Washington: A sniper bullet that can correct its path mid-air and hit moving targets has been developed by the United States military.
The new technology has already been tested, and scientists have released a video showing a .50 calibre round changing direction at supersonic speed before hitting a target.
US soldiers could soon be using the laser-guided bullets over longer distances and in severe weather, when conventional bullets can be blown off course by wind.
The Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (Exacto) programme is being developed by scientists funded by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) — an agency of the United States Department of Defence.
Other Darpa projects which have been under development include electronic body implants to help monitor and fix vital organs, and jetpacks to help soldiers run faster on the battlefield.
A statement released by researchers said: “For snipers, acquiring moving targets in unfavourable conditions — such as high winds and dusty terrain commonly found in Afghanistan — is extremely challenging with current technology.
“It is critical that snipers be able to engage targets faster, and with better accuracy, since any shot that doesn’t hit a target also risks the safety of troops by indicating their presence and potentially exposing their location.”
The statement added: “The system combines a manoeuvrable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target, allowing the bullet to change path during flight to compensate for any unexpected factors that may drive it off course.”
A sniper currently has to take into account the curvature of the earth as well as gravity when shooting over long distances. A bullet’s flight path can also be affected by wind, rain and even humidity. The record for the longest sniper kill is held by Corporal Craig Harrison of the UK Household Cavalry who shot two Taliban fighters in 2009 from more than 1.5 miles away.
Justin Bronk, a research analyst at The Royal United Services Institute think tank, believes the new bullets will be guided by laser — technology already used for homing missiles and some bombs.
He said the precise method being used to steer the bullets would be a closely guarded secret. But he suggested scientists may have fitted adjustable fins on the bullets which would react to a change of course.
However Ted Gatchel, an expert in amphibious warfare, told US military magazine Stars and Stripes that he had reservations about the practicality of the bullet.
He pointed out that sniper teams already carry a lot of equipment, and could be hampered by any more bulky additions.
He also claimed that the technology could slow snipers down and make taking an immediate second shot difficult, adding: “You still need to train these snipers in the traditional methods. Right now, sniping is a precise art.”
