USA – -(Ammoland.com)- In a video released by DARPA Thursday, Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinance (EXACTO) .50-caliber bullets maneuvered independently mid-flight to accurately strike targets purposefully offset from where the firing sniper rifle was aimed.
Wired reported in 2012 the first successful prototype test of the military’s first-ever guided small-caliber bullets, developed by Sandia National Laboratories and Lockheed Martin. Around four inches long, the bullets feature optical tips to detect laser beams shown on targets.
Actuators inside the bullets then steer tiny fins on their surfaces, which guide them to targets based on information from the tip sensors.
The bullets can strike a target accurately while accommodating for weather, wind, target movement and other factors, according to DARPA.
The prototype tests were able to successfully strike targets from more-than a mile, or 6,500 feet away.
DARPA’s Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program recently conducted the first successful live-fire tests demonstrating in-flight guidance of .50-caliber bullets. This video below shows EXACTO rounds maneuvering in flight to hit targets that are offset from where the sniper rifle is initially aimed. EXACTO’s specially designed ammunition and real-time optical guidance system help track and direct projectiles to their targets by compensating for weather, wind, target movement and other factors that could impede successful aim.
The EXACTO program is developing new approaches and advanced capabilities to improve the range and accuracy of sniper systems beyond the current state of the art. For more information, please visit the program page at https://go.usa.gov/XmSG.