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 […]
Category Archives: Military technology
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.
Future soldiers with metamaterial invisibility and power suits
Next Big Future October 5, 2018 The US soldier will be getting more advanced technology and more electrical power for those systems over the next 20 years. Over the next five years the electrical power will double to about 25 watts and then 50 watts in 6-15 years and then 100 watts in 16 years. Squads will have 200-300 watts. Platoons are heading to 5 kilowatts…read more.
Hypersonic weapons are the top US military research priority
Next Big Future October 6, 2018 The urgency for hypersonic weapons is because of a growing capability gap the American military seeks to close and the very real risk that China and Russia may field hypersonic technology in advance of the United States. DARPA and the Air Force are leading the way with key industry partners on contracts to develop operational capabilities. DARPA is soliciting ideas for a “Glide Breaker” hypersonic missile defense system…read more.