DARPA’s EXACTO self-steering bullet completes live-fire tests

Self-steering bullets developed by DARPA under its Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) programme have successfully completed live-fire tests, as announced by DARPA on 27 April.

This marked the most successful live-fire test round to date for the programme, with an experienced shooter repeatedly hitting moving and evading targets using the technology demonstration system. In addition, a novice shooter using the system for the first time hit a moving target.

Jerome Dunn, programme manager, DARPA, said: ‘True to DARPA’s mission, EXACTO has demonstrated what was once thought impossible: the continuous guidance of a small-calibre bullet to target.

‘This live-fire demonstration from a standard rifle showed that EXACTO is able to hit moving and evading targets with extreme accuracy at sniper ranges unachievable with traditional rounds.

‘Fitting EXACTO’s guidance capabilities into a small .50-calibre size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibres.’

EXACTO’s self-steering ammunition and real-time optical guidance system help track and direct projectiles to their targets by compensating for weather, wind, target movement and other factors that can impede successful hits.