Smart bullets know to target

The US military has successfully tested a smart bullet for sniper rifles, capable of changing directions on the way to hit targets.

The smart bullet test has taken place since February this year. However, until recently, the US Agency for Advanced Defense Research Projects (DARPA) released a video of the program called Exacto.

The video shows that the smart bullet used for 0.5 caliber sniper rifle has changed the direction in mid-air to deal with the target's mobility.

According to DARPA, for military snipers, clinging to mobile targets in unfavorable conditions, such as high winds and the blinding dusty terrain commonly seen in Afghanistan, is a challenge. same big with existing technology. Meanwhile, it is important for the snipers to attack the target faster and more accurately, since any shot that is dislocated also risks the safety of the soldiers, by notifying presence, even revealing their hiding position.

DARPA stated, their new ammunition could fix the problem. It was the first type of bullet for a small, guided-line sniper rifle ever built in the world.

'Bullets for the 0.5 Exacto caliber sniper rifle and optical sighting technology are expected to improve the range of day and night activities for the dark sniper gun systems I currently have. The system combines a flexible bullet with a real-time navigation system to keep abreast and send bullets to hit targets, allowing the bullet to change direction while flying in the air to deal with any weakness. Any unexpected element can prevent it from completing its mission.

Technology development in phase 2 includes the design, integration and performance of aerial motion controls, energy sources, optical navigation systems and sensors. The next phase of the program includes a full-scale live bullet test and refining the technology to improve and improve performance '.

The current world record for destroying the most distant target of Sergeant Craig Harrison of the British Royal Cavalry, who shot and killed two Taliban rebels from a distance of 2.4 km in November 2009.

Corporal Harrison was credited with making a flying bullet farther than the maximum range of the 9115 meter sniper rifle L115A3. Taliban elements are so far away that each bullet takes nearly 3 seconds to reach the target.

The snipers often work in groups of two, in which one person is responsible for detecting the target, assisting the shooter to identify the target as well as ensuring their safety. However, the characteristics of the environment such as wind, rain and even humidity can affect the flight path of the bullet. In addition, the bullet also has to deal with gravity and fall at a longer distance.

With the new smart bullet system, a sniper soldier can adjust the bullet's flight path in mid-air to cling and stab a moving target, despite the impact of the scene. DARPA hopes it can also destroy targets farther away than the achievements of the British commissioner.