Airburst

Airburst describes ammunition that explodes in the air at a set point instead of on impact. In Battlefield it usually means a grenade or shell that bursts just past a wall or above a target, so the blast and fragments reach enemies who are hiding behind cover.

How It Works

The best-known example is the XM25 in Battlefield 4, a gadget for the Support class. According to the Battlefield Wiki and its in-game description, the system works like this:

1. You aim at a surface, such as the wall an enemy is hiding behind, and the sight locks in that distance. The scope shows LOCK when it works and N/A when it does not.
2. The weapon adds a 3-meter offset, so the grenade explodes in the air 3 meters beyond the surface you locked onto. That lands the blast behind the cover.
3. Without a lock, grenades simply explode on impact. They also explode on their own after five seconds, and they will not explode within 15 meters of the shooter. The airburst function itself only engages beyond an arming distance of about 20 meters.

Battlefield 4's XM25 came in three versions. The Airburst version used the system above, the Smoke version used it to drop smoke at a set range, and the Dart version fired flechettes and worked like a shotgun. The wiki says up to three airburst grenades could be needed to kill an infantry target, more if the target ran the FLAK specialization, so it worked best for finishing or flushing enemies rather than as a one-shot weapon.

Examples

Airburst mechanics have appeared across the series in different forms:

• Battlefield 2142: the PK-74 AR-Rocket.
• Battlefield Play4Free: the XM-25 Airburst Grenade Launcher for the Engineer.
• Battlefield 3 (Armored Kill): Air-Burst Missiles for the Mobile Artillery vehicle, unlocked through the Rocket Specialist assignment and aimed at infantry rather than armor.
• Battlefield 4: the XM25, plus an airburst mode for the UCAV unlocked by the "I'm Dynamite" assignment in the China Rising expansion.
• Battlefield 1: mortars with an airburst ammunition type.
• Battlefield V: Airburst Smoke Shells as a vehicle specialization.
• Battlefield 6: the SICH G1 WP, also called the Incendiary Airburst Launcher. It is a Support gadget unlocked through the Support Specialist 2 assignment. Its in-game description says it fires incendiary grenades up to 25 meters that burst mid-flight into a burning cloud, which damages enemies, blocks vision and prevents spotting.

Tips

• Lock on the cover, not the enemy. With the XM25, the point is to range the wall or window frame so the burst happens just behind it.
• Use it to flush, then follow up. Airburst rarely kills a healthy soldier with one shot. Use it to force enemies out of cover, then finish them with your primary weapon.
• Mind the minimum distance. In Battlefield 4, the airburst does not engage at close range, and grenades that explode on impact deal much less blast damage in a smaller radius, so keep some distance from your target.
• Treat incendiary airburst as area denial. In Battlefield 6, the SICH G1 WP's burning cloud also blocks sight lines and spotting, which helps cover a push or block a doorway.
• If you are the target, move. Staying behind the same wall is exactly what an airburst user wants. Changing position or breaking line of sight to the shooter is the counter.

FAQ

Can an airburst grenade hit me behind a wall?

Yes. That is its purpose. When the shooter locks the range onto your cover, the grenade explodes a few meters past it, which can be right where you are standing.

What is the difference between airburst and impact grenades?

An impact grenade explodes when it hits something. An airburst round explodes at a programmed distance or on a timed fuse. Battlefield 4's XM25 falls back to impact detonation when it has no range lock.

Is there an airburst launcher in Battlefield 6?

Yes. The SICH G1 WP Incendiary Airburst Launcher is a Support gadget that bursts into a burning, vision-blocking cloud mid-flight.

Official game information is available on the Battlefield website.