Future bullets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXcXVvRuJ8

Strike advanced system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6BaxU69jqI

Dread weapon system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-teEbB9vlEU

Army future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrFkj-1830g

Retro-reflective Projection Technology

TED talks video

Beetle Borgs to the Rescue!!!!

The engineers at the University of California at Berkeley have developed a wireless, flying, cyborg beetle. A radio receiver is used to relay information to electrodes connected to the insect's optic lobes and flight muscles. Beetles are strong enough to carry equipment of substantial weight such as miniature cameras. This creature's abilities were demonstrated by researchers at the 2009 IEEE MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) Conference in Italy.

DARPA is also interested in implanting insects with mechanical devices at infancy so they grow into cyborg adults. For example, wiring could be placed into caterpillars, then growing into cyborg butterflies. Butterflies are known for their ability to fly thousands of miles without feeding, so they could be very successful for this use.

This is very interesting research, and I'm sure could be put to good use. However, it sounds like a scary sci-fi flick where all the cyborg insects attack us and electricute everybody, etc. Mixing technology with biomatter is a very important on-going ethical debate. It's a difficult topic, and also difficult, at least for me, to choose a side.


Ornes, Stephen. "The Pentagon's Beetle Borgs". discovermagazine.com. 30 Apr, 2009. 13 Aug, 2009. http://discovermagazine.com/2009/may/30-the-pentagons-beetle-borgs

Integrated Crisis Early Warning System

DARPA’s Integrated Crisis Early Warning System is described as containing “state-of-the-art computational modeling capabilities that can monitor, assess, and forecast, in near real time, a variety of phenomena associated with country instability.” The Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, have all launched programs aimed at predicting group behavior.

Some say that the military should avoid funding social science, however an estimated $74 million was allocated to this area between 2006 - 2007. William M. Arkin, a national security analyst, is skeptical of much of this work, calling it a “dream counterterrorism program that seeks to create a silver bullet to solve the problem of terrorism." “Those technologies are interesting and worthy of pursuit, but my guess is that they are a poor replacement for examining why it is that terrorism exists in the first place,” Arkin says.

I believe that predictions only go so far, because you can only predict the actions of humans in groups to a certain percentage. Human beings are still animals and therefore can not be pinned down as to performing specific actions 100% of the time.

Weinberger, Sharon. "The Most Important Future Military Technologies". discovermagazine.com. 4 Oct, 2007. 13 Aug, 2009. http://discovermagazine.com/2007/oct/the-most-important-future-military-technologies/article_view?b_start:int=3&-C=

Luke's Binoculars

DARPA and other research agencies are utilizing neuroscience in pursuit of better military technology. This year DARPA started a project called the Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System, also known as Luke’s Binoculars (think Luke Skywalker from Star Wars). These binoculars use EEG's to monitor brain wave signatures in the prefrontal cortex. This way the government will know as soon as a single soldier has recognized the enemy on the battlefield. Evolution has also built into our prefrontal cortex a false alarm inhibtor. It is the military's hope that EEG would allow the binoculars to bypass this phenomena, alerting soldiers to danger before their brain even has time to process it. DARPA anticipates field-testing a prototype in 2010. They are still trying to build the item effectively keeping the weight 5 pounds or less.

Weinberger, Sharon. "Pentagon to Merge Next-Gen Binoculars With Soldiers' Brains". Wired.com. 1 May, 2007. 13 Aug, 2009. http://www.wired.com/gadgets/miscellaneous/news/2007/05/binoculars

1 million rounds per minute

When complete the Metal Storm will be capable of firing a million rounds per minute. The weapon has no moving parts, instead it uses electric volts to send the bullets flying.

Just scroll to 1:28 and watch the prototype annihilate several boards stacked in a row.

http://www.vincelewis.net/metalstorm.html

Future Combat Systems

The FCS is a joint network connecting the entire military and even some outside sources to share information on a soldiers surroundings. By allowing a soldier to know exactly where everything is located prior to entering the area, the soldier will be able to make better decisions and will increase his or her chances of survival.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/fcs.htm

Navy X Craft

in 2005 the U.S. Navy unveiled it's new seafighter. This new X-craft or experimental craft took only 20 months to construst and carries a far smaller crew then most navy ships.

