The Future Of Warfare by Gary 'Flyboy' Wright Introduction I've been thinking about doing a piece on future warfare and weapons for a while now, and after re-watching some old sci-fi movie favorites, it made me think about it once again. I have always been fascinated by futuristic stuff, be it robots or computers. From an early age I was into science, technology and military. So, blend all these together and you have futuristic military weapons and units. Now I've finally got something hard written down, and it started off as just a personal reference rant, but it became more, how shall I put it, 'extended' than I planned - therefore I thought it may make a good article and others might like to read it. For the main feature, I have intentionally left out references (where possible) to real weapons, experimental projects and units, where an example might be expected, so I don't come across as bias towards certain countries' concepts or break any laws. The content here is made up mostly of fact, but also superstition and my own visions of the future. So, if something seems not quite right to you, 1. don't blame me, and 2. wait... it may happen. And just remember, if something here is my idea and it hasn't been made yet, but is so in the future... remember you heard it from me first! To The Future The future of warfare is quite an amazing one. Years ago films such as The Terminator, with robots and lasers seemed like only a fantasy. Now though, in 2007, it is slowly becoming a very real reality. The US military are developing laser weaponry, presumably to make ballistic weapons obsolete. This would have its advantages, as there would be no individual 'rounds' to manufacture, and no metal casings clogging up the place - meaning less cost and being more environmentally-friendly in the long-run. Another, more pressing advantage, would be that things such as wind and humidity would not affect the performance of such 'projectiles', and the time it takes for the shot to hit the target from pulling the trigger to impact would be almost instantaneous. One-shot kills and clean, almost clinical deaths would also minimise ammo loss and friendly fire, as well as less 'suffering' for the people at the target - surely one in the eye for would-be critics and anti-war protestors. Lasers have been in use for years, but only as target rangefinders and designators, and not as an actual weapon itself. Also, low-powered lasers are used by the US military for 'wargames' - in this advanced training lasers are used to shoot targets, instead of just firing blank ammo and hoping you get a 'hit'. Each target has a laser detector set built-in and it flashes a light or sounds a buzzer when a laser is detected, resulting in an 'impact'. Each type of weapon has its own laser code, so that you can't destroy a tank with a rifle, for example, but in contrast a tank can take out almost anything. Tanks will no longer fire the more traditional explosive rounds, but all will be kinetic energy weapons. This means that instead of relying on high amounts of explosive to do the job, a penetrator dart made of high-density metal such as depleted uranium would be driven through armor by inertia alone. Tank destroyers and anti-tank weapons of all fields including air-to-ground and surface-to-surface would also use this kinetic energy method. This time however, they would be in the form of missiles, but again using a metal penetrator dart in place of an explosive warhead. This type of unit would be driven at hyper-velocity using a rocket motor capable of supersonic speeds. Computers will play a much bigger part in all aspects of modern and future warfare. Special forces units are already using a special type of battle gear and clothing that has computer components built into them. These can monitor a soldiers heart rate, blood pressure and position on the battlefield. Game-wise, the closest thing to this would have to be, I'd say, the HEV (Hazardous EnVironment) Suit in Half-Life. All this info is displayed on a screen on a small unit carried by the soldier or onto a flip-down eye-piece. The use of nanotechnology and even exoskeletons have also been looked at, and the sight of 'synthetic' soldiers and cyborgs (CYBernetic ORGanisms) on the battlefield may soon be more than just the wildest science fiction. Again, for a game comparison, I'd say that the player character in Deus Ex fits this most closely. This highly advanced type of soldier, is envisaged to eventually replace human forces, especially those who are needed at high-priority strategic points, where casualties could be high. No human soldiers would have to be in the line-of-fire, meaning less deaths, this in turn, would boost morality amongst the humans. These robotic units would also have more energy and stamina, meaning bigger hand-held weapons and more ammo could be carried, if needed, and as food and sleep wouldn't be a must, night-long guard duty would no longer have to be the dread of all troops. Power supply has always been a burden on the mobile battlefield, and with ever-increasing computers and electronics - all this has to be powered somehow. Now, to replace cumbersome and limited-use batteries, solar-powered cells are being developed and tested. So, theoretically, during daytime missions, a soldiers power would be recharged as fast as it gets used - creating the image of an 