Weaponsblog

The U.S Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA ) will soon develop an extraordinary and avant-garde pair of high-tech binoculars for their Special Forces that will be 10 times more powerful than anything available today.

This new amplified device with an alerting system actually taps the wearer’s prefrontal cortex (anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain, lying in front of the motor and premotor) to caution secret threats detected by the soldier’s subliminal.

According to DARPA this advanced prototype model of binoculars is stimulated by ‘Luke’s Binoculars’ that Luke Skywalker used in Star Wars. Now, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has planned to create their own version of this science-fiction hardware whose prototype will be handed to troops in next three years.

The agency also asserts that no scientific advancement is required on the project that is officially named as Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System because DARPA hopes to assemble their cooked technologies already kept in their laboratories from years. The technology ranges from flat-field wide-angle optics, to the use of advanced electroencephalograms, or EEGs, to rapidly recognize brainwave signatures.

According to the presentations from the meeting held by DARPA in March at Arlington, Virginia where scientists and defense contractors were expected to participate, the agency demanded that binoculars should have a viewing range of 1,000 to 10,000 meters as compared to the current generation binoculars whose ranges are only 300 to 1,000 meters.

The agency also demanded that these binoculars should grant 120-degree field view and should be able to spot moving vehicles as far as 10 kilometers away.
But the most notable thing is that these binoculars have nothing to do with the optics because it is just DARPA’s desire to amalgamate EEG electrodes that scrutinize wearer’s neural signals to aid the soldiers to identify the targets with an ease.

According to an expert in this field, Dennis McBride, president of the Potomac Institute DARPA’s goals are based on detailed research, he further quoted that:

This is all about target recognition and pattern recognition. It turns out that humans in particular have evolved over these many millions of years with a prominent prefrontal cortex.

He further described that prefrontal cortex permits brain to lift patterns instantly and also exercises strong impulse control to prohibit false alarms. He also said that EEG will surely permit binoculars to avoid inhibitory reaction and will help the wearer to detect possible threats.

According to John Murray, a scientist at SRI International and one of the participants in last month’s DARPA workshop believes that technology is viable in a demonstrative environment but to take it in a field is a different issue. He further added that in few years the capability to measure signals and to analyze them quickly is radically advanced and in this kind of situation lots of other subjects are also involved to build and deploy this technology.

It is also not clear that how the final device will look like but the agencies presentations unveils soldiers wearing EEG sensors attached helmet on their heads. However, DARPA’s presentations clearly denote that size and power are also some serious issues that need to be solved but to create a system less than five pounds is still a challenge.

If we take an example of another important aspects of binoculars to detect threats by using neuromorphic engineering- the science of using hardware and software to mimic biological systems. Paul Hasler, a professor of Georgia Institute of Technology who specializes in this area and attended DARPA’s workshop describes it by giving an example that if an effort is made to use neural computation to “emulate the brain’s visual cortex’ by creating sensors like brain, it will scan large area and will also help the troops to visualize important activities of their foes.

Though companies are not sure to bid on this project but DARPA believes that when the prototype of this high-tech device will be offered to U.S Special Forces and when the military will demand the binoculars after trial it will be the true success for DARPA and for the whole team who all conducted detailed research at DARPA’s workshop to develop this ultramodern device.

Via: Wired

In this day and age of technology, it’s quite surprising that Navy is still looking for routines to predict the location of the bomb. Believe it or not, it’s true. According to report, the official of Naval Research is interested in getting theoretical and technical methods, which would not only give them a much-needed cushion in terms of prediction of bomb placements but also Naval officers in duty can also identify and localize bomb makers.

As advanced sensor networks are the order of the day at present juncture, there is hardly a surprise that Navy is only interested in proposal based on advanced sensor networks. You may ask: What so flash about advanced sensor networks? Advanced sensor networks can play a prominent part in automatically detecting the location of the bomb, which in turn will mean that Navy can neutralize them with less human involvement.

Engadget

University of Utah researchers have found that the far-infrared light could enable quicker wireless communications and can be employed to effectively enhance concealed weapons detection.

The terahertz radiations could be used to detect chemical or biological weapons (such as anthrax), concealed weapons and plastic explosives.

Ajay Nahata, an associate professor at the University of Utah said that the homeland security applications of terahertz technology comprise the use of “emitters and detectors of terahertz radiation to detect materials that resonate at a terahertz frequency when exposed to far-infrared light.‘

Via: Playfuls

A heavy-duty parallel hybrid vehicle is the centre of attraction at the Military Utility Assessment (MUA) tests at Fort Lewis, Washington.

The powerhouse vehicle- Future Tactical Truck System Maneuver Sustainment Vehicle or FTTS-MSV- is developed for the U.S. Army and has already been tested for nearly 3,000 miles before being subjected to the current Military Utility Assessment (MUA) tests.

FTTS-MSV comprises of an 8.8-liter Caterpillar C9 diesel engine, a 120 kW UQM hybrid electric motor, and a 336V 3 kWh Cobasys NiMH battery pack with a 7-speed automatic transmission.

The winning point of this multi-wheel giant is its highly fuel-efficient engine which can work wonders in increasing supply ranges to between 600 and 900 miles, which is almost double to triple than what the current tactical vehicles employed with the U.S. Army are giving.

