A Norwegian firm has developed a new "supercavitating" bullet for assault rifles and machine guns that retains enough energy to kill or wound persons swimming deep underwater.

DSG Technology claims its "CAV-X supercavitating rifle rounds" acts like a small torpedo that remains effective for significant distances underwater. It said CAV-X is "the world's only full caliber supercavitating ammunition for seamless use in standard weapons."

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The company further describes the underwater round as "a new breed of ammunition, with groundbreaking new capabilities." Supercavitating rounds are available in any caliber, said DSG.

If true, the claims set forward for DSG's supercavitating rounds will solve one of the major drawbacks of high-velocity firearms such as assault rifles: the dramatic loss of kinetic energy when the rounds strike a body of water.

Often, the drop in energy is so significant, a soldier in just three feet of water will escape severe injury from high velocity rounds hitting him.

A scientific test on the popular American TV program Mythbusters proved that all supersonic bullets (up to .50 caliber) disintegrated in water with a depth of less than three feet (90 cm). The .50 caliber rounds actually broke into little pieces on impact with the water.

The test proved a person will "be safe 14 inches underwater at a 23 degree angle from a .50 cal." At a 30 degree angle, a person will only have to be three feet underwater to be safe.

DSG's CAV-X apparently overcome this disadvantage by using the same science that makes "supercavitating torpedoes" possible.

DSG said CAV-X supercavitating rounds are designed with a specially shaped tip and carefully calibrated balance and mass. These refinements create air bubbles that allows the round to shoot through water, said Kristian Aksnes, director of Special Operations Forces for DSG.

The rounds are tungsten with a brass shell and designed to be fired from conventional weapons. They're available in NATO 12.7 mm, 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm, as well as smaller calibers.

The CAV-X 12.7 mm round has an effective range of 60 meters underwater, said DSG. The 7.62 mm and 5.56 mm rounds are effective underwater at 22 meters and 14 meters, respectively.

Aksnes said larger caliber CAV-X rounds have the potential to aid harbor and beachhead defense and to assist in countermine and counter-torpedo operations.

Tagssupercavitating bullet, DSG Technology, underwater, Norwegian, MythBusters, supercavitating torpedoes