The Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance (EXACTO) program conducted the first successful live-fire tests demonstrating in-flight guidance of .50-caliber bullets. EXACTO rounds maneuvered in flight to hit targets that were offset from where the sniper rifle was aimed.
EXACTO’s specially designed ammunition and real-time optical guidance system help track and direct projectiles to their targets during flight by compensating for weather, wind, target movement, and other factors that could impede successful hits.
Follow-on work in the EXACTO program included developing new approaches and advanced capabilities to improve the day- and night-time range and accuracy of sniper systems beyond the current state of the art.
A key goal of the program, which ended in 2015, was to enable greater shooter standoff range and reduction in target engagement timelines, thereby improving sniper effectiveness and enhancing troop safety.
