The Future

Ok folks its time for all the cool stuff yet to hit the shelves. Future Military Technology!!!

A-10 Warthog

This aircraft has been flying over my home since I was little. There is a squdren based out of Willow Grove JRB.

This aircraft is a tank killer. It is the only plane eve to be designed around a cannon. The 30mm cannon on the front of the plane can fire 3,900 rounds per miniute or about 65 a second.

This aircraft saw heavy use in the first Gulf war where it took out Russian made T62 tanks with ease. With it's twin GE turbo jet egines it can take a hit and keep on going.

It got it's name of warthog because people thought it was ugly..... not when it's saving their butts they dont!

Seal SDV

The SEALs SDV or SEAL Delivery Vehicle is a small open to water submarine. These battery powered units are attached to refitted Boomer (trident missle subs) that allow the SEALS to carry these vehicles close to shore and launch them for maritime missions.

With the intoduction of the new Virginia class sumbmarine this role has expanded and can now be undertaken in even shallower waters, allowing SEALS to effectivly conduct operations in shallower areas, increasing their ability to colplete missions.

Delilah

The Delilah Missle used by Israel, is a stand off weapong that can be fired then guided by GPS to a location. Upon arriving at this location the missle can loiter until a traget is confirmed, found, or can be destroyed remotley if nothing is found to attack.

This type os weapon is very useful and can provde a counrtry with an opportunity to launch a missle and wait until they decide to strike when a building is safe.

The down side is this weapon can only carry 30Kg of explosives, but still has enough to destroy small targets and put fear into an enemey.

Homing Missiles

I love the speaker's monotone in this video. It gives that classic 1950s feel to current technology.

The AGM-88 HARM homes in on electronic transmissions coming from the ground. The missile is capable of acquiring its on targets within its given parameter.



http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/agm-88.htm

Railgun

The video is very long, tedious and boring, but these guns are amazing. What happens is there are two rails that electricity runs through, as the electricity passes the rails, its energy is passed onto the bullet and at the same time heats up the bullet. When the bullet is charged to the point of release, it's so hot that it actually melts the atmosphere ahead of it which allows for a much faster and more accurate shot.


http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,160195,00.html

Wookies

The ghillie suit is a form of camouflage that you wear on top of your gear and is meant to resemble your surroundings. This are mostly used by snipers to help them remain unnoticed. A sniper will want to thread in local vegetation into his suit to give it an authentic look and to ensure his safety.

http://www.sniperghilliesuits.com/

Ironman

Just watch the one minute video, it says it all.

Micro AUV

The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is an unmanned underwater vehicle that is controlled by remote. THe purpose of these mchines is to search for mines, and other possible dangers in the water. They are also capable of mapping out unknown seas. The one presented in the video above is the smallest in the world.

http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/mine_disposal/atlas/

The XM307 Auto-Grenade Launcher

I know this is a long video, but if you like cool weapons then this is for you.

M-32

The M-32 is a modified Milkor MGL-140 with additional features like the buttstock, sights, foregrip, et. al. It can put all 6 rounds on target in under 3 seconds, and can fire “normal” M433 40mm grenades or specialty rounds. Specialty rounds include HELLHOUND rounds with twice the lethal radius of the M433, which will breach doors and kill anything behind them; DRACO thermobaric rounds; and even HUNTIR rounds with cameras in them that descend on a parachute and send back video. The USMC will join the Brazilian, Italian and South African militaries as MGL-140 customers, and Defense Review notes that the USMC has ordered 9,000 of them.


USMC’s New M-32s: Hitting the Field, Defense Industry Daily, 20 March 2006
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/usmcs-new-m32s-hitting-the-field-02042/

CROWS

Video games just came to the battle field. A remote fired weapons platform that works like any shooter video game. Way cool and way scary.

LMST

Lightweight Multiband Satellite Terminal

The Marine Corps uses this platform for there main satellite communications pipeline. Just one terminal costs over $1 million dollars. It uses over 50 cables and is moderately easy to set up and use. This is the Corps most advanced satellite terminal.

Source: Personal experience

SMART T

Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical-Terminal (SMART-T)

The SMART-T system provides tactical users with secure, survivable, anti-jam, low probability of intercept and detection satellite communications in a HMMWV configuration. The program supports advancing forces as they move beyond the line-of-sight capability of Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) and can use Milstar and commercial satellite communications links. Needless to say it is a cool new piece of satellite communications equipment.

