Markings 16 - The bullet that never misses?

A scientist who also claims to be a committed Anglican Christian and assisting in developing the EXACTO bullet recently justified his work on radio. He stated quite categorically that his scientific work was he believed value-free. He as a scientist advanced technology without any sense of ethics or morality. Asked further whether he had any ‘qualms’ at all about developing the EXACTO bullet. He said' No'. He added that the bullet could be used for both good and ill and he could not hold himself responsible for how others employed or used his invention. He quoted his favourite theologian Reinhold Niebuhr who was a supporter of the conditions that might lead to a ‘just war’.

EXACTO, the magic bullet that can't miss

The US military has moved a step closer to developing a smart bullet that will result in a direct hit almost every time the trigger is pulled.

The bullets, which are being developed under the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program, can adjust their trajectory after being fired.

EXACTO is designed to assist snipers in "acquiring moving targets in unfavourable conditions, such as high winds and dusty terrain commonly found in Afghanistan".

The program "combines a manoeuvrable bullet and a real-time guidance system to track and deliver the projectile to the target, allowing the bullet to change path during flight to compensate for any unexpected factors that may drive it off course".

DARPA is not the only organisation to experiment with self-guided bullets. Sandia Labs has developed a 10-cm-long prototype which can hit a target more than 2km away, with assistance from an built-in optical sensor and steerable fins.

“The EXACTO would be revolutionary,” then-US Army Captain Keith Bell and former sniper school commander told TIME five years ago when research began, saying he couldn’t wait to get his hands on the new bullet.

©Jeff Guess 2017