This ship will test new systems and ideas that may be incorperated into future fighting vessels.

H-60's can be launched from the aft deck as well as UAV's. The stern ramp can be used to launch and recover small craft.

With the navy thinking smaller and more high tech future ships may rely on technology like they have never before.

Cool video of weird helicopter

Stealth UAV

The Navy's latest, biggest and baddest unmanned aerial vehicle has just been unveiled. Yesterday in California, Northrup Grumman showed off a completed X-47B Navy Unmanned Combat Air System, the first of two fighter-plane-size UAVs that the company will produce for the U.S. Navy. The second will follow in 2009. The Navy hopes to start flying the X-47Bs next year. The UAV is expected to have the ability to take off from and land on an aircraft carrier, and the Navy plans to start those trials in 2011.

The X-47 was designed to be adept at long-range surveillance because of its large range and high flight ceiling. And despite being a beast—it will have a 62-ft wingspan and weigh around 45,000 pounds at takeoff—the X-47B is designed for stealth. This aircraft shows the Navy's growing embrace of unmanned technology, including both unmanned underwater vehicles and aerial vehicles. But the X-47B would be a technological step forward—besides carrying stealth features, it is supposed to have the ability to execute some maneuvers, such as refueling in midflight, autonomously.


Andrew Moseman, Popular Mechanics
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/4296188.html

Sweet all porpose rifle!

The Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) provides an enhanced capability for the 21st century infantryman, with the potential to selectively replace the M16 rifle, M203 grenade launcher, and M4 carbine. When fielded, the OICW dual munition system will provide superior firepower to the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Special Operations Command, Navy, and Coast Guard.

Program guidelines were derived from the Small Arms Master Plan (SAMP) and Joint Service Small Arms Master Plan (JSSAMP). OICW was managed by JSSAP during the Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) phase. For the PDRR/EMD phase, OICW management will transition to PM Small Arms with support provided by ARDEC.

Effective range to 1,000 meters

Full defilade target capability

Moving target tracking capability

KE semi two-round burst; HE semi automatic

Recoil level 1/3 that of the M14

Ruggedized composite weapon housing

Separable HE/KE weapons

Precise target range, automatically communicated to 20mm HE bursting ammo

Five times more lethal than the M16/M203, at > twice the range

Rate of fire with KE ammo >850 rounds/min, with HE >10 rounds/minute

Easily field strippable in under two minutes

Day/night fire control; weapon interface, iron sight backup

HE ammo functional modes: airburst, MOUT short arm, point detonation, point detonation delay, and self-destruct

Laser ranging accuracy ±1/2m out to 500m, ±1m out to 1000m


Equipment guide, Military.com,
http://tech.military.com/equipment/view/89063/objective-individual-combat-weapon.html

Unmaned plane can fly around the world?

The RQ-4A Global Hawk long range High Altitude Endurance (MAE) UAV took its first flight in March of 1998 as a Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration proof of concept platform. As with the Predator medium altitude UAV, the Global Hawk UAV is capable of high altitude surveillance and reconnaissance over a greatly extended period and ranges.

The Global Hawk's electro-optical/Infrared cameras and synthetic aperture array radar give it a complete day/night all weather surveillance capability. From an altitude of 65,000 feet the SAR can generate a 10km wide strip map at one meter of resolution, and a 2x2 km spot map at one foot resolution. In Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) mode, the Global Hawk is capable of detecting ground targets moving as slow as 4.5 miles per hour. The Global Hawk is capable of mapping up to 40,000 square nautical m per day and up to 1900 individual spot maps.



Equipment guide, Military.com,
http://tech.military.com/equipment/view/89669/rq-4a-global-hawk-high-altitude-uav.html

Lasers on Planes!!!!

