New technology has been developed to help snipers hit their target more efficiently. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), which is part of the United States Department of Defense, has just completed the first live-fire tests of its new self-guided bullets. These bullets use a high tech system to be guided towards a target, even when the soldier's aim is not correct.
This is called the EXACTO system (Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance). This system is made up of a maneuverable bullet, in addition to a special component which can track the bullet's path and make corrections to its course. There are many videos showing how the bullets change their course in mid-air when fired during testing.
As well as helping soldiers with bad aim, the EXACTO system can help put a bullet to hit its target in case it has been blown off course by a strong wind or a dust storm.
DARPA says that this new system will also help soldiers to successfully hit a moving target, which can be a real challenge in the dusty conditions of Afghanistan. The system was developed with Afghanistan in mind, as dust storms and high wind speeds in the area can often affect the accuracy of snipers. When a sniper doesn't hit his target, this can endanger the lives of both the sniper and the nearby troops. This is because a stray bullet can be traced back to the troops, potentially exposing their location.
This new technology reduces the inaccuracy of bullets and has the potential to save the lives of soldiers by keeping them hidden. The new system also aims to increase the range over which a shot can be fired, as well as making it faster for a sniper to engage a target.
These improvements will increase the overall efficiency of snipers and take current technology to the next level. Now that the initial testing has proved successful, DARPA is aiming to refine the new technology further to improve performance. This will involve more rounds of testing in order to evaluate improvements made to the system.
