Chinese scientists bring US Navy’s ‘dream bullet’ to life

After America abandoned development of its ‘dream shell’, Chinese scientists now claim they have managed to create it

The shell travels at Mach 7 while receiving satellite navigation signals and maintains an error margin of less than 15 metres (49 feet)

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Scientists claim to have created a “dream shell” that can travel at high-speed and hit with high-precision. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 7:00pm, 22 Jan 2024Updated: 11:01pm, 22 Jan 2024

Chinese naval scientists claim to have created a smart shell for kinetic energy weapons that could reshape the military landscape.

This shell, propelled by a formidable electromagnetic gun, soars through the sky at a staggering speed of Mach 7. Throughout this dramatic process, it can stably receive signals from the BeiDou satellite navigation system and continuously adjust its flight path, maintaining an error of less than 15 metres (49 feet) until it hits its target.

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.

Envisioned as a projectile launched by electromagnetic rail guns or coil guns, the idea was that it would navigate through the air at a speed of Mach 5, guided by GPS signals.

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