The French-German Research Institute of Saint-Louis (ISL) is developing a 12.7x99mm guided sniper bullet equipped with an optical homing system, according to the European Defense Review.

According to the EDR, the project builds on ISL’s experience with various guided munitions programs, including artillery course correction systems and medium-caliber smart ammunition.

The goal is to improve long-range sniper accuracy through in-flight guidance.

Developing electronics compact enough to fit inside a bullet approximately 54 mm in length and 12.7 mm in diameter, while ensuring they can withstand the stresses of firing, presents a significant technical challenge.

The project, named I-SMART (ISL Sniper Munition Actuated to Reach Target), comprises five main components: an optical system in the front, followed by navigation electronics, a power supply, a flight correction module, and a communication unit.

The optical sensor is intended to guide the bullet during the terminal phase of flight. However, current tests rely on trajectory corrections calculated externally by a ground station. The final version of the bullet is expected to perform all computations onboard.

Aerodynamics control surfaces have already been tested in laboratory conditions and in wind tunnels, but have not yet been evaluated in live-fire trials. ISL aims to achieve lateral corrections of up to 50 meters at a range of 2,000 meters.

Given a flight time of roughly three seconds, the technology is expected to enhance hit probability and enable engagement of moving targets at lateral speeds of up to 60 km/h. It could also improve accuracy for less experienced shooters, reducing training requirements.

According to the European Defense Review, ISL plans to make the guided bullet compatible with standard 12.7x99mm sniper rifles. No timeline has been announced for final testing to reach Technology Readiness Level 5 (a prototype validated in relevant conditions). Following testing, ISL intends to seek an industrial partner to bring the system to production.

The institute recently also unveiled a 50-kg optically guided glide bomb, the IGB50, which was tested on a drone platform.

The bomb uses protected GNSS navigation with a controllable reception pattern antenna (CRPA) for the initial and midcourse phases of flight, enhancing resistance to electronic warfare. An inertial navigation system provides additional redundancy.

In the terminal phase, the bomb switches to an optical homing system. According to ISL, the system uses artificial intelligence to identify and track targets that may have moved or attempted evasive action after launch.