Yea… this is cool:
The objective of the EXACTO program is to revolutionize rifle accuracy and range by developing the first ever guided small-caliber bullet. The specially designed ammunition can change direction in midair.
Full article over at Stripes.
DARPA is so epic, I CAN’T EVEN. Like it mentioned in the article, you definitely don’t want to have snipers total rely on technology like this.
I wonder if X-ACTO brand knives will get all up in DOD’s face for trademark infringement?
Hat tip: SayUncle
Comments
8 responses to “DOD Making Bullets That Change Direction In Flight”
Isnt this kinda moot now that Tracking Point is out there?
Tracking point doesn’t change the direction of the bullet in flight… it makes all the calculations before you pull the trigger, but I know what you’re saying.
Tracking point is a absolute gimmick when it comes to the military application of sniping. It doesn’t solve the single biggest problem of long range shooting, learning to read wind. And tracking point needs to cash in quick, cause DARPA has been making they own version that uses lasers to read the window all the way to the target.
could have sworn this has been a thing since 1998.
saw it on modern marvels.
I don’t see the point to this. It would only be useful at extreme ranges, like 600 meters or more, because otherwise the time in flight would be too short to allow the shooter to make much of an adjustment. Right? I assume you’d have to re-acquire the target, post-recoil. Or does the spotter operate the laser?
But at 800 meters, imagine how hard it would be to keep a laser fixed on-target for that entire flight. Particularly a moving target. One little heartbeat during that full second or more of flight and it’s a missed shot. It would be like shooting a long barreled black powder rifle. Or do they have some method of locking on to the target automatically, like they use for laser-guided bombs?
This seems like a poor solution to a nonexistent problem, and gilding the lily.
It was initially designed for 50cal projectiles, which while they will fly far are actually pretty horrible rounds for sniping.You are talking about rounds that on a good day can average 5MOA from certain guns, which at 2000yards plus is a lot of variation Yes a spotter is the one aiming a laser. And it would be easier than you are making it out to be to hold on target with a proper spotting scope.
Is it just me or does Teledyne sound waaaaaay too similar to Cyberdyne?
The movie Runaway with Tom Selleck comes to mind. That will be the true future. Lolz