The power grid goes down from an EMP blast.
You clutch your standard issue XM5 rifle and make your way down the deserted city street.
Suddenly, from the shadows, you see a MAARS robot emerge with its turret swiveling from
side to side.
You dive for cover as its automated targeting system sights you and unleashes a barrage
of bullets.
You cover your head and pray to God that someone will save you as the wall you’re hiding
behind explodes into debris and dust.
A missile appears out of the sky, moving at hypersonic speeds.
You see the projectile before you hear it.
The missile slams into the robot with deadly accuracy and detonates.
You are safe for now, but what other deadly weapons wait for you on the battlefields of
World War III?
Let’s find out.
World War III will truly be a world war.
There will be no place on the planet that is safe from the weapons used in the conflict.
Militaries have developed long-range capabilities for missiles, vehicles, and aircraft.
Safe havens or refuges from war are a thing of the past; the war will be all-consuming,
and everyone will need to choose a side.
World War III will also be a war that is not just fought on Earth but in the heavens as
well.
Control of space and the orbit around the planet will likely play a crucial role in
World War III.
But there is another and perhaps even more important battlefield, and that is in the
1s and 0s that make up the digital realm.
Many of the weapons used in World War III will use computerized targeting and guidance
systems.
Entire military strategies will be communicated through satellite data.
Control of the internet and the digital world will likely determine who will come out on
top.
As we examine the weapons that will define World War III, we are going to assume that
the countries with nuclear capabilities are keeping that option off the table.
If nuclear war breaks out and consumes our planet in fire and radiation, the rest of
the weaponry really doesn’t matter.
But if war is fought in order to eliminate an enemy without causing a nuclear winter,
then there are some key weapons that will allow victory for whoever wields them,
The battlefields of World War III will likely have just as many robots as soldiers.
This is because robots can sustain more damage while also being more lethal and accurate.
Machines like the Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System, or MAARS for short, will be deployed
across the world.
This deadly robot runs on tracks, so it can handle any terrain.
Even though it can’t move as fast as foot soldiers, it doesn’t necessarily have to.
Imagine a MAARS robot airdropped into an enemy military compound during World War III.
As soldiers step out of their barracks and ready themselves for combat, they’d be greeted
by a deadly robot firing its high-powered machine gun directly at them.
Its targeting system would give it a 360-degree view of everything around it while also shooting
with pinpoint accuracy.
The MAARS wouldn’t need to seek out cover as the thick armor plating would protect it
from small arms fire.
Anything short of a grenade would just ricochet off its armor.
The MAARS would tear through enemy soldiers, and once it ran out of ammo, it would continue
scouting the area and relaying vital information to HQ.
When its mission was complete, the MAARS would drive away to a designated pickup location
where it would be secured and re-equipped for another mission.
Robots like this will likely play an important role in World War III as they are versatile
and effective in any environment.
There are plenty of military robots being developed, each one deadlier than the last,
so in the battles of World War III, it will not be surprising to find robots fighting
alongside soldiers.
Entire battles might even be fought just between robots controlled by opposing sides.
But the MAARS and smaller robotic military assets have nothing on this next weapon that
will dominate the battlefields of World War III.
The Black Knight sounds like something out of a superhero movie or Medieval times.
However, it is actually the tank of the future.
What is unique about this tank isn’t its state of the art weapons or its ability to
be easily airlifted by military transport aircraft, it’s the fact that it can be controlled
100% remotely.
The Black Night is a remote-controlled tank that can deliver massive amounts of destruction
without putting a single soldier at risk.
This tank is equipped with a turret-mounted 30 mm gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun,
both of which are deadly accurate.
The Black Knight also has a 300-horsepower engine that allows it to travel quickly from
one objective to the next.
In World War III, the last thing you would want to come up against on the battlefield
as an infantry soldier is the Black Knight.
Even if you were behind cover, the turret would tear apart whatever building you were
hiding in, and then the tank would mow you down with its automated machine gun.
Like the MAARS, the Black Knight reaffirms that the future of combat will likely be conducted
by machines while the actual soldiers control the battle from the safety of a faraway base.
