Lockheed-Martin develops guided rifle munitions

[hellheaven1987]

A self-guiding bullet that can steer itself towards its target is being developed for use by the US military.

The bullet uses tiny fins to correct the course of its flight allowing it to hit laser-illuminated targets.

It is designed to be capable of hitting objects at distances of about 2km (1.24 miles). Work on a prototype suggests that accuracy is best at longer ranges.

A think tank says the tech is well-suited to snipers, but worries about it being marketed to the public.

Work on the project is being carried out by an Albuquerque-based subsidiary of defence contractor Lockheed Martin on behalf of the US government.

The current prototype involves a 4in (10cm) bullet which includes an optical sensor in its nose to detect the laser. This information is then processed and used to move motors within the bullet which steer tiny fins, altering the ammunition's path.

"We can make corrections 30 times per second," said researcher Red Jones.

"That means we can over-correct, so we don't have to be as precise each time."

Source

Now sniper does not even need a scope anymore.

[Town Watch]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16810107

sounds pretty neat, just fire the bullet at a trajectory, bullet's sensors start guiding it to the target over any obstacles.


Better surrender to USA, because firing AK-47 blindly into the sky and shouting for Allah, will just make him angry. Steel rain baby

[Greek Firethrower]

It isn't very effective; It's too expensive for the "normal" use.
This could use only special troops(Navy Seals, usw.).

[MathiasOfAthens]

It isn't very effective; It's too expensive for the "normal" use.
This could use only special troops(Navy Seals, usw.).

What Greek said.

Its too expensive to equip regular soldiers and marines. It could though be useful for Snipers.

[Magicman2051]

They've been developing something similar for years and the technology isn't anywhere near being capable of deployment. It is a nice party trick but until someone perfects it that is all that it will remain.

[Town Watch]

would be pretty cool to see these things in use before we got to laser infantry weapons though. Old weaponry is kinda boring really.

[Magicman2051]

would be pretty cool to see these things in use before we got to laser infantry weapons though. Old weaponry is kinda boring really.

We will never get to "laser" infantry weapons, they're neither feasible nor efficient.

[Denny Crane!]

We will never get to "laser" infantry weapons, they're neither feasible nor efficient.

Never really? Bit strong. Unless you have a crystal ball that is.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

We will never get to "laser" infantry weapons, they're neither feasible nor efficient.

The US Navy is currently using lasers on ships both as a close-in defence against missiles and aircraft, and as a offensive weapon against enemy ships and materiel. This isn't experimental, this is actually already on serving ships and has been used to destroy Somali pirate boats without killing those on board.

It won't be long before they can be issued to land units. A 5 kw laser with 30% efficiency hitting for a short burst is about as effective as 5.56 mm rifle round, that's about the same power requirement as a home appliance like a dishwasher. I can see them replacing crew served machine guns very easily.

Their only disadvantage is how they cause damage. A laser cauterizes the wound channel it makes and reduces bleeding. This can be countered by oscillating the beam to cause larger wounds. However, Lasers have huge advantages. Lasers aren't affect by gravity so there is no need to guesstimate the range to the enemy and continuously correct the sights. They move at the speed of light so there is no need to lead a moving target. They cause no recoil and can be incredibely accurate. They can have adjustable accuracy, so you can have a wide cone of fire one minute and change it to shoot exactly straight the next. Your gun can have any rate of fire you want, from single shot to infinite (continuous beam).

They would also be effective as last resort anti tank weapons. Rifles do nothing to tanks, but weak laser "rifles" could: they will gradually melt the armour of a tank, and given enough time, cut through it. Obviously this will be highly ineffective even with concentrated fire, and probably be only for the suicidal, but it's still a possibility modern weapons don't have.

As has been stated previously in this thread, air-to-air combat.

There's a reason air to air missiles aren't laser guided. Aircraft weapons are already 30 mm calibre, and could already be guided, although they never were because that would be useless. This is simply applying that technology to rifle sized bullets.