2. High-energy lasers
These are powerful energy beams that travel through air or space in straight lines. They travel at the speed of light and can strike over distances of thousands of kilometres.

How they work: Large mirrors focus powerful laser beams onto a small spot on the target. The heat produced burns through the surface of the target, disrupting flight, disabling warheads, or igniting fuels or explosives.

Limitations: It needs much more energy to do damage than bullets, which destroy targets with their momentum. Powerful lasers need fuel or electrical power and are also very bulky (the US Airborne Laser fills a Boeing 747). Travelling through air and turbulence can disperse the energy of the beam.


Jeff Hecht, Top 10: Weapons of the future
12:07 04 September 2006, http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9979-top-10-weapons-of-the-future-.html

Robots That Eat

Robotic Technology Inc. has developed a new kind of robot. This robot actually uses alternative sources of fuel such as organic matter. This entails mainly plant matter, however the robot may use more traditional fuels also such as gasoline, kerosene, coal, etc. Dr. Bob Finkelstein (which strangely sounds like Frankenstein) says that the EATR (Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot) will not eat any animal or human remains. The main advantage of the EATR is that they could roam the countryside for months and even years without any required attention from humans beings. This sounds beneficial, but I feel it could also turn into something quite terrible. Who wants robots running around for years on end eating random things (and hopefully not us)?

Keller, John. "Biomass-Eating Military Robot Is a Vegetarian, Company Says". Foxnews.com. 16 Jan, 2009. 10 Aug, 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,533382,00.html

The Future

Ok folks its time for all the cool stuff yet to hit the shelves. Future Military Technology!!!

A-10 Warthog

This aircraft has been flying over my home since I was little. There is a squdren based out of Willow Grove JRB.

This aircraft is a tank killer. It is the only plane eve to be designed around a cannon. The 30mm cannon on the front of the plane can fire 3,900 rounds per miniute or about 65 a second.

This aircraft saw heavy use in the first Gulf war where it took out Russian made T62 tanks with ease. With it's twin GE turbo jet egines it can take a hit and keep on going.

It got it's name of warthog because people thought it was ugly..... not when it's saving their butts they dont!

Seal SDV

The SEALs SDV or SEAL Delivery Vehicle is a small open to water submarine. These battery powered units are attached to refitted Boomer (trident missle subs) that allow the SEALS to carry these vehicles close to shore and launch them for maritime missions.

With the intoduction of the new Virginia class sumbmarine this role has expanded and can now be undertaken in even shallower waters, allowing SEALS to effectivly conduct operations in shallower areas, increasing their ability to colplete missions.

Delilah

The Delilah Missle used by Israel, is a stand off weapong that can be fired then guided by GPS to a location. Upon arriving at this location the missle can loiter until a traget is confirmed, found, or can be destroyed remotley if nothing is found to attack.

This type os weapon is very useful and can provde a counrtry with an opportunity to launch a missle and wait until they decide to strike when a building is safe.

The down side is this weapon can only carry 30Kg of explosives, but still has enough to destroy small targets and put fear into an enemey.

Homing Missiles

I love the speaker's monotone in this video. It gives that classic 1950s feel to current technology.

The AGM-88 HARM homes in on electronic transmissions coming from the ground. The missile is capable of acquiring its on targets within its given parameter.



http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/agm-88.htm

Railgun

The video is very long, tedious and boring, but these guns are amazing. What happens is there are two rails that electricity runs through, as the electricity passes the rails, its energy is passed onto the bullet and at the same time heats up the bullet. When the bullet is charged to the point of release, it's so hot that it actually melts the atmosphere ahead of it which allows for a much faster and more accurate shot.


http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,160195,00.html

Wookies

The ghillie suit is a form of camouflage that you wear on top of your gear and is meant to resemble your surroundings. This are mostly used by snipers to help them remain unnoticed. A sniper will want to thread in local vegetation into his suit to give it an authentic look and to ensure his safety.

http://www.sniperghilliesuits.com/

Ironman

Just watch the one minute video, it says it all.

