Hypersonic bullets leave massive wounds resembling volcanic craters, yet they do not penetrate the skin and flesh in solid form like traditional gunfire.
This is the result of a military study conducted on animals in China.
Researchers from a military medical center in the southwestern municipality of Chongqing (China) fired high-speed 5mm steel bullets into sedated young male pigs to assess the potential impact of hypersonic weapons on the human body.
Hypersonic weapons represent a critical area of military research, with the Russian defense contractor Lobaev Arms stating in 2019 that they are developing a hypersonic rifle capable of accelerating projectiles to nearly Mach 6 (2058 meters/second).
The bullets in the Chongqing experiment were shot into the thighs of each pig, reaching speeds of up to 4,000 meters/second, which is over 11 times the speed of sound.
According to a study published on August 22 by the researchers in Acta Armamentarii, the official journal of the Chinese Materials Society, the gunfire did not kill the pigs instantly, but the shockwaves from the bullets caused severe injuries throughout their bodies.
“Extensive injuries to multiple organs were evident at the time of injury, primarily consisting of fractures and bleeding in the intestines, bladder, lungs, and brain,” stated the research team led by Wang Jianmin at the Weapon Biological Effect Assessment Department of the Army Medical Center in Chongqing. The pigs died within six hours following the test.
Autopsy results revealed that the bullet penetrated the thigh at speeds ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 meters/second.
“However, at a speed of 4,000 meters/second, the bullet did not penetrate the rear part of the body, creating a large wound cavity at the point of impact,” Wang Jianmin and his colleagues reported.
Most firearms have an initial bullet speed (the speed of a projectile as it exits the barrel) lower than 1,200 meters/second, or about three times the speed of sound. In these cases, a bullet penetrates the skin and flesh in solid form, according to Wang Jianmin. However, at extremely high speeds, the bullet’s temperature can approach its melting point.
“The bullet appears to ignite upon contact with the animal’s skin, indicating that the steel ball itself experiences immense force upon impact, melting and shattering at high temperatures. It forms a massive wound cavity similar to a hemispherical crater, accompanied by a large amount of tissue being expelled,” the report stated.
The researchers noted that under these conditions, both the bullet and the flesh turn into liquid and gas, suggesting that the physical process of the collision should be described as fluid mechanics.
According to Chinese scientists, hypersonic bullets differ from traditional bullets in terms of the destructive wounds they inflict on the human body – (Photo: Handout)
Researchers in Chongqing indicated that additional animal experiments would target “the head, chest, abdomen, and other body parts with more complex structures.”
Soap targets may replicate some similar effects, simulating the movement and energy transfer of bullets in soft tissue, according to the researchers.
Nonetheless, animal studies are essential for understanding the lethality characteristics of bullets against biological targets, they stated.
Hypersonic weapons are considered one of the frontiers of military science.
For instance, Lobaev Arms’ sniper rifles can hit targets at distances of 1 km within half a second, eliminating the need to adjust for wind, gravity, and movement.
There are no public reports indicating that China is developing hypersonic weapons, but its military has funded numerous projects for weapons capable of firing small-caliber rounds at speeds exceeding Mach 5 (1,715 meters/second). For example, the Chinese navy is investigating whether these hypersonic rounds can be used as part of a ship defense system to intercept drones, missiles, or torpedoes from adversaries. However, according to an explosion physics researcher, the development of hypersonic weapons faces numerous challenges.
Most existing gunpowder cannot generate enough energy to propel a bullet to such high speeds, and the firearm would need to be entirely redesigned with super-hard materials to withstand the explosive forces, according to a researcher who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the technology.
The researcher mentioned that it remains uncertain how far the bullet will travel if it melts and changes shape in the air.
Other issues such as maneuverability and noise may also affect the practical value of such a weapon in combat, he added.
China and the United States are among the countries developing firearms capable of launching hypersonic rounds over distances of 200 km using electromagnetic propulsion, but reducing the size, wear, and energy consumption of these systems remains a challenge.
