Vid The military boffins at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have shown off how the latest version of their "steerable bullet" lets a complete novice hit a distant target with pinpoint accuracy.

EXACTO Live-Fire Tests, February 2015, DARPA

The firearms program, dubbed the EXtreme ACcuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO), has built a .50" bullet that can be guided to a moving target by adjusting its flight in midair. A video from DARPA shows the bullet hitting its target when fired by a novice with a sniper rifle.

"True to DARPA's mission, EXACTO has demonstrated what was once thought impossible: the continuous guidance of a small-caliber bullet to target," said DARPA program manager Jerome Dunn.

"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 caliber size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibers."

The EXACTO round isn't intended for general use but as a tool for long-range snipers who provide support for ground troops in the field. No details have been released on the cost of each unit – or the ammunition – but it's unlikely to be cheap. ®

Ammonote

.50BMG ball cartridges - a dumb lump of lead wrapped in a cupro-nickel jacket - cost about £3 each in Blighty. Vulture Central's backroom gremlins imagine a self-steering smart .50" round would easily cost double or triple that.