Bullet that just cannot miss
.50-calibre steers like a minitiature-guided missile
US scientists have invented a bullet that steers itself like a miniature-guided missile and can hit a target more than a 1.5 kilometres away.
It bullet twists and turns to guide itself towards a laser-directed point, making up to 30 corrections per second while in the air.
Sandia National Laboratories spokesman Jim Jones said he thinks the .50-calibre bullets would work well with military machine guns, so soldiers could hit their mark faster and with precision.
“We’ve tested gunpowders to see if we can get muzzle velocity for military interest,” he said.
Testing has shown the bullet can reach speeds of 731 metres per second. Researchers said they were confident the bullet could reach standard military speeds using customised gunpowder.
Computer simulations showed an unguided bullet under real-world conditions could miss a target more than 800m away. But according to the patent, a guided bullet would get within 20cm.
Sandia said the design for the bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The sensor sends information to guidance and control electronics that command electromagnetic actuators. These actuators steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
The lab is seeking a private company partner to complete testing of the prototype and bring a guided bullet to the market. Research and development grants have taken the project this far.