Gizmag: Military

Ants inspire military strategy software

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:45:43 -0600

Ant colonies aren't called superorganisms for nothing. In some species, millions of individuals can act as a single entity to protect and feed the colony. This behavior has led to over 200 different species being called "Army Ants", so in a way it's no surprise that these mechanisms have been used for the basis of new software that helps troops to define the best path within a battle field...

Tags: Battlefield, Military, Software

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Concept car provides roadside bomb protection

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:50:52 -0600

Casualties in Iraq from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have dropped as the number of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles has increased, but with roadside bombs still responsible for the majority of casualties to coalition forces in Afghanistan, there is a need for a smaller, more nimble version more suited to its rugged, mountainous terrain. A new concept that would see military vehicles built around a protected personnel compartment and use a sacrificial “blast wedge” to absorb energy could improve safety for the occupants of future light armored patrol vehicles...

Tags: Armor, Bombs, Concept, Explosion, Military, Protection, Vehicle

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BAE Survivability Concept Demonstrator vehicle to debut at AUSA

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:59:07 -0500

Recent developments in the military sector have demonstrated an increasing importance in protecting troops in the field, whether this be by automating vehicles or enhancing armor-based protection and maneuverability. BAE Systems has decided against picking a specific area to test with its M1151 Survivability concept but, instead, has lumped a range of technologies into a single vehicle, and is currently unveiling the fruits of its research at the AUSA (Association of the United States Armys) annual exposition in Washington. ..

Tags: Armor, Ausa, BAE Systems, Concept, Military, Vehicle

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Non-Lethal Thermal Laser prototype only works on nudists

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:07:14 -0500

Non-lethal weapons are intended to have reversible effects on personnel and material. They provide soldiers with another option when lethal force isn’t considered to be the best first response to a situation. One non-lethal weapon prototype that is being evaluated by U.S. military is the Thermal Laser System, which attaches to a rifle and uses a laser to create a heating sensation to repel adversaries. Unfortunately, current trials indicate that clothing nullifies the weapon's effectiveness...

Tags: Infrared, Laser, Laser weapon, Military, Non-lethal, Phasr, Portable, Prototype, Thermal, Weapon

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Oshkosh demonstrates TerraMax autonomous vehicle system

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:27:00 -0500

The ability of military vehicles to better protect occupants with modern designs and high-tech materials has become an increasing priority and UK firm Amsafe has already seen success with its Tarian armor plating in the U.S. Oshkosh Defense, part of the U.S. Marine Corp’s MRAP (Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected) program, is also heavily involved and a recently-announced armor system took an alternative approach with an emphasis on mobility. Development of its new TerraMax vehicles seems almost flawless in its potential, however, at least in protecting the lives of the soldiers on board because, put simply, there aren’t any. ..

Tags: Automotive, Computer-controlled, Military, Robotics, Vehicles

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NASA tests eco-friendly rocket fuel

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:11:22 -0500

NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) have successfully launched a nine-foot rocket to a height of 1,300ft using an environmentally-friendly propellant made from aluminum powder and water ice. The fuel, called ALICE, has the consistency of toothpaste with a high burn rate and achieved a maximum thrust of 650 pounds during this test...

Tags: Alice, alternative, Eco-friendly, Environmental, Fuel, Launch, NASA, Rocket, Space

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AMREL announce the HC-2 military computer

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:03:14 -0500

Recent developments in battlefield technology have demonstrated the increasing need for soldiers on the ground to be able to relay large amounts of information, using highly portable and flexible equipment. To this effect American Reliance (AMREL) has announced their latest compact computer platform, the HC-2, featuring a Windows XP interface and 128GB solid state drive. ..

Tags: Amrel, Battlefield, Intel, Military, Mission, Notebook, Portable, Rugged, Windows

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Tarian high-tech fabric: the future of military armour-plating?

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:55:10 -0500

Developed by UK firm Amsafe, Tarian cloth is capable of repelling armor-piercing anti-tank warheads by creating a ‘cushion’ between the vehicle’s exterior and typical armor plating, thereby triggering the explosive early and dispersing the force of the blast across the existing armor...

Tags: Armour, British, DARPA, Military, Protection, Tank, Vehicle

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TASER Shockwave - electro-shock 'canon' developed for riot control

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:43:53 -0500

The launch of the handheld TASER X3 has been grabbing headlines lately, but the company has also been developing large-scale versions of its stun-gun technology for 'area denial' (read 'riot control'). The TASER Shockwave is a fully modular system that effectively bunches six TASER X26 stun guns together to cover a 20-degree arc with 25-foot cartridges...

