The US military is working on a self-destructing bullet that could reduce the risk of collateral damage
A new type of bullet has recently been patented by researchers at the U.S. Armaments, Research, Development and Engineering Center, or ARDEC. Unlike any other, this bullet is designed to self-destruct after traveling a certain distance.
Three engineers, Brian Kim, Mark Minasi and Stephen McFarlane, were awarded a patent for the projectile, and the trio developed the bullet in an effort to reduce “collateral damage” – a phrase used to describe innocent people being killed as a result of an armed confrontation.
In other words, in order to kill as few people as possible and destroy as little property as possible during a battle, the US military designed a bullet that does not actually self-destruct, but has a special coating that breaks down upon friction, ignites, and later melts the bullet if it fails to hit a target within a certain distance.
The Army spokesman explained that the projectile will be filled with a flammable material that will ignite when the bullet exits the barrel. As it burns, it will react with another material inside the bullet, which will cause the bullet to change shape and become “aerodynamically unstable.” In other words, it will fall to the ground. This means that the Army has ended up with a bullet that can self-destruct beyond certain distances. The distance is predetermined by the type of coating used.
The system was developed using computer models and simulations based on the .50 M33 and .50 caliber M8. The basic design was adapted so that the ballistic modified projectile would match or exceed the standard from the maximum effective range. Although the system was developed for the .50 caliber, the inventors say it could be used on any projectile from 5.56 mm to 155 mm.
“The biggest advantage is the reduction in the risk of collateral damage,” says McFarlane.
The bullet is in the pre-development stage, meaning it's currently nothing more than a "proof of concept." However, the military researchers working on the project believe they need to come up with something that will "reduce the impact" of being in or near a battle during combat for non-participants.
This would allow the Army and other US military forces to fight in urban and other densely populated areas without endangering the residents of those areas. However, given that the project lacks funding, it is unlikely that this “proof of concept” will appear on the battlefield anytime soon.
The bullet isn't the only thing the US military wants to make disappear. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)'s ICARUS project has been able to produce such equipment for unmanned aerial vehicles that can disappear. This way, the equipment will be useless, even if they are captured by enemies.
