The Saint-Louis Research Institute (ISL), a joint French-German defense research institute, is focusing on a groundbreaking technology for sniper operations: a 12.7 mm caliber guided sniper round. The institute is bringing to this project its extensive experience in guided munitions programs, ranging from artillery munitions to medium caliber munitions.
I-SMART: Target-Locked Smart Bullet
This innovative 12.7 mm projectile, named I-SMART (ISL Sniper Munition Actuated to Reach Target) at the Saint-Louis Research Institute, consists of five basic components. Starting from the front of the projectile, the optical sensors used in targeting, navigation electronics, power supply, guidance mechanism and finally the communication unit make up the intelligent structure of the projectile.
According to EDR Magazine, fitting all this complex electronics into a small space of about 54 mm in length and 12.7 mm in maximum diameter required a major engineering feat. One of the challenges of the project was that all components had to be resistant to the high acceleration that occurred at the moment of firing, and each part of the bullet had to be tested individually with real gunshots.
Working Principles and Targeted Abilities
An optical sensor integrated into the munitions nose provides terminal guidance. In the current testing phase, the projectile’s trajectory correction calculations are performed by an external ground control unit. This means that the munitions are in constant “communication” with the sniper’s ground station during flight. However, future designs aim to replace this external communication system with an internal computing system on the munitions themselves.
The projectile’s aerodynamic control surfaces have performed successfully in laboratory and wind tunnel tests. However, it is stated that these surfaces have not yet been tested in a real-world shooting environment. The main goal of the ISL is to provide a 2.000-meter lateral correction capacity at a range of 50 meters. Considering the flight time of approximately three seconds, this capability will not only significantly increase the probability of hit, but will also allow the shooter to effectively hit a target moving at 60 km/h. Furthermore, thanks to this advanced technology, it is expected that even less experienced personnel will be able to achieve high hit rates and have effective hit capabilities with shorter training.
Industrial Collaboration Searches
According to information provided by EDR On-Line, ISL aims to make the guided ammunition it has developed fully compatible with the widely used 12.7x99 mm caliber sniper rifles. The date for the final tests, when the project will reach the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5, has not yet been finalized. Once this stage is reached, ISL will begin looking for industrial partners to move from prototype to productization and plans to share this advanced expertise it has developed with an industrial partner.
Race to Develop Guided Sniper Munitions
As far as is known, the United States and Russia are also conducting similar programs in developing guided sniper ammunition. Although the EXACTO (Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance) project initiated by the US’s DARPA saw some introductions in 2015, no product has yet emerged. Russia’s 12.7×108 mm caliber guided ammunition development efforts began when the EXACTO project was approaching the demonstration phase. There is limited publicly available information about the fate of the Russian guided ammunition. ISL’s work in this area is considered a harbinger of a new era in sniper technologies.
