U.S. Special Forces Are Developing An Underwater Bullet

Popular Mechanics: U.S. Special Forces Take Huge Step Toward Developing an Underwater Bullet

New “supercavitating” bullets could allow SEALs, others to shoot targets underwater.

* Traditional bullets quickly slow to a stop underwater, making the almost completely ineffective..
* A method known as “supercavitation” can allow objects to travel through water at much higher speeds.
* These bullets would work with existing weapons and could make special forces even more lethal.

A new line of specialized bullets could allow U.S. special forces personnel to shoot their weapons submerged, engaging other divers and their underwater vehicles. While traditional bullets are ineffective underwater, the new bullets work by forming a bubble of air around a bullet, allowing the bullet to travel with fewer physical restrictions.

Ordinary bullets are designed to travel through the air at speeds greater than half a mile per second. Traveling through a different medium, well, that’s a different story. Bullets rapidly slow to a stop once they enter another medium—that’s a feature, not a flaw.

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WNU Editor: The Americans are playing catch-up. The Russian military has been working on this tech for years .... Underwater Firearms Are a Thing, and Russia Is Really Into Them (War Is Boring).

Who Has The Better Bullet?

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

AR500 Armor

Charlie Gao, National Interest: Army vs. Marines: Which U.S. Service Had the Better Bullet?

In Mark Bowden’s book, Black Hawk Down, he describes an incident where a soldier’s CAR-15 5.56mm carbine failed to put down an enemy combatant despite multiple hits to center mass. The ammunition used by the soldier was the M855 “green-tip” projectile, adopted by the U.S. Army and Marines in the 1980s.

Further reports of M855 underperforming lead the U.S. military on a hunt for a new cartridge that would be more effective. Surprisingly, the Army and Marines diverged in their approach, and for nearly half a decade both services fielded different cartridges as standard issue to their troops until Congress forced the Marines to use the Army round.

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WNU Editor: This is an issue that has been around for years.

The U.S. Army Wants 'Stealth Bullets'

Image: U.S. Army

Michael Peck, National Interest: The U.S. Military Wants the Ultimate Weapons: 'Stealth' Bullets

Noise-canceling headphones have become a familiar sight. Fastened over the ears of music lovers and airliner passengers, they use sound waves to cancel out the roar of outside noises such as jet engines.

Now the Pentagon wants to use that same technology to develop a quieter rifle bullet that will prevent the enemy from determining the location of the U.S. soldier who fired it.

The Department of Defense research project, titled “Active Noise Control for Small Caliber Ammunition,” aims to apply advances in noise cancellation to the battlefield. The solicitation notes that while noise suppressors fitted to a rifle can dampen the bang of a weapon being fired, “bullets traveling near or greater than the speed of sound generate a ballistic crack or sonic boom. This is the sound which is generated outside of the weapon and cannot be addressed by a simple weapon suppressor.” A round from a 5.56- or 7.62-millimeter rifle generates about 164 decibels for someone standing three feet away from the weapon (a vacuum cleaner generates about seventy decibels).

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WNU Editor:  Apparently some technical issues still need to be resolved.

Is This The Future Of Bullets?

Popular Mechanics: Is This the Future of Military Small Arms?

Textron's LSAT system reduces ammunition weight, making the soldier's load easier to carry.

A new kind of ammunition could reduce by up to 40 percent the weight that the average soldier or marine carries in combat, which can easily exceed 100 pounds in combat. This "cased telescoped" ammo replaces brass bullet casings with polymer ones to achieve considerable weight savings, making U.S. troops deadlier in the process.

For nearly two hundred years, rifles and pistols have essentially used the same technology: a bullet and gunpowder pushed into a brass shell casing. The technique is simple, cheap, and reliable, which is why it has lasted so long. The downside: while an individual cartridge is relatively light, the weight of brass adds up. Brass casing technology has remained essentially the same since at least World War I, patently refusing to adopt modern materials.

Now that may be about to change. The cased telescope technology developed by Textron Systems, promises to bring small arms ammunition into the 21st Century.

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WNU Editor: Wow.

The U.S. Army Wants A Bigger Bullet

Sergeant Christopher L. McCabe fires his rifle during monthly range training. Photo by: Corporal Thomas J. Griffith

Ciro Scotti, Fiscal Times: Why the Army Thinks It Needs a Bigger Bullet

Since current warfare frequently involves combat beyond about 330 yards – that longer than three football fields -- the Army is looking at arming soldiers with ammunition that is lethal at a longer distance.

That would mean replacing the M4/M16 assault rifle with a new carbine, according to the Army Times website. The aim is to provide troops with a weapon and ammo that would increase accuracy and firepower and provide the same number of rounds without adding weight.

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WNU Editor: This debate about bullets has been ongoing for a very long time .... Army and Marine Corps Still Disagree over M16/M4 Bullet (Military.com). All that I can say is faster please .... a 5.56 mm bullet no longer cuts it on today's battlefields.

Will Closing Down Manufacturers Of Bullets For AK-47s And Other Dangerous Weapons Stop Much Of The World's Conflicts?

