Watch: DARPA unveils guided bullets
Special .50-caliber bullets are able to change course mid-flight and hit offset targets
Military snipers may soon get an added boost in accuracy as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency demonstrates the use of guided bullets.
The agency’s Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance program successfully demonstrated in-flight guidance of .50-caliber bullets in live fire tests earlier this year. The bullets are able to maneuver mid-flight to hit targets that are offset from where the rifle is actually aimed. Using a real-time guidance system, the rounds are able to compensate for weather, wind and target movement.
The goal of the EXACTO program is to improve sniper effectiveness and troop safety by increasing shooter range and decreasing target engagement times. The system is expected to undergo technology refinement to further improve performance.