Like something straight out of the science fiction movie Dune, a government contracted lab has created a self-guiding bullet that is capable of hitting a target located a mile away from a shooter. While not an amazing distance when compared to what skilled snipers can achieve with conventional bullets and years of training, it’s an impressive feat considering all the variables that affect the projectile as it’s traveling towards its target.
Created by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the prototype small-caliber bullet is capable of guiding its path of flight to hit a target that is “painted” with a laser. Operating in the same fashion as large smart-bombs, the projectile uses small fins to make in-flight corrections that allow it to remain accurate. Looking more like a dart that a traditional bullet, the ammunition is four-inches long and requires a smooth bore weapon for firing.
When a normal bullet is fired, the chamber it’s shot out of is usually rifled, or grooved, to cause it to spin at a high rate of speed. This allows it to use centrifugal force to its benefit to fly straight and true to the intended target. Because the self-guided prototype is really a miniature aircraft, causing it to spin as it leaves the firing chamber would be disastrous.
What’s interesting to note is that because of its size and shape, the longer the prototype travels after being fired, the more accurate it gets. Usually with smart-weapons the reverse is true because you are dealing with a large amount of weight with something like a bomb. While right now the smart-bullet only travels a mile, Sandia is confident it can up that distance considerably by adjusting the energy amounts provided by the gunpowder charge stored in the firing mechanism.
An interesting development in military technology, and also a bit of a creepy one. If ammunition like this goes into wide production (and it will), wars could literally be fought using only one smart-bullet at a time with startling accuracy and terrible consequences.