'unlimited' supply. We already have infantry weapons in service that utilize computer technology. One such unit has, as well as a standard 5.56mm rifle fitted, also a 20mm grenade launcher. This can fire a specially designed 'airburst' grenade, very accurately, by programming the built-in computer on the gun to set target range. By setting target range, it is possible to make the round explode in the air, above the intended target, doing much more damage over a wider area than if it actually hit. This is specifically intended to clear buildings in the ever increasing danger of combat in urban environments, where house clearance is still one of the hardest and most dangerous jobs to do, and where civilian casualties are highest. Ammunition types for small arms are also being developed to give the soldier more punch and penetrating power by constructing armor-piercing-type rounds, much like those used by new era tanks, but only on a much smaller scale. Of course, an array of non-lethal weaponry will be available also. Until recently only used by police and security forces, the Army will use 'pepper spray' and 'stun guns'. Pepper spray is really just a generic term for any hand-held unit that squirts out an irritant liquid, and a stun gun can be anything from a gun that fires rubber bullets to high-voltage electrical shock devices such as tazers. No doubt conventional ballistic ammo will be seen for years to come, but it will differ in being caseless. This ammo-type doesn't have the bullet case that gets ejected when the round is fired, instead, the bullet head is encased in explosive that obviously disintegrates upon firing. Thus, no bullet case is ejected. This method is already employed by some infantry arms today, and due to the fashion of this type of cartridge, more can be held in a single magazine than normal ammo. To accompany this new era of small arms, metals will no longer, and are no longer, used for the weapons body. Synthetic materials and high-impact plastics replace the heavy metals, so that the weapon is lighter, stronger, and needs less looking after. As you can probably imagine, some quite futuristic 'space' designs are available. Remember the Pulse Rifle in the film 'Aliens'? Modular rifle systems seem to be the way most more advanced armies are heading, this is to replace existing service rifles with ones that are easier to maintain, clean and upgrade. Basically, it's like a 'one size fits all' scenario, where parts can be interchanged according to the soldiers needs. Instead of having a separate sub-machine gun, assault rifle and sniper rifle, for instance, this new idea makes use of a universal main weapon stock, where parts such as barrels, sights, butts and grips can be changed over to quickly convert your single weapon into a series of weapon variations. So, if you wanted a sniper rifle, and at the moment you had the assault rifle configuration, you would probably want to swap the barrel for a longer one with a bipod attached, swap the low magnification combat sight over for a high-powered telescopic night-vision-capable sort, and the standard-type butt and grips for ones which can be adjusted to suit the firers needs. Finished sniping? Need to get in close? Then exchange the long barrel for a short one with a built in silencer, take off the bulky scope and replace with a laser dot sight, and remove the butt and replace with a lightweight folding one. All these parts could be carried by each soldier, to give him the ability to cover all types of combat situations, quickly, on the move, without the need for assistance. The caliber of such a weapon would have to be carefully considered in order to make it versatile in all these conditions. Small enough and with enough stopping power for close-in, but the ability to travel great ranges with high muzzle-velocity for targets further away. Vehicles and aircraft on the battlefield will no longer be occupied by actual, invaluable people. Elaborate, remote-controlled creations will grace the ground and skies. Already, the US has used UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) in the Iraq conflict of today. These are small planes that are launched, flown and landed entirely by a team of trained crew back at base or forward operating area, out of harms way. Fitted with cameras and even weapons, these aerial units have a high probability of survival. There is no danger to the pilot, because there really isn't one, and they are often small enough to evade enemy radar. Vital recon info can be gained by taking pictures, and pinpoint targets deep inside high-threat areas can be located and acquired for artillery fire or remote missile engagements - either way, the firing platform and its human crew is never exposed to hostile fire. Unmanned helicopters are now making an entrance, although still in the prototype phase and not as readily tested or combat-ready as the UAV planes. These helicopters are again unusual-looking things, with no cockpit, as there's no pilot. Marginally smaller than even the smallest of attack choppers, these are likely to be coated with infra-red reflective material and will have quite a stealth aspect about them. Rather than recon and spotting, these platforms are more likely to be of the weapon-delivery sort, sporting fire-and-forget missiles that can be launched at targets obtained through the mounted optical equipment