Self-Guided Bullet Is The Future Of Warfare

seruriermarshal

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It was only a matter of time before somebody made a self-guided bullet and that time is now.
Two researchers at Sandia National Laboratories, Red Jones and Brian Kast, have invented a “dart-like, self-guided bullet for small-caliber, smooth-bore firearms” that have the ability to hit laser-designated targets from over a mile away.
“We have a very promising technology to guide small projectiles that could be fully developed inexpensively and rapidly,” Jones said.
The research lab is currently seeking a private company partner to complete testing and bring the guided bullet to the marketplace.
The researchers have found initial success testing the bullet in computer simulations and prototypes built with commercially available parts.
The design of the four-inch-long bullet is equipped with an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a potential target. The sensor sends collected information to an 8-bit processor that uses an algorithm to steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to the target.
bullethand.jpg
The researchers claim that the bullet flies straight due to its aerodynamic design. The bullet has a center of gravity that sits forward with tiny fins that enable it to fly without spin.
Computer simulations showed a normal bullet missing a target from more than a half-mile away by more than 9.8 yards. The guided bullet could get within 8 inches according to the simulations.
The inherent advantage over guided missiles is that the bullet can be over-steered and still hit its target. A guided missile must be controlled through very precise means. The person firing the guided bullet can make trajectory corrections 30 times per second.
The bullet can currently reach speeds of 2,400 feet per second using commercially available gunpowder. The team feels that they can match standard military speeds with custom gunpowder.
The researchers filmed the bullet equipped with an LED and fired it at night to test its ability to move throughout the air after being fired. They found that the bullet became easier to control the longer it stayed airborne. This greatly increased accuracy over long distances and allows the bullet to perform trick flying as seen in the lead image.
Potential customers for the bullet unsurprisingly include the military, law enforcement and recreational shooters.
[Images courtesy of Sandia Labs]


http://www.webpronews.com/self-guided-bullet-2012-01
 
"Recreational shooters"? Maybe, if you can afford to shoot iphones out of your gun.
 
Oooh the self-guides Bullet
the ultimate dream for contract killers, secret service and the military

from 1960s until today, they try to build one that work.
one day they realize it in a weapon something like this:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pxjnl1yuXk
 
Such a weapon could have significant merit. A guided round could get by with a lighter launcher and worse ballistics (think >1km range from a shoulder fired weapon). More importantly, there are significant advantages to guided munitions in areas where there are logistical constraints. Things like special forces operations where almost all of the ammunition has to be carried on the troops. Here increasing the PK for a round (instead of using multiple rounds) has a real advantage.

Of course, it is no good for active suppression (or filling foliage with lead).

An interesting question has to do with firing signature: A single emission would be less likely to be picked up by cameras than firing successive bursts. However, infantry mounted laser warning detectors could get a rough bearing on the firer (and other forms of guidance could lead to radio emissions which can be triangulated). So, an attacker might be more obvious. We have to assume that infantry will carry sensors - and that these sensors may be networked in the future. Just because you kill an enemy with one shot doesn't mean that laser warning, optical and sonic sensors won't keep working.
 
I'd personally like to see these kinds of rounds used as a submunition for deployment from aircraft; it goes a bit back into the realm of sci-fi; but with some specialised targetting systems you could launch something like a swarm of these over a sensitive zone, taking out a dozen or two infantry targets, but minus the collateral.
 
rise of the machines

Who cares about guided bullets if you have a Humvee full of these....

http://youtu.be/YQIMGV5vtd4?t=27s

p.s. What the hell am I doing wrong, I cant seem to get a video embed to work.
 
Considering the size of the prototype, the most immediate application I can think of is a modification to an A-10's gatling gun ammo, coupled with a SniperXL targeting pod. Might push you towards that two seater A-10 though. Forward air controllers and ground troops will love you forever if you could bring this capability to them.

Doing this on helicopter would be nice, but aren't most turreted guns too small to accept the ammo size shown? Helicopters with fixed guns could benefit though.

Which kinda links back to the CalPoly AIAA student competition deswign for an AC-130 replacment called the Firefox Gunship. That design was predicated on 40mm CTA guns (roughly equivalent to 25mm) and a 105mm CTA cannon, where the CTA rounds were laser guided as well. The 105mm CTA would be similar to the Excalibur guided round which is available today. Now that the smaller size has been demonstrated, doing the laser guided 40mm CTA is doable.

Long term, putting this onto fighter and COIN aircraft guns might be interesting from a self-correction benefit, provided the laser is available.
 
Re: rise of the machines

sublight said:
Who cares about guided bullets if you have a Humvee full of these....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQIMGV5vtd4

p.s. What the hell am I doing wrong, I cant seem to get a video embed to work.

IMPRESSIVE !
i could imagine a swarm of these equipped with 22 caliber automatic or explosive
and how each member of Al-Qaeda, really freak out on the sound of wasp or hornet...

p.s. just put the link in post without then it's works
 
hey it works !
here two picture of Prototype testing

Source: Sandia National Laboratories.
 

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Re: rise of the machines

sublight said:
Who cares about guided bullets if you have a Humvee full of these....

http://youtu.be/YQIMGV5vtd4?t=27s

My first thought when I saw that (esp. the 20-ship formation): real-life Space Invaders! (would be an expensive game though)
A Swarm of Nano Quadrotors - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQIMGV5vtd4&feature=youtu.be&t=27s
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