We're all familiar with smart bombs and cruise missiles, but now British scientists have also developed a self-guiding artillery round. The invention could help to prevent military and civilian casualties caused by stray or 'friendly' fire.
Artillery shells are usually 'dumb' once they leave the firing tube.
Before launch, their optimum trajectory can be estimated by sophisticated computer and radar equipment, but variations in air pressure, wind, altitude and barrel temperature all conspire to throw the round of course. In the case of extremely long-range shooting, over 30 kilometers or more, shells could land several hundred meters away from their intended target. This is especially true during the initial few rounds of firing when the gunners are trying to zero in on their mark. Conflicts like those in the Balkans have shown how even a small margin of error can lead to horrendous civilian casualties. The standard answer to this problem in the last decade has been to use laser-guided bombs.