The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is looking to equip the U.S. military with bullets that can change direction after they have been fired.
The advanced .50-caliber bullets are being tested by California-based Teledyne Scientific Imaging, LLC under the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinance (EXACTO) program, according to Stars and Stripes. The Defense Department is yet to reveal exactly how these bullets are able to change direction in midair.
Videos from February and April show the testing was a success, with the bullet being fired off target on purpose and then changing its path. The bullet hits its target on the second try. Several improvements were made in the second phase of research, which took place over the summer.
DARPA hopes to help snipers hit targets faster and more accurately with the new bullet, saying it can help them overcome high winds and dusty terrain in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes reported. The Defense Department said this will keep the location of the sniper team, which includes a shooter and a spotter, secret for much longer, thus ensuring their safety.
EXACTO has received both praise and criticism from weapon experts, with Ted Gatchel, professor emeritus at the Naval War college and amphibious warfare expert, pointing out potential issues with the shooter's reflexes in guidance, getting off a fast second shot and using technology in areas of rough terrain.
"You still need to train these snipers in the traditional methods," Gatchel said. "Right now, sniping is a real precise art."
Another issue that needs to be considered is the enemy's ability to create countermeasures to such technology, Stars and Stripes said.
However, Gatchel said he thinks it's a good idea to try out new things, and that "if it works, you can't argue against that."
DARPA said it is currently working on a system-level live-fire test for the bullet and plans on making other improvements. The agency hopes U.S. snipers will be able to use these high-tech bullets in the field soon.