Belts of 7.62 mm ammunition are prepared for distribution to international competitors before an international machine gun shooting match at the 2012 Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting. Wikipedia

Strategy Page: Peacekeeping: Every Missing Bullet Counts

Since the late 1990s peacekeepers have become increasingly occupied just trying to stop all the shooting going on. It wasn’t always like that. After the Cold War ended in 1991 there have been too many people with AK-47 running around firing at anything and everything. How to stop that? There’s always been a simple solution available; outlaw 7.62x39 ammunition. Since 1991, this rifle round has become the biggest killer on the planet. This is the ammo used in the AK-47 and the SKS carbine (a non-automatic rifle with a smaller magazine than the AK-47). You can't get find and seize all those weapons and destroy them. But you can sharply reduce the supply of ammo. Unlike the rifles, which last a long time, the ammo has a limited shelf life, and it tends to get used real quick, especially by users of automatic weapons like the AK-47.

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WNU Editor: When I was working in China I visited a manufacturer that was producing 7.62 (and other) ammunition .... it was a big operation involving a lot of metal and presses .... so yes, banning many of these manufacturers will raise the price for this ammo, thereby making it prohibitively expensive for armed groups to use these weapons for their rebellions. Unfortunately .... when it comes to the arms trade there is always someone who is rogue or a government that is pushing an agenda and/or a policy to help one side in a conflict, and they will exploit such an opportunity regardless of sanctions and prohibitions.

U.S. Army Has Patented A .50 Cal Bullet That Can Self Destruct

The US Army has patented a radical self destructing bullet (patent pictured) is says could make using live ammunition in urban areas far safer and reduce 'collateral damage'.

Daily Mail: Army reveals self destructing short range BULLET than could be fired in cities without harming bystanders

* US Army researchers say bullet could 'reduce collateral damage'
* When fired, bullets explode after a short period of time
* Will first be used in .50 caliber ammunition but can be expanded to others

The US Army has patented a radical self destructing bullet is says could make using live ammunition in urban areas far safer.

The 'limited range projectile' has pyrotechnics built in.

When fired, they explode after a short period of time - causing the bullet to effectively stop.

The pyrotechnic material is ignited at projectile launch.

The pyrotechnic material ignites the reactive material, and if the projectile reaches a maximum desired range prior to impact with a target, the ignited reactive material transforms the projectile into an 'aerodynamically unstable object'.

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More News On The U.S. Army Patenting A .50 Cal Bullet That Can Self Destruct

Self-Destructing .50 Cal Bullets Could Help Limit Civilian Casualties -- Popular Mechanics
Engineers patent limited-range projectile to reduce collateral damage -- Army.mil
Army engineers patent limited range bullet that self-destructs -- FOX News
US Army Patents Self-Destructing Bullets -- SKY News
Bullets That Slowly Self-Destruct Make a Surprising Amount of Sense -- Endgadget

DARPA's Self Steering Bullet Can Now Hit Moving Targets

Endgadget: DARPA's steerable bullet proves it can hit moving targets

DARPA announced that its self-steering bullet program, dubbed the Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO), passed another developmental milestone in late February. Per an administration release, and the video below, experienced and novice shooters alike were able to strike moving targets. And, in the case of expert shooters, able to hit actively evading targets as well.

WNU Editor: I can see the day when a soldier paints a target a kilometer away .... takes the shot .... and regardless of what the target may do .... will not be able to escape the bullet's acquisition of him. Like a heat seeking missile targeting a jet fighter .... you can run and try to hide but that bullet will try its best to bring you down.

The U.S. Army Is Building A Better Bullet

Sensors crammed into the tip of the grenade trigger the round's detonation once it passes over a wall or other obstacle. U.S. Army

Mark Thompson, Time: U.S. Army Aims to Build a Better Bullet

WNU Editor: This would have made a difference during the height of the Iraq and Afghan wars.

DARPA Is Developing A Self Guiding .50 Caliber Bullet

DOD Wants Bullet That Can Change Direction After Being Fired -- Stars and Stripes

New .50-caliber bullets that can change direction after they have been fired could make soon make U.S. military snipers more deadly.

The EXACTO program — or Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance — is being developed by California’s Teledyne Scientific & Imaging, LLC at the behest of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, according to a DARPA video posted on Youtube.

“The objective of the EXACTO program is to revolutionize rifle accuracy and range by developing the first ever guided small-caliber bullet,” DARPA officials said in a July statement accompanying the video. “The EXACTO .50-caliber round and optical sighting technology expects to greatly extend the day and nighttime range over current state-of-the-art sniper systems.”

The specially designed ammunition can change direction in midair.

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Update: DARPA creates first ever self-guiding bullets -- TechGen

My Comment: To say that this will be a revolutionary change on the battlefield is an understatement.

U.S. Snipers Will Soon Have A Self-Guided Bullet

Sniper Heaven: Pentagon’s Self-Guided Bullets Leave Enemies Nowhere To Hide -- Washington Times

The research arm dedicated to creating breakthrough technology for the Pentagon has shared video of a successful test of self-guided bullets.