Tags: Law Enforcement, Modular, Taser, Weapon

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Hard to miss: Taser X3 officially launched

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:43:05 -0500

When we previewed the release of the Taser X3 stun-gun a couple of weeks back, details on what it looked like were scarce. Now images have been released to coincide with the official launch, along with more detail about the new three-shot Electronic Control Device (ECD)...

Tags: Loaded, Target, Taser, Weapon

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Inventions that changed the world: Mikhail Kalashnikov's AK-47

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:38:43 -0500

It's the most effective killing machine in human history - a gun that, on its 62nd birthday, is still killing as many as a quarter of a million people every year, in every corner of the globe. Invented by a gifted tank mechanic to save Russia's motherland from the invading German hordes in WW2, the AK-47 went on to rise to global prominence during the proxy battles of the Cold War. Even today, a poorly trained militia group can become a force to be reckoned with once it finds a supply of AK-47s - such is its simplicity, reliability, affordability and sheer killing power. Abhorrent - yes, but with reference to its impact on humanity it is, sadly, among the greatest inventions of the 20th century. We take a look at this amazing weapon's history, its significance and its brutal dominance of world politics. Listen to the Podcast or ..

Tags: Military, Weapons

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High-tech TASER X3 multiple shot stun-gun

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:41:15 -0500

A new Taser that fires three shots before it needs recharging is soon to be released. Billed by the company as its most innovative handheld electronic control device (ECD) since the Taser X26 was released in 2003, the high-tech Taser X3 can be simultaneously used on multiple targets and boasts a range of additional features including laser sights for both top and bottom probes, improved monitoring and data recording and the ability to survive harsh environments...

Tags: Law Enforcement, Taser, Weapons

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Contracts awarded for new Space Fence system

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:16:42 -0500

Is it a bird, a plane, a UFO, or a piece of space junk hurtling towards Earth minutes away from catastrophe? Hopefully, before too long we won’t have to guess. The U.S. Air Force has awarded USD$30 million contracts to defense technology specialists Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin to help create the prototype of a new situational awareness network dubbed "Space Fence". The Space Fence system will enable the Air Force to better detect, report and track very small objects in low Earth orbit. ..

Tags: Communications, protect, Prototype, Raytheon, Security, space junk, Technology

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What would happen if your town got nuked?

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:03:09 -0500

Not that it's particularly likely, but as long as nuclear bombs exist, there's the chance - however slim - that one might go off somewhere near you. This little Google Maps overlay might be a bit morbid, but it's also pretty fascinating. It shows you the heat, pressure and fallout spread of a range of different nuclear bombs detonating anywhere in the world. It's particularly sobering to get a sense of the scale of the devastation caused by the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs in World War 2 - and then see how tiny those bombs are compared to the USSR's enormous Tsar Bomba, the biggest nuke ever detonated...

Tags: Bombs, Google, Maps, Nuclear, Weapons

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XM-25: The US Army's first smart shoulder-fired weapon

Wed, 27 May 2009 05:16:25 -0500

The XM25 Individual Air Burst Weapon is looking likely to be the shoulder-fired weapon of choice for the US military to kill or neutralize hidden targets. Due for field test this summer, the lightweight XM-25 "smart weapon" uses High Explosive Air-Burst (HEAB) munitions that can be programmed to detonate at a precise point in the air without the need to impact, spelling trouble for elusive targets, be they behind a wall, inside a building or in a foxhole...

Tags: Military, Weapons

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Laser detection system for unearthing hidden tunnels

Sun, 10 May 2009 19:15:56 -0500

For some time now, the Defence Department has been looking for technology that can be carried by small ground vehicles, or unmanned aircraft, to detect underground tunnel activity. This took a step closer to reality with the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency awarding the Raytheon Company a USD$19 million contract to develop a technology that detects tunnels and buried landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). ..

Tags: landmine detection, Raytheon, tunnel detection

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Smiths Detection rolls-out handheld chemical and biological agent detectors

Tue, 05 May 2009 04:27:02 -0500

It may be a sad reflection of the times we live in, but there’s a growing worldwide demand for devices capable of detecting chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRNE) threats. Detecting such threats in a laboratory environment is all well and good, but to really save lives such detection needs to be carried out at the site of the threat. That means a detection device that offers lab quality results with a portable form factor - both qualities that Smiths Detection promises in its range of threat detection systems now being rolled-out worldwide...

