Army gets peek-a-boom grenade: Munition will detect hiding enemies and explode

By Douglas Ernst - The Washington Times - Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Peek-a-boom. A new grenade being developed by the Pentagon will detect enemies hiding behind obstacles and explode.

The Small Arms Grenade Munition (SAGM) is a 40mm, low-velocity round that the U.S. military is perfecting to give troops a higher probability of killing enemies “in defilade,” up to 500 meters away, and will be used with M203 or M320 rifle-mounted grenade launchers.

SAGM technology “provides the small unit grenadier with a higher probability of achieving a first-shot kill against enemy personnel,” project officer Steven Gilbert said in a Picatinny Arsenal news release, Stars and Stripes reported Tuesday.

The grenade is being developed by the Joint Service Small Arms Program at the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center, in Picatinny, New Jersey.

“All the soldier would need to do is aim the weapon and fire it,” Mr. Gilbert said, the newspaper reported.

Army developers are currently working on improving sensors to the device before incorporating the technology into live rounds, Stars and Stripes reported.

• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.