Friday, August 14, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Beetle Borgs to the Rescue!!!!
The engineers at the University of California at Berkeley have developed a wireless, flying, cyborg beetle. A radio receiver is used to relay information to electrodes connected to the insect's optic lobes and flight muscles. Beetles are strong enough to carry equipment of substantial weight such as miniature cameras. This creature's abilities were demonstrated by researchers at the 2009 IEEE MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) Conference in Italy.
DARPA is also interested in implanting insects with mechanical devices at infancy so they grow into cyborg adults. For example, wiring could be placed into caterpillars, then growing into cyborg butterflies. Butterflies are known for their ability to fly thousands of miles without feeding, so they could be very successful for this use.
This is very interesting research, and I'm sure could be put to good use. However, it sounds like a scary sci-fi flick where all the cyborg insects attack us and electricute everybody, etc. Mixing technology with biomatter is a very important on-going ethical debate. It's a difficult topic, and also difficult, at least for me, to choose a side.
Ornes, Stephen. "The Pentagon's Beetle Borgs". discovermagazine.com. 30 Apr, 2009. 13 Aug, 2009. http://discovermagazine.com/2009/may/30-the-pentagons-beetle-borgs
Integrated Crisis Early Warning System
DARPA’s Integrated Crisis Early Warning System is described as containing “state-of-the-art computational modeling capabilities that can monitor, assess, and forecast, in near real time, a variety of phenomena associated with country instability.” The Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, have all launched programs aimed at predicting group behavior.
Some say that the military should avoid funding social science, however an estimated $74 million was allocated to this area between 2006 - 2007. William M. Arkin, a national security analyst, is skeptical of much of this work, calling it a “dream counterterrorism program that seeks to create a silver bullet to solve the problem of terrorism." “Those technologies are interesting and worthy of pursuit, but my guess is that they are a poor replacement for examining why it is that terrorism exists in the first place,” Arkin says.
I believe that predictions only go so far, because you can only predict the actions of humans in groups to a certain percentage. Human beings are still animals and therefore can not be pinned down as to performing specific actions 100% of the time.
Luke's Binoculars
DARPA and other research agencies are utilizing neuroscience in pursuit of better military technology. This year DARPA started a project called the Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System, also known as Luke’s Binoculars (think Luke Skywalker from Star Wars). These binoculars use EEG's to monitor brain wave signatures in the prefrontal cortex. This way the government will know as soon as a single soldier has recognized the enemy on the battlefield. Evolution has also built into our prefrontal cortex a false alarm inhibtor. It is the military's hope that EEG would allow the binoculars to bypass this phenomena, alerting soldiers to danger before their brain even has time to process it. DARPA anticipates field-testing a prototype in 2010. They are still trying to build the item effectively keeping the weight 5 pounds or less.
Weinberger, Sharon. "Pentagon to Merge Next-Gen Binoculars With Soldiers' Brains". Wired.com. 1 May, 2007. 13 Aug, 2009. http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/05/binocularsWednesday, August 12, 2009
1 million rounds per minute
When complete the Metal Storm will be capable of firing a million rounds per minute. The weapon has no moving parts, instead it uses electric volts to send the bullets flying.
Just scroll to 1:28 and watch the prototype annihilate several boards stacked in a row.
http://www.vincelewis.net/metalstorm.html
Future Combat Systems
The FCS is a joint network connecting the entire military and even some outside sources to share information on a soldiers surroundings. By allowing a soldier to know exactly where everything is located prior to entering the area, the soldier will be able to make better decisions and will increase his or her chances of survival.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/fcs.htm
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Navy X Craft
Monday, August 10, 2009
Stealth UAV
The Navy's latest, biggest and baddest unmanned aerial vehicle has just been unveiled. Yesterday in California, Northrup Grumman showed off a completed X-47B Navy Unmanned Combat Air System, the first of two fighter-plane-size UAVs that the company will produce for the U.S. Navy. The second will follow in 2009. The Navy hopes to start flying the X-47Bs next year. The UAV is expected to have the ability to take off from and land on an aircraft carrier, and the Navy plans to start those trials in 2011.
