Did
you know that the Internet was originally invented for military
purposes? It’s true. So too were cell phones and the Humvee. In fact,
many of society’s biggest technology breakthroughs have been adapted for
civilian use from their original military application. And when it
comes to military technology, particularly weapons, there is no end to
imagination and creativity. In fact, many of the weapons being developed
or in use by the U.S. military today seem straight out of science
fiction. However, despite how crazy they seem, these weapons and
technology have actually been invented, or are close to being deployed
in combat zones around the world.
10. PHASR
Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Personnel Halting
and Stimulation Response Rifle (PHASR) is a non-lethal weapon designed
to disorient and stun enemies rather than kill them. A light-based gun,
the PHASR has been designed for use by both soldiers and U.S. law
enforcement officials (police). The gun temporarily blinds enemies with
focused laser beams. The laser lights, which operate at alternating
wavelengths, serve to disorient people who look at them, rendering them
unable to stand let alone fight. The good news is that the laser light
used in this weapon does not inflict any permanent damage to people’s
eyesight. Source: YouTube
9. Golf Ball Grenade
Although not in use any longer, the V40 fragmentation grenade was
used by the U.S. military from the 1960s through the mid-1980s and was
distinguished by its compact size; the grenade was no bigger than a golf
ball. In fact, soldiers used to refer to it as a “mini frag.” The
grenade measured 2.5 inches high and 1.5 inches in diameter. Yet despite
its miniature size, the V-40 used a safety pin and lever just like a
standard sized grenade. And it packed a deadly punch. The golf ball
grenade was considered lethal up to a radius of five meters, and
dangerous up to 300 meters from its point of impact. However, this
weapon was eventually discontinued because the small size of the weapon
made them dangerous for use by soldiers. The short fuse time and tiny
pins made the mini frags difficult to handle and prone to going off
without warning. Source: Warrelics.eu
8. The CornerShot Rifle & Grenade Launcher
One of the biggest problems facing soldiers in combat has always been
the ability to see and fire weapons around corners. This is especially
tricky in modern warfare that often takes place in urban settings.
However, there is now a weapon in use by U.S. soldiers that enables them
to both see and fire around corners. Called the CornerShot, the weapon
comes in two versions—a semi-automatic pistol and a grenade launcher. A
hinge placed in the center of the weapon enables the barrel to pivot to
the left or right while the handle and trigger remain fixed and
stationary. A camera is affixed to the weapon as well, which allows
soldiers to see what they are shooting at around corners. The CornerShot
has proven to be so popular that militaries and law enforcement
agencies in 15 countries are now using them. Source: Womenstactical.ning.com
7. The Active Denial System
Another non-lethal weapon developed to help disperse crowds, the
Active Denial System transmits an invisible electromagnetic radiation
beam that creates a burning sensation on people’s skin—sending them
running. Called the “goodbye effect” by senior military officials and a
“heat ray” by scientists, the Active Denial System can heat up water
molecules on a person’s skin to 130 degrees Fahrenheit from a distance
of 500 yards. Controversial in some circles and dubbed a form of torture
by some people, the Active Denial System has proven extremely
effective. Security experts expect that the system will eventually be
used alongside other non-lethal crowd control methods such as tear gas,
water cannons and rubber bullets. Source: Atomictoasters.com
6. Digital Revolver
The Armatix Digital Revolver looks like something out of a science
fiction movie, and a version of it was featured in a recent James Bond
film. This futuristic pistol has a digital safety mechanism that can
only be disabled if the operator is also wearing a special wristwatch
that sends the unlock signal to the gun. The wristwatch itself only
becomes active once the user unlocks it with their fingerprint. This
means that the gun can only be fired by the owner—preventing the gun
from being used by people who may steal it. It also means that the
revolver cannot be used against its owner. Many gun experts claim that
this approach is the way of the future and a great means of ensuring gun
safety. How widespread this digital revolver gets used remains to be
seen. Source: Ca.complex.com
5. The Railgun
The U.S. Navy is developing an electromagnetic railgun that can fire a
projectile faster than the speed of sound. Officially called the 8
Megajoule Electromagnetic Railgun, this shipboard weapon can shoot at
Mach 8, which is eight times faster than the speed of sound, or 5,000
miles per hour. What could such a weapon possibly be used for, you ask?
