From self-aiming sniper rifles to robotic soldiers, here are 9 sci-fi weapons that actually
exist.
9.
HEAT RAY
Developed by the U.S. military, the Active Denial System, informally known as the Heat
Ray, is a non-lethal, directed-energy weapon designed for area denial, perimeter security,
and crowd control.
It’s called the ADS for short and works by heating the surface of targets, including
human skin.
Um...yikes?
The Department of Defense Non-Lethal Weapons Program sponsored the original development
of the ADS, with the Air Force Research Laboratory as the lead agency.
The U.S. military deployed the ADS in 2010 during the Afghanistan War; however, it never
saw combat and was withdrawn.
However, it was deemed useful for Law Enforcement.
That same year, on August 20th, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department announced that they
were going to use the weapon to break up fights and otherwise use it to control unruly prisoners
at LA’s Pitchess Detention Center.
Currently, the ADS is only available as a vehicle-mounted weapon.
However, portable versions are being developed by law enforcement and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Russia and China are also reportedly working on a weapons system of this type.
So we can expect large crowds to be dispersed with this giant heat ray pretty much all over
the world in the near future.
8.
WEAPONIZED HYPERSONIC PLANES
Besides heat rays of the future, this might also remind you of something straight out
of a science fiction movie.
A ‘scramjet’ powered aircraft called the X-51A WaveRider has been successfully tested
by the American military.
During testing, it reached a hypersonic speed of Mach (mawk) 5.1, or 3,913 miles per hour
(4,828 km/hr) - that’s over five times the speed of sound!
The plane was created as the result of a multimillion dollar project to develop missiles that can
hit anywhere on Earth in an hour or less.
The vehicle, which was initially powered by a solid rocket booster, hit Mach 4.8 in just
26 seconds before reaching its top speed.
In just over six minutes, the aircraft traveled 230 miles.
As planned, it ultimately crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
A scramjet works by compressing incoming air entering the nose at very high speeds and
mixing the air with fuel, which combusts and powers the craft forward.
It has to be traveling at near-hypersonic speeds to work, because there are no mechanical
compressors.
The theory and concept of how a scramjet works is relatively simple, but achieving a successful
flight is technically challenging due to the high speeds and unavoidable high temperatures
created in the process.
7.
AN/SEQ-3 LASER WEAPON SYSTEM
In 2014, the US Navy deployed its first anti-drone laser for active duty in the Persian Gulf
aboard the USS Ponce.
Known as the An/Seq-3 Laser Weapon System, it’s intended for use against a variety
of targets, from drones to small attack boats, and the commander of the USS Ponce is authorized
to use it as he deems necessary.
The An/Seq-3 Laser Weapon System is an advanced directed energy weapon that can take out small
drones from the sky at a fraction of the cost of a conventional missile.
The high-energy lasers used for the weapon provide an affordable, effective, and safe
way to target threats.
It works at the speed of light and with extreme precision, and was designed to work with existing
weapon platforms, including the advanced Phalanx close-in turret, which can track and destroy
ultra-fast moving objects.
6.
ROBOT SOLDIERS
The MAARS, or Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System, is a small robot tank that was developed
by QinetiQ North America.
The fully-loaded system weighs 369 pounds and is equipped with sensors, weapons, and
ammunition, along with a battery that can last three to 12 hours, as well as a sleep
mode that lasts up to a week.
MAARS has a top speed of seven miles per hour and has seven cameras designed for driving,
situational awareness, and for the actual weapon.
It can travel between 800 and 1,000 meters from its controller and has both a daytime
and thermal mode.
The robot carries 450 rounds of machine gun ammunition and four grenade rounds, and is
armed with an M240B machine gun and four M203 grenade launcher tubes on a 360 degree rotating
turret.
Various types of grenades can be used with MAARS, including less-deadly sponge, buckshot,
and tear gas grenades.
For more lethal purposes, explosive and airburst grenades can be used.
Other features of MAARS include an on-board loudspeaker, a siren, a laser dazzler, and
a gunfire detection system.
The weapons system can be replaced with a manipulator arm, which is capable of lifting
up to 120 pounds and pulling more than 300 pounds.
The system is human-controlled, but was designed to use use built-in AI to help it follow troops
or patrol a base.
5.
SELF-AIMING RIFLE
This terrifying, $17,000 piece of technology, known as the TrackingPoint XS1 scope, essentially
equips sniper rifles with an automatic aiming system.
Using advanced technology, the firearm tags targets; then, it factors in variables like
wind speed and movement to calculate the perfect shot before firing.
Known as a precision guided firearms system, the TrackingPoint employs several technologies.
The core engine that tracks the target and calculates range is called a networked tracking
scope, which also has a guided trigger to release the shot and works in concert with
the shooter.
The weapon’s barrel reference system, which is factory calibrated to a laser reference,
is a fixed reference point that enables the networked tracking scope to make adjustments.
To eliminate trigger squeeze and shot timing errors, the trigger weight is controlled by
the networked tracking scope.
An advanced, heads-up display, or HUD, is included with the weapon, along with a camera
that can capture both still images and video footage, which are downloadable directly from
the scope to a smartphone or tablet.
