Weapons Manufacturers Create Dart-like, Self-Guided Bullet Steered by Tiny Fins

Posted on January 30, 2012

Sandia researchers Red Jones and Brian Kast and their colleagues have invented a dart-like, self-guided bullet for small-caliber firearms that could hit laser-designated targets at distances of more than a mile (about 2,000 meters). The four-inch-long bullet includes an optical sensor in the nose to detect a laser beam on a target. The bullet also contains actuators that steer tiny fins that guide the bullet to its target.

Sandia says an unguided bullet could miss a target over a half mile away by as much as 9 meters, but its guided bullet can get within 8 inches. The scary bullet can reach speeds of 2,400 feet per second, or Mach 2.1. Take a look:

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MILITARY