The Navy plans to use it to protect warships and as anti-aircraft and
anti-missile weaponry. However, so powerful is the Railgun that is has
the potential to also launch a spaceship into orbit. And the Railgun can
also fire on an entire battlefield from offshore. Fun fact: the Railgun
is powered internally by a device called a “Flux Capacitor,” which was
the name of the device that powered the DeLorean time machine in the
movie Back to the Future. A case of science meeting fiction. Source: Fool.com
4. Quantum Stealth
Remember the movie Predator? Remember how the Predator was
able to use invisible stealth technology to blend into the jungle
environment around him, and how when he moved it looked like the jungle
itself was moving? Well, that technology is now in the advanced stages
of development by the U.S. military. Called Quantum Stealth, this
technology camouflages people by bending light around the object it is
hiding. And the result is that people and objects literally turn
invisible to the naked eye. The images of Quantum Stealth available on
the Internet are downright freaky. The hope is that the invisible cloaks
provided by the Quantum Stealth technology will enable soldiers to
infiltrate enemy territory without being detected, as well as launch
surprise attacks and carry out assassinations. Sounds pretty farfetched,
but the future is here and this technology is real. Source: Huffingtonpost.ca
3. Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS)
With the help of several universities and high-tech companies, the
U.S. Special Operations Command has developed a Tactical Assault Light
Operator Suit (TALOS) for soldiers to wear in combat. It is essentially a
robotic exoskeleton that soldiers wear when fighting in a combat zone.
It enables soldiers to withstand bullets and fire, monitor their vital
signs, and see in the dark. The Pentagon has dubbed the project the
“Iron Man Suit.” There are even reports that the next generation combat
suit will be made of liquid metal that can solidify into an impenetrable
suit on command. The suits are also expected to increase each soldier’s
strength and do pretty much everything but fly. Several prototypes of
the suit have been developed, and a first-generation of the suit is
expected to be operational with American soldiers in 2018. Where we go
from here is anyone’s guess. Source: Defensemedianetwork.com
2. Sentient Unmanned Vehicles
In a page out of The Terminator, the U.S. military is now
experimenting with sentient unmanned vehicles that literally think like
their human creators. Over the past two decades, unmanned vehicles—or
drones as they’re known—have become more commonplace with the military.
From unmanned airplanes to bomb-removal buggies, undersea
mini-submarines and surveillance robots. However, up until now, most of
these unmanned vehicles—including the airplanes and helicopters—have
been piloted by a soldier or technician that is based at a safe distance
from harm. Now these unmanned vehicles are being developed so that they
can think and operate on their own—without the guiding hand of a human
being. In fact, artificial intelligence is being pushed farthest right
now by military scientists, and the implications are that we will soon
have robots and unmanned military vehicles that make their own life and
death decisions. While military planners say this is in the interest of
keeping soldiers safe in combat, critics claim it is like giving robots a
license to kill. Source: Shephardmedia.com
1. Vomit Gun
Remember the “sick sticks” used by police in the movie Minority Report? The
sticks would cause anyone they touched to instantly vomit. Believe it
or not, a real life vomit gun has been invented. In 2007, the U.S. Navy
signed a contract with a company called Invocon to develop a weapon that
uses radio frequency to impact a person’s sense of hearing and
equilibrium. Anyone hit by the vomit gun immediately experiences severe
motion sickness and throws up. At the same time, The Department of
Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Department engaged a company
called Intelligent Optical Systems to develop an LED Incapacitator that
emits a rapid pulse of different colored lights to cause dizziness,
headaches and vomiting as well. As with other weapons on this list, the
Vomit Gun is viewed as a non-lethal means of subduing people and gaining
the upper hand on enemy combatants. And, as with many weapons on this
list, the Vomit Gun seems to be a case where science fiction has caught
up to science fact.
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