and transmitted back to the eyes of the technical crew back at base. Jet fighters will become much faster, with higher agility, and those that are manned will be state-of-the-art, with all the latest technology and all analog gauges and dials will be replaced by big Multi Function Displays. There will be no Heads-Up Display, as this limits your targeting capabilities to straight-ahead. Instead, Helmet Mounted Displays will be employed, meaning that no matter where you turn your head, all targeting and navigational information will be presented to you at all times - as Western helicopter gunships have done for years. You see, more computers mean less pilot workload, and the easier it is to fly a jet or helicopter, the better. These highly specialised systems can compensate for wind, air pressure, temperature, etc and make the aircraft easier to fly in varying weather and atmospheric conditions. This will reduce pilot stress during long-haul flights, meaning that he is able to be fully alert and focused on the mission itself once he arrives at the target area. Supersonic speeds will be able to be achieved without the use of afterburners, meaning less fuel consumption and less probability of being tracked and hit by heat-seeking missiles. VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) or STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) will be a built-in requirement, so that aircraft can operate in spots where there is a less than perfect runway. Stealth technology will be the norm, instead of only being used on the most advanced and expensive aircraft of today, and all stores will be carried in internal weapon bays so to reduce radar cross-section. Rudimentary counter-measures such as chaff and flare should be replaced with turreted laser devices, which lock onto and actually shoot the enemy missile out of the sky with pinpoint accuracy. All aircraft in the inventory will be of one-type, with the ability to interchange parts from jets from other air bases, allowing reduced maintenance costs, shorter repair times, and the importance of being able to upgrade existing aircraft as new technology becomes available. Modular weapon systems and stuff will be able to be changed at a moments notice, with an aircraft being configured and prepared, customised if you like, specifically for its mission ahead. Ground systems won't be left out, and there have already been developments in making ground weapon platforms less vulnerable to enemy fire. The latest, and still many just in the prototype stage, tank destroyers and SAM systems use advancing ideas such as raised firing platforms. These allow the launcher vehicle and crew to remain on the ground, either behind terrain, buildings or trees - out of direct line-of-sight to the enemy. There is a hydraulic arm resembling a crane jib, that has the missile launcher on top of that. So, the business end can be lifted above the obstruction and missiles can be fired over the top. When off-duty, the arm and firing platform are lowered and stowed in a compact position on top, or even partially in, the launcher vehicle. Pretty nifty, hey? One question beckons for me though... why wasn't this thought of before? It really is quite a simple thing and it just makes so much sense. Again, unmanned ground vehicles are in the works, but out of all the remote-controlled platforms these have got to be the least weird contraptions and also easiest to make work. For years bomb disposal teams have used remote-controlled vehicles to go in and defuse or detonate bombs while the controllers are a safe distance away. But the range of such vehicles has never been more than a few hundred meters, with this new-generation of what I'm talking about here, many, if not hundreds, of kilometers could possibly be covered. Scouting would be the primary role I should imagine, perhaps later, when the technology improves and defense budgets have grown, they will be used in place of armed scouting platoons of men and IFVs. Hybrid energy cells and biofuels will eventually replace existing fuels as a means of power, meaning better performance and being much more 'eco-friendly'. Using fuels with military applications that create less environmental pollution may seem a bit odd, but as with civilian transport - it is the way things are heading. Naval warfare will keep up with the pace as well, with ships becoming more stealthy and lethal. Already, some naval forces around the globe have early examples of stealth ships. This would be a huge advantage, as warships and aircraft carriers are massive, and make massive targets. Expect to see lots of flat edges and radar-absorbent paint. These vessels will look more like floating spacecraft than boats. Up until now, 'stealth' has always meant 'invisible to radar', and although nothing truly appears invisible to radar yet, some things only come up as the size of an insect. As remarkable as this is, there is work being done right now, to increase this advantage and make vehicles/aircraft/ships invisible to the naked eye. Much like The Predator in the film of the same name, this technology will more than likely use a light-bending method, so that you essentially see through the object. This I have got to see! If this is done and perfected, I will be amazed. On the very latest conventional-layout warships, the huge guns and torpedoes have already been replaced