[Phier]

I'm as pro-gun as it gets but selling this to 'recreational hunters' doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

[Kanaric]

I'm as pro-gun as it gets but selling this to 'recreational hunters' doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

Would take the fun out of shooting imo

[Phier]

Would take the fun out of shooting imo

And what are you going to do, sit on top of a mountain and cap an elk from 2 miles out?

What Greek said.

Its too expensive to equip regular soldiers and marines. It could though be useful for Snipers.

Expense isn't the issue, if it was one shot one dead enemy that would save a LOT of money in dead marines. I think the issue is that this is only a LONG range weapon. Its not going to be nearly as useful at a few 100 yards. You can't shoot it into a window and have the bullet curve to an enemy in cover, that sort of thing. I could also see a variation of this on aircraft as well.

[IronBrig4]

Giving hunters this kind of ammo is the equivalent of letting them shoot a deer from ten feet away at one of those "game ranches." There's no sport.

[Adar]

Giving hunters this kind of ammo is the equivalent of letting them shoot a deer from ten feet away at one of those "game ranches." There's no sport.

The bullet is 1 dm long and on short ranges it wouldn't be much better than a laser sight or a red dot sight. On longer ranges I also doubt that it would be very good as the shooter would have to keep the laser perfectly still. With recoil this could fail completely but it could turn hunting into a nice team sport (you shoot, I aim).

[mongrel]

I dare say some Russian or Chines nerd will develop a device that would attract such projectiles and render them harmless. Useful against civilian targets though.

[Phier]

I dare say some Russian or Chines nerd will develop a device that would attract such projectiles and render them harmless. Useful against civilian targets though.

Laser guided bombs still work...

[Magicman2051]

Laser guided bombs still work...

ECM has actually come quite a ways since the early 21st, the more recent packages included everything from jamming to straight up hacking.

[removeduser_4536284751384]

I don't think this breakthrough means much. It's only useful for snipers. For a rifleman, an unguided bullet is far more accurate and superior to a guided bullet. Why?

This won't increase the accuracy of the average rifleman at all. Bullets already go where you aim them, the only thing this changes is that the course can be adjusted in flight. But at ranges where weapons are actually lethal, the bullet will be in flight for less than half a second anyway. What adjusting could you do in that time? Beyond that range, the problem isn't that bullets don't fly straight enough, it's that the guy with the gun can't line up on tiny targets. How will this change that? An unsteadily held laser pointer is no more accurate than an unsteadily held iron sight. In fact, it's better to use an unguided bullet, because at least then you can fire and forget, and don't have to stay exposed guiding the bullet in. Cost also comes into play. Firing at very long range, without expecting to cause casualties, is normally a very valid and effective tactic. Why waste expensive guided bullets for that?

Expense isn't the issue, if it was one shot one dead enemy that would save a LOT of money in dead marines. I think the issue is that this is only a LONG range weapon. Its not going to be nearly as useful at a few 100 yards. You can't shoot it into a window and have the bullet curve to an enemy in cover, that sort of thing. I could also see a variation of this on aircraft as well.

It isn't a long range weapon. It's no more accurate than an unguided bullet at any range. If you can't line up rifle sights on a target, you can't point a laser at it either.

It will only be effective for snipers. It won't be issued to rifle squads.

[Phier]

It isn't a long range weapon. It's no more accurate than an unguided bullet at any range. If you can't line up rifle sights on a target, you can't point a laser at it either.

It will only be effective for snipers. It won't be issued to rifle squads.

Targets move, this could be coupled with a stabilized laser that would track a target once it was locked on so that the bullet would still hit the target. Being able to reliably hit a running human target reliably from 2 miles out would be most impressive. It would also lower the needed skill to be a sniper if it was successful.

[Blau&Gruen]

It would also lower the needed skill to be a sniper if it was successful.

I guess it would require a bunch of electronic gear, too. Interesting article.