Chinese scientists bring US Navy’s ‘dream bullet’ to life
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After America abandoned development of its ‘dream shell’, Chinese scientists now claim they have managed to create it
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The shell travels at Mach 7 while receiving satellite navigation signals and maintains an error margin of less than 15 metres (49 feet)
Achieving such high accuracy at such high speeds is not easy, as the shell can travel 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) in just one second.
While its precision may still be insufficient for small moving targets like tanks, it is more than enough for larger targets such as warships or ports.
The concept of a “dream shell” was first introduced by the US Navy in 2012 as a means to solidify its global dominance.
The US military planned to develop and test-fire the shell within five years. But that deadline came and went. According to some US media reports, in 2017, research on the shell was still ongoing.
However, by 2021, the US military had given up on the electromagnetic gun programme, and there is no publicly available information on the fate of the GPS-guided shell project.
The Chinese team said that while the West may have had a head start in the research, they received no help from abroad.
Electromagnetic launch weapons represent a potential game-changer on the battlefield. They offer the promise of delivering a barrage of cost-effective shells while maintaining the long-range and precision capabilities of missiles.
At the same time, these “smart” shells need to be able to receive weak satellite signals, which creates a contradiction with their electromagnetic shielding capabilities.
This dilemma has vexed scientists and engineers worldwide, including those in China.
In the paper, Feng and his colleagues disclosed a novel antenna design that can resist strong electromagnetic radiation while receiving high-precision positioning signals from the BeiDou military frequency band.
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They also provided detailed information on the special internal structure of the BeiDou signal receiver.
During the launch of a shell, this receiver endures a force exceeding 25,000 times that of Earth’s gravity. Any flaw in its construction, such as the disconnection of wire interfaces, could lead the shell astray.
The navigation software for the weapon posed another significant hurdle. Unlike the steady course a vehicle takes on a road, shells whirl and sway erratically during flight, especially when altering course in varying air densities.
To mitigate this issue, the team devised a straightforward, yet potent, algorithm that ensures uninterrupted satellite communication throughout the shell’s trajectory.
Papers published by Chinese military scientists in open academic journals undergo rigorous security checks. It is unclear why China chose to disclose this progress at this time.
Although the actual combat performance of these weapons remains to be confirmed, some war game simulations suggest that they may challenge the traditional military advantages of Western countries.