But no matter how deadly a ground vehicle is, one robotic craft will be feared by anyone
fighting in World War III, regardless of whether you are on the frontlines or supposedly safely
hidden away in a bunker.
The MQ-9 Reaper and other deadly military drones will absolutely be key in World War
III.
These aircraft make sure that no one is safe.
They can be flown a world away and still destroy a target with destructive missile strikes.
Their precision and ability to fly almost completely undetected through enemy territory
will make drones very effective in World War III.
The MQ-9 Reaper is larger and more powerful than the current MQ-1 Predator.
It will be able to hold a larger payload, and its updated circuits and software allow
it to be controlled more reliably, making it even more deadly.
The drone's ability to carry out maneuvers that a fighter jet couldn’t makes it not
only a reliable asset for bombing and missile strikes but deadly in the sky as well.
An MQ-9 Reaper is only constrained by the abilities of its remote operator.
It can fly higher and bank harder than a jet with a pilot in it with zero chance of the
controller passing out from the high G’s.
The Reaper and other drones can be thought of as the aerial ninjas of World War III.
They approach their target silently with radar jamming technology.
The enemy has no idea that they are being hunted from thousands of feet in the sky.
The controller uses satellite imagery along with ground reconnaissance to create a complete
picture of where their target is and which weapon will be utilized to take it out.
There will be no hiding from the Reaper.
This deadly craft will likely take a psychological toll on the enemy as no matter how deep they
are in their own territory, there will always be a chance that a Reaper or Predator drone
is lurking above them.
But it’s not just individuals that have to worry about drones; entire battalions can
be annihilated if these machines release their entire payload at them.
Even more scary is the thought of a fleet of drones circling overhead, each with its
own set of missiles armed and ready to demolish any target they sight.
Make no mistake, the future of warfare is not stronger and better soldiers; it’s who
has the best unmanned aircraft and vehicles that can deliver decisive blows to an enemy
without putting any soldiers at risk.
That being said, with all of the robotic and remote-controlled combat vehicles fighting
in World War III, there are a set of weapons that will be especially handy for each side.
World War III will not just be fought by soldiers; it will also be fought by coders and hackers.
A drone doesn’t do the military any good if it’s highjacked by the enemy and turned
against them.
This is why one of the most important tactics that will be used during World War III will
have to do with cyber warfare.
The ability to shut down an enemy’s operation and lock them out of their own systems will
be invaluable to either side.
There will be a lot of different aspects of cyber warfare that will manifest themselves
in World War III.
Computer viruses will undoubtedly play a pivotal role.
Hackers will be able to sneak lines of code into military systems and wait for the opportune
moment to release their virus and wreak havoc in the middle of a raging battle.
If generals can’t send orders to their troops due to a communications blackout caused by
a virus, the tide of a battle could quickly shift.
Sensitive information will need to be stored in highly protective servers that have a number
of fail-safes to keep hackers out.
If they get past the first firewall, there will need to be backups to keep hackers from
stealing valuable intel.
If cyberattacks become as bad as many military strategists predict, some of the most important
documents may never be digitized as this is the only real way to keep them safe from hackers.
But there is a much scarier side to cyber warfare that could manifest itself during
World War III.
With everything being highly automated and weapons such as high-powered long-range missiles
being controlled by computers, there is a chance that hackers could infiltrate key systems
and detonate missiles in their silos.
One of the deadliest and most powerful weapons of World War III will not be explosives but
lines of code.
However, there is a simple way to stop remote vehicles, guidance systems, and hackers all
at the same time, which is why this next weapon will almost certainly be used during World
War III.
E-Bombs deliver an EMP blast like a nuclear bomb would, except without the mass destruction
that goes with it.
E-bombs will be used during World War III to stop entire remote tank battalions in their
tracks.
They can be launched into space to disrupt satellite communication.
The only problem with E-bombs is that they don’t discriminate against what technology
they fry.
EMP weapons will need to be used strategically, but if deployed in the right circumstance,
they could completely disrupt an enemy force, especially if it’s made up of a lot of high-tech
gadgets.
E-bombs might also be dropped on enemy command centers to disrupt their communications and
ability to fire or control any weapons that require a remote signal.
The great thing about E-bombs is that they will disrupt pretty much all electronics and
high-tech weapons but will not destroy buildings or cause civilian casualties.