NSSRM, 12 July 1999

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/nssrm/initiatives/smartt.htm

Monster Cannon!

Panzerhowitzer 2000

This is the German's new toy. This 55 ton self propelled cannon is the most advanced piece of artillery in the world. This cannon fires at amazing rates up to 8-10 rounds per minute. Using a new targeting system it can fire 5 rounds at different angles so that all 5 shells will hit the target at the same time. this means that 5 Panzer 2000s can blanket an area with 25 rounds and already be gone when all 25 shells hit the target at once absolutely devestating whatever they fire at. The range of the shells is about 18-34 miles depending on what kind of ammunition you use. Death from afar.

Future Weapons Zone 1

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/future-weapons/weapons/zone1/panzer-howitzer-2000.html

BIG SNIPER RIFLE!!

This video says it all. Enemies beware!

IED's Killing U.S. Troops

IED's, or improvised explosive devices have been a dangerous threat to troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are being built to exert a large amount of force great enough to travel a mile a minute. The explosives have been able to penetrate armored vehicles, and what makes the situation more difficult is that insurgents have disguised bombs to look like rocks, concrete, and other everyday objects.

Night Vision

There are multiple methods used currently to detect and identify objects during the night such as: longwave infrared, midwave infrered, and near infrared spectra.

Longwave and midwave infrared are able to seek heat like in the movies, for exmample, when a person is spotted as orange or red with night vision goggles. Infrared is where light intensifiers come into play, providing an even clearer picture. "Heat seekers and light intensifiers both have their advantages and disadvantages, yet both kinds are getting smaller, lighter, and of better quality. " In order to keep progressing, different types of sensors will need to be combined within the same unit.


Keller, John. "Night-vision devices to blend infrared technology, image intensifiers". Military & Aerospace Electronics. January, 2008. 21 Jun, 2009. http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/317484/32/ARTCL/none/none/1/Night-vision-devices-to-blend-infrared-technology,-image-intensifiers/

Unmanned Vehicles

Let's take things a step further. I have talked about high-tech, efficient tactical support vehicles, but what about unmanned vehicles? Unmanned vehicles have the obvious advantage of requiring no soldier to be physically present in the line of fire. We have been hearing about the Predator on the news recently. It can carry bombs and objects weighing up to 1.5 tons. It also has a battery life of 14 hours, which means it can travel greater distances.

Unmanned air crafts are also useful, such as the Global Hawk. This piece of technology is designed to scan the terrain using radar imaging. It uses a wireless connection to transmit its data back to the soldier at any location in the world.

While unmanned military vehicles make it safer for our troops, it also makes it easier to participate in war fare, which could become a very bad convenience. It would also make it much more expensive to build all of these robots. Then they would probably end up taking over us anyway....terminator style. Yup.

Wong, William. electronicdesign.com "Unmanned Military Vehicles: Robots on the Rise." 27 Jul, 2009. http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=19685

Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle

The United Kingdom utilizes vehicles that are actually designed to compliment each others abilities, which I find to be very interesting. Some of these vehicles are used to accompany troops, transport supplies, and as ambulances. In October 2008, 400 TSVs (tactical support vehicles) were ordered as part of the $700m protected patrol vehicles package. The Coyote in particular is a light-armoured support vehicle intended to transport supplies and designed to support the Jackal 2. The Jackal 2 is a high-mobility weapons platform patrol and reconnaissance vehicle. I have never really thought about the design of tsv's before. In fact, I've always really just thought of them as "tanks," so it's nice to gain some perspective.

army-technology.com. "Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle, United Kingdom". 21 Jun, 2009. http://www.army-technology.com/projects/coyote/

Improved Armored Vests

For the last 5 months the government has been working to improve armored vests currently being utilized by the military. They have added more protection to the sides of the vest in order to deter shrapnel injuries from occurring so frequently, which has become a big concern due to what U.S. soldiers are experiencing in Iraq and Afghanistan. These new vests should prove most useful for soldiers operating guns on top of vehicles.


Gilmore, Jerry. "Improved Armored Vests." About.com 13 Jul, 2009. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/weapons/a/newvests.htm.