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It looks like something out of a semi-futuristic post-apocalypse movie: A hybrid of traditional weaponry with digital scopes attached and the ability to morph from a rifle into a shotgun into a grenade launcher.

Except it’s the next generation of armed warfare, improved with lessons from Afghanistan and other recent incursions — and it’s as Canadian as maple syrup.

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It’s still a prototype, so it’s a long way from being in the field, but the new “smart gun” being developed with Colt Canada could one day replace the C7, the standard military weapon that’s almost identical to the M16 everyone knows from the movies.

Since 2008, the Department of National Defence, through Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), has loaded $7.3 million into the firearm.

“This exploratory work has allowed DRDC to investigate innovative technologies and other issues, such as ergonomics. Such work will allow the military to identify the most desired future weapon features,” a spokesperson in National Defence Minister Jason Kenney’s office said.