The X-47 was designed to be adept at long-range surveillance because of its large range and high flight ceiling. And despite being a beast—it will have a 62-ft wingspan and weigh around 45,000 pounds at takeoff—the X-47B is designed for stealth. This aircraft shows the Navy's growing embrace of unmanned technology, including both unmanned underwater vehicles and aerial vehicles. But the X-47B would be a technological step forward—besides carrying stealth features, it is supposed to have the ability to execute some maneuvers, such as refueling in midflight, autonomously.
Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4296188.html
Sweet all porpose rifle!
The Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) provides an enhanced capability for the 21st century infantryman, with the potential to selectively replace the M16 rifle, M203 grenade launcher, and M4 carbine. When fielded, the OICW dual munition system will provide superior firepower to the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Special Operations Command, Navy, and Coast Guard.
Program guidelines were derived from the Small Arms Master Plan (SAMP) and Joint Service Small Arms Master Plan (JSSAMP). OICW was managed by JSSAP during the Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) phase. For the PDRR/EMD phase, OICW management will transition to PM Small Arms with support provided by ARDEC.
Effective range to 1,000 meters
Full defilade target capability
Moving target tracking capability
KE semi two-round burst; HE semi automatic
Recoil level 1/3 that of the M14
Ruggedized composite weapon housing
Separable HE/KE weapons
Precise target range, automatically communicated to 20mm HE bursting ammo
Five times more lethal than the M16/M203, at > twice the range
Rate of fire with KE ammo >850 rounds/min, with HE >10 rounds/minute
Easily field strippable in under two minutes
Day/night fire control; weapon interface, iron sight backup
HE ammo functional modes: airburst, MOUT short arm, point detonation, point detonation delay, and self-destruct
Laser ranging accuracy ±1/2m out to 500m, ±1m out to 1000m
Equipment guide, Military.com,
http://tech.military.com/equipment/view/89063/objective-individual-combat-weapon.html
Unmaned plane can fly around the world?
The RQ-4A Global Hawk long range High Altitude Endurance (MAE) UAV took its first flight in March of 1998 as a Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration proof of concept platform. As with the Predator medium altitude UAV, the Global Hawk UAV is capable of high altitude surveillance and reconnaissance over a greatly extended period and ranges.
The Global Hawk's electro-optical/Infrared cameras and synthetic aperture array radar give it a complete day/night all weather surveillance capability. From an altitude of 65,000 feet the SAR can generate a 10km wide strip map at one meter of resolution, and a 2x2 km spot map at one foot resolution. In Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode, the Global Hawk is capable of detecting ground targets moving as slow as 4.5 miles per hour. The Global Hawk is capable of mapping up to 40,000 square nautical m per day and up to 1900 individual spot maps.
Equipment guide, Military.com,
http://tech.military.com/equipment/view/89669/rq-4a-global-hawk-high-altitude-uav.html
Lasers on Planes!!!!
2. High-energy lasers
These are powerful energy beams that travel through air or space in straight lines. They travel at the speed of light and can strike over distances of thousands of kilometres.
How they work: Large mirrors focus powerful laser beams onto a small spot on the target. The heat produced burns through the surface of the target, disrupting flight, disabling warheads, or igniting fuels or explosives.
Limitations: It needs much more energy to do damage than bullets, which destroy targets with their momentum. Powerful lasers need fuel or electrical power and are also very bulky (the US Airborne Laser fills a Boeing 747). Travelling through air and turbulence can disperse the energy of the beam.
Jeff Hecht, Top 10: Weapons of the future
12:07 04 September 2006, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9979-top-10-weapons-of-the-future-.html
Robots That Eat
Robotic Technology Inc. has developed a new kind of robot. This robot actually uses alternative sources of fuel such as organic matter. This entails mainly plant matter, however the robot may use more traditional fuels also such as gasoline, kerosene, coal, etc. Dr. Bob Finkelstein (which strangely sounds like Frankenstein) says that the EATR (Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot) will not eat any animal or human remains. The main advantage of the EATR is that they could roam the countryside for months and even years without any required attention from humans beings. This sounds beneficial, but I feel it could also turn into something quite terrible. Who wants robots running around for years on end eating random things (and hopefully not us)?
