DSG Technology CEO Jon Andre Garberg likes to think the patented rounds of ammunition his firm has developed can "fly" underwater, rather than "swim."
The bullets "fly within the bubble of air" created by their own swift movement through water, or "cavitation," he said.
The trick after that is accuracy and effectiveness, which Garberg said come from the patented tips of the DSG rounds.
"It is our invention," he said. "The critical thing is the tip."
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"The U.S. military came to us" to learn about the special 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50 caliber rounds produced by the Norwegian firm, which has an office in Virginia and a production site in Laramie, Wyoming, Garberg said at the DSG display at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual convention.
Jeremy Hankins, an associate engineer at the U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Center, was also at the DSG display Wednesday.
"We've had some successful tests" of the DSG rounds, Hankins said.
"I don't want to talk about the price," Garberg said, but added it would be "similar to other premium rounds."
The .50 caliber round is accurate and effective up to 60 meters underwater, he said, and all of the rounds produced by the firm can be fired air-to-air, air-to-water, and from weapons underwater.
The advantage of the DSG rounds over standard ammunition is that they don't ricochet off the water when firing at a target, potentially putting other ships at risk, Garberg said.
"Spotting a threat is not hard" with the advanced sonars on Navy ships, whether the threat is an enemy diver or an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), he said.
The solution to such a threat currently is potential fire from a weapon such as a .30mm cannon, he said.
"Why fire a cannon when you can take it out with a .50 caliber round?" Garberg asked.