with missiles for every purpose. This means less overall weight, greater weapons range and accuracy, and more ammo can be carried. Just remember that as advanced and capable that these new systems and computers are, they all require setup and calibration by people first. So, humans aren't, and never will be, redundant. As we take for granted the more and more gadgets in our homes, and as we're talking about here, military technology, lets not forget all the hard work and dedication by all those manufacturers and testers that go into these products. Without their relentless pursuit of mass-production and testing to the highest standards, none of this would be possible. Technology alone will not win wars. There is, and likely always will be,  the need for highly trained, highly motivated individuals who can employ old and new tactics alike. Strategy has always been a key part of successful battles. Another thing that I have learnt, is that no matter how advanced an army is, there will always be casualties inflicted by primitive enemies. Guerrilla warfare, where poorly trained but highly motivated soldiers, and old and primitive weapons exist, is likely the main type of such a thing I'm thinking of here. The Taliban are one such group. Due to mostly luck, even the most expensive, technologically advanced hardware can be disabled or destroyed with relative ease. It is not unknown for a modern, seemingly invulnerable main battle tank to be crippled by the old and simple RPG launcher. Or for an ultra-modern attack helicopter to be brought down by a well-placed burst from the infamous AK47 assault rifle. Vehicles and such will always have weak spots, due to the need for maintenance hatches, engine exhausts and doors. I seriously don't believe that even with all these advances in technology that things will become FULLY automated, and that eventually the machines will turn against us and 'take over the world', as depicted is so many sci-fi movies. At the end of the day, there's always the OFF switch. One thing is for certain: The Future Is Here... Hard Facts Information that I have come across and copied over the years, from various TV documentaries, magazines and newspaper articles, that partly inspired this article and was a good place to start. I know that a lot of you like to know the actual source of certain info, but I'm sorry, I can't provide individual sources as most of these pieces were logged before I started crediting the source. However, I should imagine that a web search will turn up all this info and more... if you don't believe me! Future Combat Systems (FCS) is a U.S. project by the Pentagon's Joint Forces Command for robotic soldiers, or a 21st-century army. NASA's Advanced Propulsion Project is actively researching ways we might travel faster than light. One of the ideas it is researching is that of 'warping' space time around a spaceship to achieve faster than light travel. The U.S. military has managed to create a very basic replicator, which can be visualised as a 3-D printer which could create any solid object, though by using lasers and a super-strong resin powder rather than subatomic manipulation of raw matter. Georgia Technical Institute is working on a biogel which could completely cover a wound - keeping out dirt and infection - but at the same time allow the skin to breathe. The same university is making a 'smart shirt' with sensors and fibre optics woven into the material. It can monitor a soldier's heart rate and blood pressure during battle and will automatically send back his exact location if he is wounded. The Human-Assisted Neural Devices programme is being funded by the Pentagon's research division, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Basically, this programme involves development of microchip implants in the human brain to create an army of super-human soldiers, cyborg soldiers even. As of October 2006, cloaking devices are in the works for ships, planes and tanks. They deflect electromagnetic waves around the object using copper wires, so that radar does not detect it - making it 'invisible'. Laser weapon systems are also being tested. Costing more than one billion dollars and capable of a cruising speed of Mach 8, or 5280mph, the 'hypersonic' Aurora is just the latest UFO the US Air Force is keeping tight-lipped about. It is said to be powered by 'pulsed detonation wave engines', theoretically capable of producing speeds of Mach 10 at altitudes of 55 kilometres. Although the US Air Force continues to deny the plane even exists, reports of heavy sonic booms and unusual 'doughnut-chain' contrails over the southwest US suggest something's definitely going on out there. A device called Silent Guardian, is built by U.S. firm Raytheon, and is part of its 'Directed Energy Solutions' programme. It's supposed to be the 21st century equivalent of tear gas or water cannon - a way of getting crowds to disperse quickly and with minimum harm. Silent Guardian is just one of the first in a new wave of 'non-lethal' weaponry being developed, mostly in the U.S. These include not only microwave ray-guns, but the Pulsed Energy Projectile weapon. This uses a powerful laser which, when it hits someone, produces a 'plasma' - a bubble of super hot gas - on the skin. The Silent Guardian produces waves that are tuned to a frequency exactly designed to stimulate the pain nerves. THE END