In World War III, E-bombs may be used to disable military assets in a city while causing minimal
harm to the people living there.
In the future, it will be hard to find a weapon that doesn’t contain at least some kind
of electronic component.
This means after an EMP blast, the only reliable weapon may be a good old-fashioned gun.
E-bombs could also allow for the capture of enemy tech.
If a remote-controlled tank such as the Black Knight encounters an EMP blast, its systems
will shut down.
However, this means that if enemy engineers are nearby, they may be able to repurpose
the vehicle for their own use by switching out the fried enemy circuitry with some of
their own.
Anti-EMP tech will probably be developed at some point out of necessity, but it would
be impossible to equip every vehicle with it in such a short amount of time.
Therefore, any robotic vehicles caught in an EMP blast will be sitting ducks for scavengers
and enemy capture.
Even though high-tech weapons will play a major role in World War III, some classic
military assets will be just as important.
Currently, there are 24 aircraft carriers in service, with around ten more being constructed.
These floating fortresses will definitely play an important role in World War III.
Fighter jets, bombers, and drones can all be launched from the platforms of these carriers.
This means that wherever the aircraft carrier goes, there is a force ready to strike.
The newest carriers are equipped with nuclear reactors that give them an almost infinite
range.
This setup also allows them to power the ship so that pulling into a harbor where the carrier
is a sitting duck can be kept to a minimum.
Airdrops can be sent to resupply food and other necessities while the aircraft carrier
continues to cruise around the world to carry out its next mission.
That being said, they are very large vessels and would most certainly be targeted by enemy
attacks.
Aircraft carriers in World War III will be equipped with as many countermeasures as possible
to ensure enemy missiles and submarines don’t sink them.
Nuclear subs will also play a major role, especially when it comes to the deployment
of ballistic missiles.
New subs are being equipped with dampening technology that allows them to remain hidden
from sonar and radar.
The fact that they also use nuclear reactors means that the subs can stay hidden underwater
almost indefinitely.
However, the major threat to both aircraft carriers and subs will likely not come from
the water but from the sky.
Most military strategists agree that the future of long rang warfare is hypersonic missiles.
These are projectiles that travel faster than Mach 5 or 3,800 miles per hour.
Needless to say, they are fast, and they are deadly.
The bad news for people rooting for the United States to win World War III is that they are
pretty far behind in the hypersonic missile technology race.
Both Russia and China have working hypersonic missiles, although they still need to perfect
their designs to make them more accurate.
The United States, on the other hand, has yet to develop a reliable hypersonic missile
that doesn’t explode midair.
Hypersonic missiles will be vital in World War III because there are currently no countermeasures
that can stop them.
The speed at which these missiles move makes it impossible to shoot them out of the sky
unless you are incredibly lucky and hit them by accident.
The moment a hypersonic missile shows up on radar, it’s too late.
The missile would hit its target long before an evacuation could even begin.
Also, these insanely fast missiles can cause immense damage.
Even if the missile isn’t designed to carry a large bomb, the sheer force with which it
will impact its target will essentially vaporize anything in the immediate vicinity.
Long-range missiles, in general, will likely play a major role and define the way World
War III is fought.
However, hypersonic technology takes things to the next level.
Ballistic missiles can be slow to launch and allow time for countermeasures to be deployed
while it’s en route.
This brings us to the furthest frontiers of World War III.
Battles will take place on the ground, in the air, and outside of the atmosphere.
The problem with fighting in space is that if there is ever an infantry space battle,
a new type of weapon will need to be invented.
If soldiers fire conventional firearms in space, there will be all sorts of problems.
The main one is that as the bullet accelerates out of the barrel of the gun, an equal but
opposite force will push the space soldier in the opposite direction.
This means there could be rogue bullets flying through space one way while soldiers are flung
through space the opposite way.
This obviously wouldn’t be great tactically and could lead to a draw in the space part
of World War III.
However, missiles would still work well and could destroy satellites and entire space
stations.
As of right now, there are no weapons dedicated solely for space fighting, but that doesn’t
mean other weapons couldn’t be repurposed.
