An airburst round, air burst grenade, or smart grenade is a type of explosive ammunition, typically a shell

Shell (projectile)

A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...

 or grenade

Grenade

A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...

, that detonates in midair, causing air burst

Air burst

An air burst is the detonation of an explosive device such as an anti-personnel artillery shell or a nuclear weapon in the air instead of on contact with the ground or target or a delayed armor piercing explosion....

 effect shrapnel

Shrapnel

Shrapnel shells were anti-personnel artillery munitions which carried a large number of individual bullets close to the target and then ejected them to allow them to continue along the shell's trajectory and strike the target individually. They relied almost entirely on the shell's velocity for...

 damage to an enemy. This makes it easier to hit enemy soldiers behind a wall, in a Defensive fighting position

Defensive fighting position

A defensive fighting position is a type of earthwork constructed in a military context, generally large enough to accommodate at least one person.- Terminology :...

, or in a confined space or room. It is used on many gun

Gun

A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...

s, from artillery

Artillery

Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

 to the hand-held XM25 Individual Airburst Weapon System (derived from the XM29 OICW

XM29 OICW

The XM29 OICW was a series of prototypes of a new type of battle rifle that fired 20 mm HE airbursting projectiles. The prototypes were developed as part of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon program in the 1990s...

). Unlike traditional grenades, such as the 40 mm grenade

40 mm grenade

The 40mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two main types in service: the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers; and the high-velocity 40×53mm, used in mounted and crew-served weapons. The...

, smart grenades can be electronically programmed to explode after traveling a certain distance. A fire control computer or some other electronic sighting system is used to quickly program the electronic fuse

Fuse (explosives)

In an explosive, pyrotechnic device or military munition, a fuse is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately...

 with any distance, as conditions dictate.

List of airburst round platforms

• XM29 OICW
  XM29 OICW
  The XM29 OICW was a series of prototypes of a new type of battle rifle that fired 20 mm HE airbursting projectiles. The prototypes were developed as part of the Objective Individual Combat Weapon program in the 1990s...
  
  
• 25 mm grenade
  25 mm grenade
  The 25 mm grenade is a type of explosive ordnance used in some modern grenade launchers.Examples of weapons designed to launch 25 mm grenades are the experimental XM25, the Barrett XM109 payload rifle, and the XM307 ACSW. The original use for this round was for the OCSW, now known as the XM307 ACSW...
  
  :
  • XM25 Individual Airburst Weapon System
  • XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon
  • Barrett XM109
    Barrett XM109
    The Barrett XM109 is an anti-materiel rifle, chambered in 25 × 59 mm, under development by Barrett Firearms Manufacturing.-Overview:The XM109, originally known as the Objective Sniper Weapon or "Payload Rifle" , is a semi-automatic anti-materiel rifle, designed primarily for engagement of light...
    
    
• TVGK