--- title: "The U.S. Military Is Reportedly Testing Underwater Bullets" description: "The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is reportedly testing bullets that can be shot underwater." date: "2019-12-10" modified: "2019-12-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-underwater-bullets" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "bullets" - "the digest" - "underwater" --- # The U.S. Military Is Reportedly Testing Underwater Bullets ![The U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is reportedly testing bullets that can be shot underwater.]() *\Image: Steve Jurvetson/Victor Tangermann\* ## Underwater Bullets The U.S. Special Operations Command is reportedly testing bullets that can be shot underwater, [according to *Defense One*](). Regular bullets slow down significantly underwater, posing little threat, because water is eight times denser than air. The goal is to allow frogmen, naval soldiers that are trained in underwater environments, to attack boats from under the surface, or for personnel stationed on helicopters to hit submarines. ## Tungsten Tip [According to *Business Insider*](), the bullets are being tested by the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office. Military contractor DSG Technologies created a bullet that has its tip coated in tungsten, allowing it to create a small air bubble in front of it — a process called "supercavitation." The bubble reduces drag in the same way that similar air bubbles reduce drag of torpedoes, as *Defense One* reports. *BI* was also not able to confirm if DSG is working with the CTTSO or SOCOM. ## CavX DSG Technologies [showed off]() its CavX Multi Environment Ammunition at a shooting range outside of Fayetteville, North Carolina by firing a Colt AR-15 through 13 blocks of 1.3 feet thick blocks of ballistic gelatin. A .50 caliber CavX round can travel 60 meters underwater, according to *Defense One*. **READ MORE:** [The US military is testing water-penetrating bullets, reportedly so Navy SEALs can shoot from underwater]() \[*Business Insider*\] **More on bullets:** *[Wanted’s Course-Changing Bullet is Now A Reality]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()