US Successfully Tests Self-Steering Bullets

mpicpp sends this report from The Independent: The United States Department of Defense has carried out what it says is its most successful test yet of a bullet that can steer itself towards moving targets. Experienced testers have used the technology to hit targets that were actively evading the shot, and even novices that were using the system for the first time were able to hit moving targets. The project, which is known as Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance weapon, or Exacto, is being made for the American government's military research agency, DARPA. It is thought to use small fins that shoot out of the bullet and re-direct its path, but the U.S. has not disclosed how it works. Technology in the bullet allows it to compensate for weather and wind, as well as the movement of people it is being fired at, and curve itself in the air as it heads towards its target.

Comments

Thank God

[BrendaEM]

Someone might have lived.

Don't bother to duck and cover

[FreeUser]

I can shoot around corners now?! Sweet. Hello Cool World, here I come.

You can also be shot around corners. Welcome to "you don't stand a chance, Bub" world.

Re:Here _I_ come?

[mark-t]

Right.... so there's nothing prohibiting a criminal from getting it, because he's not following the law anyways... Meanwhile, law-abiding citizens who might want to defend themselves with a firearm will be using inferior mechanisms to what the criminals have.

Re:Here _I_ come?

[TwoEyedJack]

I can shoot around corners now?! Sweet. Hello Cool World, here I come.

No. This will be military only technology. Us citizens are still going to be stuck with 19th or earlier century firearm technology.

But we still do have the right to bear arms - as antiquated as they are.

Actually, the only difference between the M4 (standard issue to US military) and the clone you buy at Cabelas is a three-round burst mode. That is unless you live in repressive states like NY, CA, and MD. Then you have to deal with stupidities like funky stocks, dysfunctional magazine eject buttons, smaller magazines, etc. to please the hoplophobes.

Yay!

[DogDude]

I'm so proud that the US government will spare no amount of time, effort, or money in developing new ways to kill people. Killing people is much more important than health, education, social services, and the non-war economy.

It is awesome.

[Anonymous Coward]

Greater accuracy means fewer accidental casualties. It also means faster, more decisive military victories. I am pretty happy we got this technology before any of the real monsters did.

If this tech frightens you, the best way you can protect yourself from it is to stay politically active, and keep your government accountable. Don't weaken your military forces, keep them under observation and focused on the right targets. You can't stop the march of technology, nor can you legislate threats away. All you can do is make sure tech is used properly and only against real threats.

Re:Here _I_ come?

[TheCarp]

This, and so much this for just about every gun related cry for regulation.

I keep seeing people talk about high capacity magazines, assault rifles etc etc every time gun violence comes up. Oh we need to ban this, we need to background check that.... never mind that they are whipping themselves up into a froth about the least common categories of gun violence.

  In the end, real crime, even the real heinous shit, tends to be done with either hand guns or hand held melee weapons. Almost nobody uses rifles for crimes, more hammers are used to kill than rifles....all rifles, assault or otherwise....but nearly every gun control nutter I talk seems to think every gun owners secret dream is to carry around an AK-47 all day.

In fact, so far the only real connection between gun laws and crime is, places with crime problems tend to make more gun laws as a result.... which doesn't do shit about their crime problems. The whole issue is only popular because its an easy sound bite "solution", you know, the kind that "always work" like banning drugs.