Textron Creates Next-Gen XM204 Top Attack Mine System for Tactical Obstacles Against Tanks.

At the AUSA 2024 exhibition, held from October 9 to 11 in Washington, D.C., the American company Textron is presenting the XM204 Top Attack (TA) System, a new type of system developed under the U.S. Army’s Terrain Shaping Obstacles (TSO) program to block enemy armored vehicles by deploying mines. Equipped with autonomous sensors, the XM204 TA can launch mines to create complex tactical obstacles, combining top and bottom attacks. Its mobility could be further enhanced through drone transport, as demonstrated at the event.
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Textron XM204 Top Attack Mine System could be further enhanced through drone transport (Picture source: Army Recognition)

Textron’s XM204 Top Attack (TA) system marks a significant advancement in terrain-shaping obstacle technology, designed to meet the U.S. Army’s temporary requirements for top-attack anti-vehicle capabilities, specifically to support U.S. Army Europe Command (USAREUR). Used as a standalone solution or in conjunction with other systems, it enables the creation of complex obstacles by combining top and bottom attacks, especially when deployed alongside the XM343 Standoff Activated Volcano Obstacle (SAVO) system.

The operational concept of the XM204 TA involves several steps: once manually armed, the system activates its ground sensors and submunitions to autonomously detect, track, and engage multiple vehicle targets. Its detection and tracking process relies on seismic, acoustic, and radar sensors, paired with an explosively formed penetrator (EFP) warhead for top attack, maximizing its effectiveness against weaker vehicle armor. The operational stages include target detection, submunition deployment, engagement area scanning, target confirmation, EFP charge activation, and, ultimately, target destruction.

The U.S. Army’s Terrain Shaping Obstacles (TSO) program aims to develop and deploy defense systems that create tactical obstacles to slow down, divert, or immobilize enemy armored vehicles on the battlefield. These obstacles, which include technologies such as the XM204 Top Attack (TA) system, are designed to be autonomous and used in diverse operational scenarios to enhance the combat brigades' counter-mobility capabilities. The TSO allows forces to create temporary yet effective barriers that exploit specific terrain areas to block the advance of enemy armored formations, particularly in open and sparsely vegetated environments.

The XM204 Top Attack (TA) is an autonomous anti-vehicle system designed to attack armored vehicles from above, targeting their vulnerability in the upper armor. After being manually activated by a soldier, the XM204 uses a combination of seismic, acoustic, and radar sensors to detect, track, and identify enemy vehicles within a 100-meter radius. When a target is confirmed, the system deploys submunitions equipped with explosively formed penetrator (EFP) charges to engage and neutralize the vehicle. The EFP detonates either above or near the target, maximizing the damage to render the vehicle inoperable. Designed to function autonomously after activation, the XM204 is resistant to active protection systems, thermal and radiofrequency jamming, and deactivation attempts. It is also equipped with programmable self-destruct timers (4 hours, 48 hours, or 15 days), ensuring the area’s safety after engagement. This system thus allows the creation of effective obstacles against armored vehicles in strategic zones without requiring continuous monitoring.

The XM204 TA features a "Zone of Authority" (ZOA) with a 100-meter diameter, providing extensive engagement area coverage. It is designed to resist active protection systems, smoke, thermal and radiofrequency jamming, and mechanical deactivation attempts, making it a robust counter-mobility tool suitable for varied terrains and conditions. The system is also recoverable, reusable, and equipped with visual safety indicators to alert on its arming status.

The XM204 can be deployed quickly by hand and is resistant to unauthorized handling. It also offers three manually programmable self-destruct durations—four hours, forty-eight hours, or fifteen days—to meet specific mission requirements in the field. This system will be fielded for the first time in the U.S. Army during the 2025 fiscal year, thus meeting the Army’s modernization priorities, including long-range precision fires, next-generation combat vehicles, and soldier lethality.

Mounting the XM204 Top Attack (TA) on a drone would provide significant strategic advantages by increasing its range, mobility, and flexibility on the battlefield. While the system is currently limited to manual and ground-based deployments, integration on a drone would enable the XM204 to be transported over long distances, precisely positioned in hard-to-reach or hazardous areas, and used to create anti-vehicle obstacles in regions where ground forces cannot safely intervene. Additionally, the drone could relocate or reposition the XM204 based on enemy movements, optimizing its autonomous multi-target engagement capability through its advanced seismic, acoustic, and radar sensors. This combination with a drone would transform the XM204 into a dynamic, responsive defense system capable of creating mobile obstacles and adapting to the evolving needs of a modern combat environment.

Several stakeholders are involved in the development of this system, including the Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS) within the Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition, in collaboration with Textron Defense Systems and centers of excellence such as the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence. The Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center also provides critical functions within the program.