Keller, John. "Biomass-Eating Military Robot Is a Vegetarian, Company Says". Foxnews.com. 16 Jan, 2009. 10 Aug, 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533382,00.html
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Future
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
A-10 Warthog
Seal SDV
Delilah
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
http://www.sniperghilliesuits.com/
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/
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
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
SMART T
Monster Cannon!
Future Weapons Zone 1
http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/future-weapons/weapons/zone1/panzer-howitzer-2000.html
Monday, July 27, 2009
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.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
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/
Monday, July 13, 2009
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.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Drifting Contact Mines-the original torpedoes
David Bushnell created the original naval mines back in January of 1778 to help protect good old Philadelphia from the British. They were originally kegs filled with gun powder and a slow burning fuse.
In the Early 20th century the slow burning fuses were removed and replaced with a device that would make the bombs explode on contact. They were used as a form of defense from attacking navies.
The Minie Ball
The minie ball was invented to allow riflemen to load their rifles faster. Which would eventually bring about the popularity of rile use in combat. The bullets would be packed with gunpowder and than stuffed inside the rifle. When shot the powder and other gases would allow the bullet to spin. Which in turn increased the bullets accuracy and velocity.
Medieval Armour
Medieval Armour was designed to protect vital areas of the body, and to deflect weapon blows while allowing for freedom of movement in the joints. In the present, scientists are working on "futuristic" armour that may actually have some similarities to original medieval suites of armour.
The First Torpedo
This was following the semi sucess the Uss Hunley had against the North during the civil war. After sinking a union blockade ship the hunley sank due to a faulty rudder killing the entire crew.
In WWI the German wolf packs that were groups of submarines that were used to sink allied '
ips, the torpedo used were short range, but powerfull and sank countelll allied ships. This continued during WWII, when the Germans had even more sucess againt allied ships.
Many people felt the torpedo and submarine were not gentleman like and was against the rules of war. After seeing the success it had though other countries copied the sub and torpedo and soon forgot any issues they had w ith them.
Work cited:
Https://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtorpedo.htm
Monday, June 22, 2009
Origins of U.S. Naval Special Warfare
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Telegraph and the Military
A. W. Greely, Major-General, United States Army THE MILITARY-TELEGRAPH SERVICE
http://www.civilwarhome.com/telegraph.htm
Radios In Vietnam
The first AN/PRC-25's in Southeast Asia (mid-1965) were intended for advisers. With their initial distribution came the first NET Team (new equipment training) from the Electronics Command to begin instruction on the operation and maintenance of the VRC-12 and the PRC-25. Those radios soon became the mainstay of tactical communications in Southeast Asia. In three and a half years, 20,000 VRC-12 and 33,000 PRC-25 radios were delivered to Southeast Asia. The PRC-25 was, according to General Creighton Abrams, "the single most important tactical item in Vietnam."
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
First Nuclear Submarine
"USS Nautilus (SSN-571)." National Museum of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2009.
Bulletproof Silk
In 1881, Dr George Emery Goodfellow accidentally discovered that silk could stop bullets from penetrating the skin. He eventually developed a Gambeson that used silk folded thirty times to successfully protect the human body from bullets.
Other deigns that used silk as the medium were brought about before the start of World War I. After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, who was wearing a silk protective vest during his assassination, scientists began testing other materials. Eventually leading to the use of Kevlar during the 70s and that has remained as the primary material of which bullet proof vets are made of. That is until 2002 when scientists found out that Dragline silk is three times stronger than Kevlar.
The first combat jet fighter
To get these jets flying and to try and counter the B-24's and B-17's devastating the German landscape, the Luftwaffe was using young and untested pilots many who could not control the new aircraft and crashed before ever engaging in a fight.
1,430 were built, and did have about 500 claimed kills, but nearly 100 were lost.
This was a pivotal leap in plane technology, and after the war the United States and Russia both quickly began working on their own jet fighters.
On a side note there us restored Me 262 on display at the Willow Grove NAS. This aircraft is able to be seen by the public and we are very lucky to have such an important piece of combat history in our area.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The first tank
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Gatling Gun
Dr. Richard J. Gatling was always very interested in working with rotating devices and machinery. He invented many useful items during the 1800's such as a modernized ship's screw propeller, automated seed sower, and his most famous accomplishment, the Gatling Gun. What made the Gatling Gun so special was that it could shoot multiple bullets at once. This hand cranked gun consisted of 6 barrels locked into the central firing cylinder, and was able to shoot 200 rounds per minute, which was unheard of at the time!