The highly fuel-efficient FTTS-MSV will be a boon to the U.S. Army, as supply ranges play one of the most important roles in any land combat.

Source.

Recently a revolver owned by Ian Fleming was auctioned in London for £12,000. Fleming is the creator of the world famous secret agent James Bond 007, and the author of a series of books based on this fictional spy character.

The Colt Magnum was accompanied by a letter from the firearms company and a complimentary copy of the 1959 Bond novel Goldfinger.The revolver is still in working condition.

The Colt Python .357 Magnum was specially made for Fleming and presented to him by the firearms company. The revolver is engraved with the words:

Incidentally, James Bond never used the Colt. His favourite was a stealth gun which could be hidden under a dinner jacket.

Fleming started his career as a journalist and a banker, but subsequently joined the Naval Intelligence during World War II, where he attained the rank of Commander and was right-hand man to spymaster Admiral John Godfrey.

Fleming’s experiences in the Naval Intelligence inspired him to create many of 007’s finest adventures which he penned down at Goldeneye, his home in Jamaica.
Source.

Since the war began in Iraq, for the first time robots are equipped with guns to patrol streets of war zone.

After three years of development “special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system’, (SWORDS) robots are armed with M249 machine guns in Iraq. However, the bot has not yet fired a single shot but according to ‘Michael Zecca’, the program manager of SWORDS, it will happen soon.

No doubt that the modified version of SWORDS called, bomb-disposal robots were also used throughout Iraq back in 2004 but due to some safety measures the machines were not sent to the battlefields whereas machine’s tendency to spin out of control from time to time was also one of the major catch.

Therefore, now radio-controlled robots are retooled for more safety. In earlier weeks, weak signals delayed robot functioning for as much as eight seconds to receive orders during combat. Now, the SWORDS don’t functions on a command, unless it’s received instantly and via three-part arming process with both physical and electronic safeties, also mandatory before firing. Moreover, to combat the odd behavior, kill switches are also installed.

Zecca asserts, ‘So now we can kill the unit if it goes crazy.

Initially only three robots are deployed in Iraq. Although, Zecca is ready to send more, however, couldn’t due to some financial crisis. Whereas until now, Army is also not considering these bots as a priority but the day these machines will begin their firefights, the bots will emerge as first precedence of the army.

Via: Blog.wired

US Navy has just unveiled their plans to develop an unmanned combat aircraft that will combat Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter.

Furthermore, to accomplish the project, Northrop Grumman is awarded with $636 million contract to design, build, and fly an Unmanned Combat Air System ‘that would operate from the decks of the Navy’s giant nuclear-powered aircraft carriers’.

Now, if the project goes according to plans, very soon we will see that gunners will join the forces within 10 to 15 years.

Moreover, if we consider our land-based automatic soldiers to fire our weapons as deployed in Iraq, then we can forecast that time is not far ahead when a full-blown robotic army will soon wrestle in wars.

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Via: Lifeparticles

The new Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is the most powerful conventional penetrating weapon ever designed. Developed by Boeing, it is designed specifically to attack hardened concrete bunkers and tunnel facilities.

MOP is a part of a technology demonstration program funded by DTRA. The aim of the program is to develop a 30,000-pound conventional penetrating weapon especially designed to penetrate hard and deeply buried targets.

MOP is 20-feet-long which will be carried aboard B-2 and B-52 bombers and deployed at high altitudes. MOP is equipped with innovative design features including a GPS navigation system and packs more than 5,300 pounds of explosives.

MOP has been tested successfully for a static tunnel lethality test March 14 at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) weapons tunnel complex at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

Bob McClurg, Boeing Advanced Systems MOP program manager, speaks about the significance of MOP:

The weapon’s effectiveness against hard and deeply buried targets allows the warfighter to hold adversaries’ most highly valued military facilities at risk, especially those protecting weapons of mass destruction.

Source.

Read more on MOP.

To combat death matches U.S Research and Development wing are developing another ultramodern technology that will surely rule our weapons taxonomy.

This Plasma Acoustic Shield System bundled with “dynamic pulse detonation,” applies an “intense” laser pulse to produce a ball of plasma.
It also generates second laser pulse to produces a supersonic shockwave along with bright lights and big sounds to stun and fright enemies.

But the manufacturer of this is also making a laser rifle for the army that will be able to shoot your target from over a mile.

Via: Freebie-world

U.S Air Force has added one more high-end weapon in its artillery. After undergoing almost forty years of detailed engineering the new chaos creating weapon is finally developed to start its operations wherever required by the authorities.

The newly designed weapon is not based on other destruction striking weapons to completely destroy the targets but the idea that arouses behind the development of this unique weapon is to simply control the hostile crowds and perimeter defence at check points.

This Personal Halting and Stimulation Response or PHaSR gun stops people in their tracks by releasing a sparkling nonlethal beam of laser light to create temporary blinding effect that is very much similar to walk out from a dark movie theater into the bright sunshine.

It weighs equal to a fully loaded M60 machine gun and is specifically meant to stop attackers.

Via: Blog.scifi