Tags: Explosives, Military, Portable, Rugged, Safety

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Oshkosh delivers MRAP vehicles for testing

Mon, 04 May 2009 21:29:04 -0500

The success of MRAP (Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected) vehicles in saving lives from IED (Improvised Explosive Device) and ambush attacks has seen the US Marine Corp scrambling to accelerate the rate of production by awarding contracts to multiple companies. Oshkosh Defense has now delivered three production-representative MRAP All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) to the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for military evaluation. ..

Tags: Armor, BAE Systems, Land Mine, Military, Off-road, Safety, Vehicle

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Metal Storm completes first shoulder firing of MAUL shotgun

Fri, 01 May 2009 01:51:24 -0500

Metal Storm's MAUL ultra-light shotgun attachment has joined the company’s 3GL grenade launcher in achieving certification for safe shoulder-firing. MAUL, which stands for Multishot Accessory Underbarrel Launcher, mounts under the barrel of a combat weapon including the M-4 and M-16 rifles and is capable of firing a range of lethal and non lethal munitions using the company's computer-controlled, electronic ignition system...

Tags: Metal Storm, Military, Weapon

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The soldier helmet that pinpoints enemy snipers

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 02:28:03 -0500

Imagine being able to pinpoint an enemy shooter in difficult terrain with such deadly accuracy that you can see whether they are kneeling or standing and not only what kind of weapon they are firing but the caliber too. Well, engineers at Vanderbilt University's Institute for Software Integrated Systems (ISIS) have developed such a system by turning soldiers' combat helmets into "smart nodes" in a wireless sensor network...

Tags: ISIS, Sniper, Surveillance, Weapon, Weapons

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Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System packs .338-caliber rifle controlled by Xbox 360 pad

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:43:24 -0500

Late last year reports surfaced of a modified radio controlled helicopter equipped with a .45 caliber hand gun, including a video of the RC copter doing target practice with live ammunition (see below). It seems the US Army have been thinking along the same lines, except this version carries a .338 caliber sniper rifle. ..

Tags: Helicopters, radio control, UAV, Xbox 360

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The Carl Gustav Recoilless Rifle - 60 years and still going strong

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:30:28 -0500

In the world of military technology, new weapon capabilities quickly supersede the old. With the United States expenditure for the 2009 fiscal year at US$515.4 billion, it's rare to find a very old weapon still cutting it with the best on the battlefield, but the Carl Gustav recoilless rifle (CG) has proved the exception to this rule. First produced in 1946, the Carl Gustav remains in widespread use today...

Tags: Military, Saab, Weapon, Weapons

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Researchers developing portable E-Bomb

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:24:24 -0500

High-power microwave (HPM) bombs that use an enormous electromagnetic radio pulse to disable computers, electronics, vehicles, guided missiles and communications while leaving people and structures unharmed have been under investigation in research labs for a number of years. Until recently these weapons have been impractically large at over 3.5 meters long, but researchers at Texas Tech University have now built a self powered device with U.S. Army funding that measures 15 cm in diameter and only 1.5 meters long, making it small enough to be considered portable. ..

Tags: Cannon, Computers, Electric, Explosives, Portable, Weapon

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ONR demonstrates new counter-mine cloaking technology

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 02:07:14 -0500

Naval mine strikes are cited as the root cause of almost 4/5ths of U.S. Navy ship casualties occurring since 1950, so any device that either detects mines or cloaks the ship to avoid detonation will aid in the reduction of these alarming statistics. This new technology developed by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) consists of a high temperature superconducting (HTS) degaussing coil which acts to form a cloaking device which eliminates the magnetic signature of the ship. This interferes with undersea mines' ability to detect and detonate when a large magnetic field – like the one created by a ship – comes within close proximity...

Tags: Military, mine detection, Weapons

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SFC Portable Fuel Cell lightens the soldier's load

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:58:23 -0500

Soldiers operating in remote locations face a considerable heavy equipment burden, a significant proportion of which can be attributed to the need for a portable power supply. Fuel cells are seen as a key solution to this problem and the JENNY system, which has just been commercially released for defense applications by German mobile power application company SFC Smart Fuel Cell, promises to reduce weight by around 80% compared with lithium-ion batteries...

Tags: Energy, Environmental, Fuel Cell, Military, Mobile, Smart

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