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The flechette was a steel rod with a very pointy point that has fins to help with flight.. Smaller flechettes were used in special artillery shells called beehive" rounds (so named for the very distinctive whistling buzz made by thousands of flechettes flying downrange at supersonic speeds) and intended for use against troops in the open.The weapons were designed to be dropped from an aircraft. They contained no explosive charge but as they fell they developed significant kinetic energy making them lethal and able to easily penetrate soft cover such as jungle canopy, several inches of sand, or light armor.During the Vietnam War the United States employed 12-gauge combat shotguns, using flechette loads. These plastic-cased shells were issued on a limited trial basis during the Vietnam War.
FLECHETTE