If theres an overarching theme for weapons research at the U.S. Department of Defense research agency DARPA its this: You can run, but you cant hide.
DARPA researchers have recently tested homing bullets that maneuver themselves in-flight to hit moving targets from long distance. Researchers first tested the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) earlier this year, and expert, as well as novice, marksmen consistently hit a target from hundreds of yards away.
Homing Bullets Hitting Their Mark
The EXACTO is a .50 caliber round — about the size of a Sharpie permanent marker — and is used in long-range sniper rifles and machine guns.
An EXACTO homing bullet utilizes a real-time, optical guidance system to identify a target and keep it in its sights. It uses some sort of onboard mechanism to control its flight and correct course in the short time it’s airborne. The system, DARPA says, compensates for weather, wind, target movement and other factors with each shot.
The biggest challenge for DARPA was shrinking the guidance system and flight mechanisms into such a tiny package. Their latest advancement in downsizing means homing bullets could be produced for ammunition of all calibers. Arming soldiers with EXACTO rounds, no doubt, will increase their safety and effectiveness during conflicts — though it’s not clear when soldiers will start using them.
Ultimately, let’s hope humans find ways to resolve their differences long before homing bullets start flying……..
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