The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency conducted a test April 21 with Teledyne Scientific & Imaging. Video posted to YouTube earlier this month shows a round with a ballistic path far from its intended target. As the round makes its way along the errant trajectory it suddenly curves, corrects itself and hits the intended target.

DARPA had a promising prototype for its Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordinance (EXACTO) .50-caliber bullets in 2012, but the new video confirms that the agency has perfected the technology.

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More News On Darpa's Self-Guided Bullet

Even the best sniper just got better: US defence agency successfully trials world's first self-guiding bullet -- The Independent
The agency that brought you the Internet has created a self-guided bullet -- Computerworld
Sniper off his game? No big deal. The bullets have it covered. -- Washington Business Journal

The Ultimate R.I.P. Bullet That Will Stop Attackers In Their Tracks

New ‘R.I.P.’ Bullet Hailed As ‘One-Shot Man-Stopper’ -- Washington Times

A newly developed bullet from G2 Research is being billed as the last round a gun owner will ever need: a smashing hunk of copper with full metal jacket power to shred through solid objects and stop attackers in their tracks.

G2R, the Windsor, Ga., company that created the Radically Invasive Projectile, or R.I.P., says the bullet is like a full metal jacket when it strikes and is designed “to take out all your vital organs.”

“I wanted to create a round that would work well against a home intruder,” company president Cliff Brown told the Blaze. “There were so many stories out there about a woman trying to defend her home and having to shoot someone five or six times and they’d still come after her. We wanted to create an effective one-shot man-stopper.”

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More News On The Ultimate R.I.P. Bullet That Will Stop Attackers In Their Tracks

New devastating hollow R.I.P bullet dubbed 'the last round you will ever need' is released for single women to protect their homes -- Daily Mail
Re-inventing the bullet: ammunition manufacturer shows off deadly new round for self-defense use -- al.com
A New Bullet Has Been Invented. This is What it Looks Like. -- Policy.mic
New copper bullet EXPLODES on impact -- Daily Caller
‘The Last Round You’ll Ever Need’: The Awesome New Bullet Billed as a ‘One-Shot Manstopper’ -- The Blaze

US Army Plans Switch To ‘Green’ Bullets

The Army's new round replaces the current M855 5.56mm cartridge that has been used by U.S. troops since the early 1980s. The Army claims the M855A1 is more dependable, a more consistent performer, improves accuracy, moves faster. (U.S. Army)

Getting The Lead Out, Literally: US Army Plans Switch To ‘Green’ Bullets -- Daily Caller

The U.S. Army is taking the expression “get the lead out” quite literally and switching to lead-free, environmentally-friendly bullets.

The Army’s Picatinny Arsenal is working on a “green” version of the M80A1 7.62 mm bullet, which troops are supposed to start being issued in 2014, according to an Army press release.

The Army has been looking to “green” small caliber ammo for some time now. In 2010, the Army switched to the greener 5.56 mm M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round.

“The EPR replaces the lead slug with a copper slug,” said Lt. Col. Phil Clark, product manager for small caliber ammunition in the Program Executive Officer Ammunition. “This makes the projectile environmentally-friendly, while still giving soldiers the performance capabilities they need on the battlefield. So far we have eliminated 1,994 metric tons of lead from 5.56 ammunition production.”

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My Comment: Not everyone is confident that these 'green' bullets will do the job.

How Many Bullets Does it Take To Kill An Insurgent?

A soldier with the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team fires at the enemy in the remote village of Barge Matal in Nuristan province in northeastern Afghanistan last month. (DOD photo by U.S. Army Sgt. Matthew Moeller)

US Forced To Import Bullets From Israel As Troops Use 250,000 For Every Rebel Killed -- Global Security

US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel.

A government report says that US forces are now using 1.8 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition a year. The total has more than doubled in five years, largely as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as changes in military doctrine.

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My Comment: This is an old report from 2005. I have been looking for more up to date stats on bullets used in Afghanistan .... if anyone has any information just put the link into the comments section of this post.

The U.S. Marines Are To Get Better Bullets In Afghanistan

Marines zero their service rifles on a 36-yard firing range.
(Photo by Lance Cpl. Bobby J. Yarbrough).

Corps To Use More Lethal Ammo In Afghanistan -- Navy Times

The Marine Corps is dropping its conventional 5.56mm ammunition in Afghanistan in favor of new deadlier, more accurate rifle rounds, and could field them at any time.

The open-tipped rounds until now have been available only to Special Operations Command troops. The first 200,000 5.56mm Special Operations Science and Technology rounds are already downrange with Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, said Brig. Gen. Michael Brogan, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command. Commonly known as “SOST” rounds, they were legally cleared for Marine use by the Pentagon in late January, according to Navy Department documents obtained by Marine Corps Times.

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My Comment: The US marines are good shots right now .... I suspect that these bullets will not only give them better range, but it will be more effective to take down the enemy with one shot instead of a few.