This bullet can change direction mid-air to track down its target

[MADem]

The future of war is a laser-guided bullet that can change direction and hit targets at a distance of over one mile away.

DARPA, the research arm of the Pentagon, has developed the EXACTO system to put a four-inch-long bullet with an optical laser sensor and an eight-bit central processing unit that can compute an algorithm to command electromagnetic steering to give the bullet its deadly precision.

Unlike most rifle bullets, EXACTO has no spin. Instead, it travels like an electronic dart with fins that can guide it in mid-air.

A sniper team can control the bullet after firing to ensure accuracy while compensating for weather, wind, target movement, and a range of other factors.

http://www.dailydot.com/technology/darpa-exacto-bullet-sandia-labs/

[DeSwiss]

1. We excel.....

...at creating stupid - killing - shit.

- What a fucked up legacy.





''Hey asteroid! You killed the wrong species!!!''

[defacto7]

2. ...and we need this?

at the cost of .... everything else? OK, now we can precisely kill our target through guided mechanisms yet we still kill innocent people and create more misery by wasting funds to make useless crap like this.

We are so smart... we can't even see our stupid.

[MADem]

3. Well, I'm not shilling for DARPA, here. I'm just posting it as a news item.

I think it's a little whacko, myself...but that's "progress" for ya.

I suppose they figure if they don't do it, someone else will.

Personally, I like the robot stuff they're doing at DARPA better.

[defacto7]

5. It wasn't meant to be personal

It's pointed at... the universe, I guess. Do you think if we don't invent world peace someone else will?

[MADem]

6. I feel ya.

We'll invent world peace when there's no more money to be made by studying war, I guess.

Maybe when it's all Robot v. Robot we'll switch to something more interesting, like a chess game, or a game of Jenga, to decide these issues that divide us!

[defacto7]

7. Sounds like a deal.

[BlueStreak]

4. Gives new meaning to the expression "That bullet had his name on it"

[KansDem]

14. And what if the shooter is a bad speller?

Let's say an order is issued to kill a "KensDam" and the shooter misspells it as "KansDem?"

What would happen?

Actually, I see a high-tech remake of the 1956 classic, "The Wrong Man." An innocent hard-working, family man is mistakenly tagged for killing by one of these new bullets. The movie unfolds with him having to dodge the bullet repeatedly while trying to figure out what's going on! I think it'll work!

Who's the current "Henry Fonda?"

[swilton]

17. But....but...

Government analysts never make careless mistakes like misspelled names.....

[Spitfire of ATJ]

8. ...

[MADem]

10. Roger Rabbit predicted it...! nt

[Drunken Irishman]

9. Like the bullet in Dallas back in '63?

I keed. There was no magic bullet.

[imthevicar]

11. A bullet with your name on it!

[Seniorcousin]

12. Evolution took a wrong turn

somewhere along the line. Times like this I wonder if it's something we can outgrow.

[packman]

13. BUUTTT-

Think of all the money the Pentagon will save. Instead of hundreds, perhaps thousands of bullets, they can now shoot once and be done with it. Kind of cool that they are thinking of ways to save the tax-payers money. Now if we can get those F-35's working---.

[KansDem]

15. "EXACTO"

I remember when it used to be a knife...

[MADem]

21. A dozen of those took down a bunch of planes and two buildings in NYC.

Fucked up the side of a rather secure five-sided building in DC, too. Killed a lotta people.

Asymmetrical warfare will always be a factor....

[Amonester]

16. The planet isn't going anywhere, we are... and it's a miracle we're still...

here, when you see all that crap and more...

[HoosierCowboy]

18. In the meantime...

....twenty Katyusha rockets, which cost less than one high tech bullet, are raining down on you. The question really is, which one of you is going to go broke first?
As we can see from the Gaza/Israel ongoing crisis with rockets versus Iron Dome, technology can always outstrip simple weaponry. But the expense $50,000 for an interceptor versus maybe $500 for a simple rocket will eventually decide the conflict in the long term.

[jmowreader]

19. Let me guess...$10,000 per round

[MADem]

20. I'll bet it ain't cheap ... ! NT