to counter drones and defeat protected or concealed targets without waiting for heavier support, improving tempo and survivability. Geopolitically and geostrategically, within the limits of the information provided, such a portable C-UAS and defilade solution could be relevant to partners operating in dense urban environments, trench systems, or areas with persistent quadcopter threats, while the use of existing automated production lines and common components points to scalability for allies who value rapid fielding and supply-chain resilience. Because the XM157 fire control is part of the concept, the system aligns with a broader U.S. Army approach to networked, modular enablers at the soldier level, which may ease integration into standard training and maintenance pipelines.
PGS, as presented, concentrates squad-level effects into a single, manageable form factor: a 5.5 kg, semi-automatic, magazine-fed 25 mm launcher paired with an ammunition family that spans airburst, proximity, buckshot, and training. By combining inductive programming, XM157-based fire control, and an industrialization strategy built on established lines and common parts, Northrop Grumman frames the system as both tactically relevant and producible. If adopted, it would allow infantry to engage drones, defeat defilade, and execute close-quarters tasks with one weapon, increasing flexibility on fast-moving operations while setting a clear path for scalable training and sustainment. Procurement specifics were not included in the provided data, but the capability proposition is unambiguous: more effects, less friction, at the level of the individual grenadier.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.