GUIDED BULLETS : New Defence Project for DRDO
Every single weapons is becoming “smart” now. first there were smart bombs,missiles and now a smart bullet.
A team of engineers at Sandia National Laboratories, in Albuquerque, is ­completing a testable prototype of the world’s first laser-guided ­bullet. Like a “mini-me” of smart bombs, this patented technology has some of the same computerized control and guidance features found on proven Gulf War weaponry, such as the Paveway series of laser-guided bombs. An infrared laser illuminates a target, which the bullet’s optical sensors follow. An onboard tracking chip calculates the course corrections, carried out by four actuator-controlled fins on the bullet’s body.
The bullet is a technological marvel as it has managed to overcome the difficulties of using a guiding technology in a small projectile which is tough to control as it gets affected by the wind and other peripherals much more than a large missile.Traditional bullets have grooves that make them spin when they leave the barrel to make it more accurate. Sandia’s bullet is different as it is designed not to spin so that its trajectory is easier to tweak during mid flight. The bullet flies straight due to its aerodynamically stable design, which consists of a center of gravity that sits forward in the projectile and tiny fins that enable it to fly without spin.