4.
RAILGUN
Before the railgun actually existed, it was a mythical weapon that made frequent appearances
in video games and, occasionally, in movies, such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
The railgun hurls metal slugs at hypersonic speeds using electromagnets and is considered
the future of artillery and small arms.
In fact, the U.S. Navy already has one.
It was developed specifically for the Navy by BAE Systems and is smaller than a conventional
cannon, but packs a big punch, firing projectiles at up to 4,600 miles per hour, or around six
times the speed of sound.
This high-tech weapon is also safer than traditional artillery in some ways, because it doesn’t
use gunpowder or chemical propellants and therefore eliminates, or at least reduces,
the need to transport dangerous explosives on warships.
In addition to its safety and speed, the electromagnetic gun is capable of hitting a target from upwards
of 100 nautical miles away.
It works by storing power generated by an external force, such as a warship, and through
the firing of two respectively negative and positive electrical charges of this built-up
energy through the weapon.
One major drawback of the weapon, however, is the enormous amount of power it requires
to fire, which inadvertently tears it apart.
This is, perhaps, something that can be improved upon over time - for over a decade, the railgun
has been in development, and over $500 million has been spent on the project.
3.
PLASMA FORCE FIELDS
Researchers are attempting to keep up with the ever-advancing pace of weapons technology.
A patent has been issued to aerospace and defense giant Boeing to develop a force field-like
system that could protect military vehicles from shockwaves following explosions from
missiles or IED’s, or improvised explosive devices.
The system proposed by Boeing uses a combination of lasers, electricity and microwaves to rapidly
heat the air between the vehicle and a blast.
By doing so, a plasma shield that's denser than the surrounding air and able to deflect
or absorb the energy from the incoming shockwave is created.
However, the system is not designed to prevent direct impacts or shrapnel, unlike the impenetrable
force fields of science fiction movies.
Instead, the system is intended to protect targets containing humans, such as a vehicle
carrying troops or a hospital, from the after-effects of nearby explosions.
The system will probably be mounted on a military vehicle and will be equipped with sensors
that are capable of detecting the velocity and shape of an incoming threat, as well as
the size and force of a resulting explosion.
The time it takes for a shockwave from an explosion to reach a target will be calculated
by the system’s sensors and computers, as well, along with the direction from which
the explosion is coming from.
The force field generated by the weapon would protect a small region, rather than an entire
target; therefore, accuracy is of utmost importance in the design process.
The weapon would protect the target by heating the air around it, and this would generate
a “transient medium,” as Boeing calls it.
This transient medium would reduce the energy density of the shockwave by intercepting it.
Additionally, the plasma would be much hotter than the surrounding air, and would have a
different density and composition, and the creators of the force field weapon believe
that it would be sufficient enough to divert, reflect, or absorb the energy from the explosion.
2.
CornerShot Rifle and Grenade Launcher
Despite the seemingly space-age nature of up-and-coming military technology, combat
soldiers struggle with the ages-old problem of being able to see and fire weapons around
corners.
This is an especially prevalent issue when it comes to modern warfare in urban settings.
A common-sense solution to the problem was developed called the CornerShot, loosely based
off of the Krummlauf, a weapon used by the Germans in WW2.
It is currently in use by the American and Chinese military, more specifically special
forces, and is great for hostage situations.
As its name indicates, it enables soldiers to fire around corners and comes in two versions
- a grenade launcher and a semi-automatic pistol.
The barrel pivots both left and right via a hinge that is located in the center of the
weapon; meanwhile, the handle and trigger remain stationary.
There’s also a camera affixed to the CornerShot, which enables soldiers to see around corners.
At first soldiers thought it was kind of a joke weapon, but now almost 15 countries have
experimented with it in some way.
1.
DIGITAL REVOLVER
Once again, the Armatix Digital Revolver resembles something out of a science fiction film, and
something like it was actually featured in a James Bond movie.
It’s a futuristic pistol designed with safety in mind - it’s equipped with a digital safety
mechanism that can only be disabled by a special wristwatch worn by the operator, which sends
an unlock signal to the gun once a password is put in and if it is within a certain distance.
That’s why it’s called a “smart gun”.
This wristwatch cannot be used by just anyone and is activated by the owner, who uses their
fingerprint to unlock it.
Therefore, the gun can only be fired by the authorized operator, and cannot be used against
the owner.
Some gun experts believe that this approach could greatly improve gun safety and protect
children, teenagers, and people who steal guns from being able to use them for example.
Several versions of this type of safety feature have been proposed, including one that requires
the owner to wear a ring, rather than a wristband.
Whether this technology becomes commonly used remains to be seen.
Sales of the first model -- the .22 caliber iP1 -- were quashed by pressure from some
gun owners and gun rights advocates who saw it as a threat to Second Amendment freedoms.
The ip1, used RFID, whereas this new model, the new iP9 will have a fingerprint reader.
I don’t know, are you ready for this??
Thanks for watching!!
Be ready for some more sci-fi technology coming to life because the military is working hard
at it!
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