Gatling happened to live next door to a Mrs. Colt, widow of Samuel Colt, creator of the Colt Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company. The relationship quickened the advancement of the fire arm, although Colt did consume the Gatling company in the future. Gatling wrote letters to President Abraham Lincoln imploring for the use of his guns during the Civil War.
"It occurred to me if I could invent a machine--a gun-- which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a great extent, supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease be greatly diminished."-Dr. Richard J. Gatling, Hartford, CT, June 15th, 1877
The Gatling is still used today, mostly on fighter planes and is able to now shoot 6,000 rounds per minute, making it one of the most important pieces of military technology throughout our history.
civilwarhome.com 6 Apr. 2005. Civil War Potpourri. 15 Jun. 2009. http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
History of the Atomic Bomb & The Manhattan Project
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Satellite Communications of the Recent Past
AN?TSC-93A and AN/TSC-93B Satellite Communications Terminals, http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/com/an-tsc-93.htm Maintained by Robert ShermanOriginally created by John PikeUpdated Thursday, March 02, 2000 10:25:31 AM
Pigeons, Radios of WWI
Satellite Communication of the Past
Martin, Donald H., A History of U.S. Military Satellite Communications Systems, Aerospace, http://www.aero.org/publications/crosslink/winter2002/01.html
Friday, June 5, 2009
Trebuchet: The Atomic Bomb of the Middle Ages
During the summer of 1191, Richard the Lionhearted laid siege to the city of Acre that was captured by the Muslims during the Crusades. He placed a series of trebuchets surrounding the city, ordering them to continually hurl stones all day and night. A trebuchet is a type of catapult that was used in Medieval warfare. It is comprised of a weighted beam that swings a sling typically carrying a large stone. Richard's most effective trebuchet was called the Malvoisine Petraria, or the "Bad Neighbor stone hurler." One stone killed 12 men at once, and that stone was taken by messengers to Saladin in order to intimidate him. The stones thrown from this machine were even able to reach the inner city's meat district. Eventually, Bad Neighbor was able to tear down part of the city's wall and destroy their Cursed Tower, despite the Turks having their own trebuchet inside the city aimed solely at destroying the Bad Neighbor.
Talbot, Alice-Mary. "Dumbarton Oaks Papers, No. 54" Washington, DC. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. 2000. http://www.doaks.org/publications/doaks_online_publications/DOP54/DP54ch4.pdf
Battleships: Old vs. New
The USS Enterprise was considered technologically advanced during World War I, utilizing such improvements as night operations and radar guided missiles. By World War II, it was considered inefficient and used for scrap metal. A new USS Enterprise was created, becoming the first ship to be equipped with nuclear warheads, except this ship was fit with a propulsion engine, therefore the ship did not need to carry it's own fuel. This allowed it to carry 90% more cargo, such as fighter planes and ammunition.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The First "Machine Gun"
Archers had the advantage of being able to attack their opponents from a distance, lessening the chance of themselves facing injury. However, while these forces proved effective, the development of the longbow nearly 700 years ago rendered the original bow and arrow a trifle. The longbow, developed in Wales, but quickly becoming adopted by the English, was much longer than the original arrow at 6 feet. Achieving accurate hits required a stupendous amount of upper body strength, and training of upwards to 10 years. These longbowmen could hit distances from 50 to 250 yards, and they designed special arrowheads for bringing down horses or piercing armour for example. An effective longbowmen could shoot 10 to 12 arrows a minute, emerging as the world's first "machine gun." The longbow gave England a tactical advantage for many years until the creation of the crossbow, which while only covering shorter distances, had more power behind its force and appeared more machine like. These delicate weapons were a prelude to modern guns, obtaining the idea of shooting damaging materials while maintaining your distance from the enemy.
militaryfactory.com. "Brief History of the Crossbow". 1 Jun. 2009. http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/medieval-longbow.aspcivil.