Next Big Future May 16,2019 The US Army wants 100-kilowatt laser on larger armored trucks. The Army wants tests in 2022 of integrated lasers on High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator. The design integrated power and thermal management system to successfully meet or exceed the requirements of the HEL TVD program. The system will provide the high level of electrical power and thermal management required in a compact, power dense package with the responsiveness required for directed energy applications. There are also plans for smaller Stryker armored vehicles with 50-kilowatt lasers that could see deployment starting as early as 2024…read […]
Category Archives: Military technology
Air Force Research Laboratory completes successful shoot down of air-launched missiles
Robins Air Force Base May 3, 2019 During a series of tests at the High Energy Laser System Test Facility at White Sands Missile Range, the Demonstrator Laser Weapon System (DLWS), acting as a ground-based test surrogate for the SHiELD system, was able to engage and shoot down several air launched missiles in flight validating laser effectiveness against the target missiles. The final SHiELD system, however, will be much smaller and lighter, as well as ruggedized for an airborne environment. The SHiELD program is developing a directed energy laser system on an aircraft pod that will serve to demonstrate self-defense […]
Russia is So Weak That Missile Boats for Ukraine Would Stop Them
Next Big Future April 26, 2019 Ukraine is expanding its economic and technology connections with China and China’s interests and involvement could also prevent military escalation. China is making Ukraine part of the Belt and Road plan. They have trade of about $8 billion now. According to RAND’s analysis of actions that the US could take to stress Russia, the trends are for declining Russian Power. Poland, Ukraine and Baltic States seem like they will do better economically and all are increasing their military capability. Russia has an aging and shrinking population with less rural population and a net level […]
Can AI and autonomous systems detect hostile intent?
Defense Systems April 24, 2019 The Urban Reconnaissance through Supervised Autonomy (URSA) project aims to use autonomous systems to help the military detect hostile forces in cities and positively identify combatants before any U.S. troops come in contact with them. DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office is hosting a Proposers Day to provide information to potential applicants on the structure and objectives of the new Urban Reconnaissance through Supervised Autonomy (URSA) program. URSA aims to develop technology to enable autonomous systems operated and supervised by U.S. ground forces to detect hostile forces and establish positive identification of combatants before U.S. troops encounter […]
Robots to autocomplete Soldier tasks
Science Daily April 4, 2019 The Army envisions a future battlefield wrought with teams of Soldiers and autonomous systems. As part of this future vision, the Army is looking to create technologies that can predict states and behaviors of the individual to create a more optimized team. A team of researchers in the US (ARL, Columbia University, SUNY Buffalo, University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, UC Santa Barbara) is looking at ways the dynamics and architecture of the human brain may be coordinated to predict such behaviors and consequently optimize team performance. While this research focuses on a single person, […]
Russian Army Has New Body Armor and Promise Combat Exoskeletons
Next Big Future March 11, 2019 Russia is promising to develop Ratnik-3 which would be advanced combat exoskeletons, UAVs and combat robots. They are displaying mockups of advanced guns, new helmets and more complete body armor. The main problem for real exoskeletons that boost the weight that a soldier can carry or provide real force multipliers is the batteries and power systems for the gear. US has also been developing combat exoskeletons. Russia and the USA have had small field tests of some exoskeleton systems. US military research has admitted that it will still be 5-10 years or more before […]
China Has Radio Antenna to Talk to Submarines and It Covers Five Times Area of NY City
Next Big Future January 1, 2019 Project WEM’s (Wireless Electromagnetic Method) main surface structure is a pair of high voltage power supply lines stretching from north to south, east to west on steel lattice towers, which form a cross that is 60km (37 miles) wide and 80km to 100km (50 to 62 miles) long. At the end of each power line, thick copper wire goes underground through a deep borehole. Two power stations generate strong currents and electrify the ground in slow, repeating pulses, turning the earth underfoot into an active source of electromagnetic radiation. The radio pulses not only […]
Chinese New Mini Robot Carries Micro Intelligent Missiles
Defense Update November 6, 2018 A new robotic vehicle displayed at ‘Airshow China’ is equipped with a ‘micro-intelligent missile’. The tube-launched weapon weighs only one kilogram but is equipped with energetic rocket propulsion powerful enough to carry it on a flight up to 2,000 meters and a warhead, designed to defeat light armor. The missile that measures 40mm in diameter and 500mm in length looks similar in size and shape to Raytheon’s Pike missile designed that is also launched from 40mm grenade launchers. The weapon uses electro-optical guidance to deliver an accuracy of 0.5 meters with a lethality radius of […]
China Wants More Nuclear-Armed Submarines. Should Everyone Be Worried?
Carnegie-Tsinghua October 22, 2018 According to open-source research , China currently has fewer than 300 nuclear warheads and feels that the credibility of its existing nuclear deterrent is not strong enough. China’s main goal is not to significantly increase its number of nuclear weapons. Instead, arm certain submarines with nuclear warheads. The plan is to diversify the structure of its nuclear force and to make sure that each category of nuclear weapons would be as survivable as possible… read more. Related article: Tides of Change: China’s Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarines and Strategic Stability
Navy declares EMS a full-fledged warfighting domain
Defense Systems October 23, 2018 A new Navy policy recognizes the electromagnetic spectrum as a warfighting domain “on par with sea, land, air, space and cyber.” The EMS enterprise, as defined in the new policy, includes “all electronic systems, subsystems, devices, and equipment that depend on the use of spectrum to properly accomplish their function” whether acquired or procured from commercial companies. The Navy CIO will be responsible for resolving any conflicting policies on the federal or Defense Department level and will serve as a principal advisor to the Navy Secretary on EMS… read more.