• 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)

source URL (paywalled): https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3249048/chinese-scientists-bring-us-navys-dream-bullet-life

  • AnarchoAnarchist [none/use name]
    ·
    11 months ago

    Hezbollah took out a Patriot site with laser-guided artillery ammunition, China has GPS guided railgun ammunition.

    Before the US gave up on a similar concept, it was going to cost at least $800,000 per shell.

    • Des [she/her, they/them]
      ·
      11 months ago

      the U.S. MIC is finally running headfirst into the Great Wall of Grift.

      every other regional power will be using advanced smart weapons built with off the shelf Ali Express parts while the U.S. Empire is running the equivalent of ironclads (carriers) against dreadnoughts (smart/swarm weapons)

      • WayeeCool [comrade/them]
        ·
        11 months ago

        every other regional power will be using advanced smart weapons built with off the shelf Ali Express parts

        Biggest factor in cost is all the other regional great powers (China, Russia, Iran) have military industry under state enterprise while the US military industry is entirely privatized. The state enterprise military industry operates under supremacy of responsibility to the nation while the US privatized military industry has fiduciary responsibility to private capital as their only real responsibility. Under US law the corporate leadership of Raytheon, Boeing, Lockheed, and Northrop Grumman must follow a doctrine of shareholder supremacy and those shareholders are not the American people but a collection of private capital investment banks. It would be against US law for them to not make every effort (including buying politicians) to under deliver on contracts and milk every possible dollar from the US government.

        • Des [she/her, they/them]
          ·
          11 months ago

          perfect articulation of the Great Wall of Grift and why it's become a wall.