For example, the Boeing Laser Avenger is an infrared laser system that shoots a high powered
beam at explosive targets and causes them to detonate.
If this weapon was equipped to a spacecraft, it could theoretically be used to ignite the
fuel of an enemy spaceship.
If the intensity of the laser was high enough, it could even cook an enemy space soldier
from the inside.
Lasers are a great weapon in space because they don’t generate much recoil, and therefore
won’t send soldiers and spacecraft hurling through space in the opposite direction from
which they are fired.
Weapons like the Laser Avenger might also be able to detonate missiles in midair if
it can be aimed with precision.
In World War III, lasers and missiles will both be used to destroy satellites that the
enemy has deployed for surveillance and communications.
Even if an all-out space war does not commence above Earth, any weapons that can reach orbit
will be used to remove enemy satellites.
It’s unlikely that entire space stations will be built during the conflicts of World
War III, but perhaps the International Space Station will become highly contested, and
warring nations will send space soldiers to secure the ISS for their own use.
This brings us to the foot soldiers of World War III.
No matter how many robots, missiles, or computer viruses are deployed, there is nothing like
having boots on the ground.
So, what guns will the soldiers fighting in World War III be using?
Like everything else in World War III, infantry combat will often take place from afar.
Snipers will be equipped with weapons like the XM2010.
The weapons of World War III will need to be able to operate in any condition because
there is no knowing where the next battlefield will be located.
One day a soldier might be fighting in the Siberian Arctic; the next, they could be deployed
to the arid deserts of the Middle East.
Therefore, soldiers will need to be equipped with a weapon that will be effective in any
environment.
The XM2010 is designed to work in particularly harsh environmental conditions as it’s built
from corrosion-resistant materials and easily repaired.
The weapons of World War III might also be equipped with smart bullets that can change
direction in midair.
This will ensure that soldiers aren’t only equipped with the best guns but the best bullets
as well.
Even if they slightly miss their target, the bullet will adjust and accomplish the mission.
But even as an infantryman, the soldiers of World War III might need a little more power,
which is why this next gun will be an ideal addition to any squad’s arsenal.
The XM25 is also known as the Punisher, and for a good reason.
This is more than just a gun; it’s a grenade launcher.
The XM25 fires 25-millimeter grenades that explode in mid-air near a target.
This causes optimum damage and puts the fear of God in anyone who finds themselves on the
receiving end of this weapon.
The XM25 will be incredibly valuable in World War III when trying to take out enemy robots
or tanks that just shrug off normal bullets.
The grenades that the XM25 launches can be modified to contain high explosives that will
allow infantry to quickly dispatch a remote-operated vehicle and move on to their next target.
World War III will likely have minimal infantry-to-infantry combat.
However, while repelling an invasion force or engaging in urban warfare, weapons like
the XM25 will make all the difference.
The grenades it fires are just as effective against enemy soldiers as they are against
enemy robots.
Then again, you can’t destroy what you can’t see.
Invisibility technology will be a must-have for World War III.
Companies like Adaptiv have already made huge leaps in stealth technology.
This tech doesn’t necessarily make tanks and large craft invisible to the naked eye,
but it does hide them from radar and night vision, which is incredibly important for
any force trying to sneak up on an enemy.
For many of the weapons that will be used during World War III, by the time the enemy
sees them, it will be too late.
Even more so if vehicles can get into an optimal position to sight and target the enemy while
remaining hidden from detection.
And although the cloaking technology being developed right now is mostly to keep things
hidden from radar, there are some promising tech ideas that may lead to entire ships and
tanks being made invisible to the naked eye.
By bending the light that hits a vehicle, a combination of sophisticated lenses and
cameras could rendender an entire military craft invisible.
With all these high-tech options, you would think no single weapon could trump all of
the others.
However, that is not the case.
The single greatest weapon that will define World War III is strategic diplomacy.
Through negotiations and peace talks, World War III might not only end before it destroys
the planet but it could be prevented altogether.
Throughout human history, we have always been at war with one another.
Perhaps the greatest weapon right now is the ability to talk to one another across the
planet, to sit down and find common ground that unifies us all.
Now watch “World War 3 (Hour by Hour).”
Or check out “Why You Wouldn't Survive World War 3.”