Micro AUV

The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is an unmanned underwater vehicle that is controlled by remote. THe purpose of these mchines is to search for mines, and other possible dangers in the water. They are also capable of mapping out unknown seas. The one presented in the video above is the smallest in the world.

http://www.naval-technology.com/contractors/mine_disposal/atlas/

The XM307 Auto-Grenade Launcher

I know this is a long video, but if you like cool weapons then this is for you.

M-32

The M-32 is a modified Milkor MGL-140 with additional features like the buttstock, sights, foregrip, et. al. It can put all 6 rounds on target in under 3 seconds, and can fire “normal” M433 40mm grenades or specialty rounds. Specialty rounds include HELLHOUND rounds with twice the lethal radius of the M433, which will breach doors and kill anything behind them; DRACO thermobaric rounds; and even HUNTIR rounds with cameras in them that descend on a parachute and send back video. The USMC will join the Brazilian, Italian and South African militaries as MGL-140 customers, and Defense Review notes that the USMC has ordered 9,000 of them.


USMC’s New M-32s: Hitting the Field, Defense Industry Daily, 20 March 2006
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/usmcs-new-m32s-hitting-the-field-02042/

CROWS

Video games just came to the battle field. A remote fired weapons platform that works like any shooter video game. Way cool and way scary.

LMST

Lightweight Multiband Satellite Terminal

The Marine Corps uses this platform for there main satellite communications pipeline. Just one terminal costs over $1 million dollars. It uses over 50 cables and is moderately easy to set up and use. This is the Corps most advanced satellite terminal.

Source: Personal experience

SMART T

Secure Mobile Anti-Jam Reliable Tactical-Terminal (SMART-T)

The SMART-T system provides tactical users with secure, survivable, anti-jam, low probability of intercept and detection satellite communications in a HMMWV configuration. The program supports advancing forces as they move beyond the line-of-sight capability of Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) and can use Milstar and commercial satellite communications links. Needless to say it is a cool new piece of satellite communications equipment.

NSSRM, 12 July 1999

http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/nssrm/initiatives/smartt.htm

Monster Cannon!

Panzerhowitzer 2000

This is the German's new toy. This 55 ton self propelled cannon is the most advanced piece of artillery in the world. This cannon fires at amazing rates up to 8-10 rounds per minute. Using a new targeting system it can fire 5 rounds at different angles so that all 5 shells will hit the target at the same time. this means that 5 Panzer 2000s can blanket an area with 25 rounds and already be gone when all 25 shells hit the target at once absolutely devestating whatever they fire at. The range of the shells is about 18-34 miles depending on what kind of ammunition you use. Death from afar.

Future Weapons Zone 1

http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/future-weapons/weapons/zone1/panzer-howitzer-2000.html

BIG SNIPER RIFLE!!

This video says it all. Enemies beware!

IED's Killing U.S. Troops

IED's, or improvised explosive devices have been a dangerous threat to troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are being built to exert a large amount of force great enough to travel a mile a minute. The explosives have been able to penetrate armored vehicles, and what makes the situation more difficult is that insurgents have disguised bombs to look like rocks, concrete, and other everyday objects.

Night Vision

There are multiple methods used currently to detect and identify objects during the night such as: longwave infrared, midwave infrered, and near infrared spectra.

Longwave and midwave infrared are able to seek heat like in the movies, for exmample, when a person is spotted as orange or red with night vision goggles. Infrared is where light intensifiers come into play, providing an even clearer picture. "Heat seekers and light intensifiers both have their advantages and disadvantages, yet both kinds are getting smaller, lighter, and of better quality. " In order to keep progressing, different types of sensors will need to be combined within the same unit.


Keller, John. "Night-vision devices to blend infrared technology, image intensifiers". Military & Aerospace Electronics. January, 2008. 21 Jun, 2009. http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/317484/32/ARTCL/none/none/1/Night-vision-devices-to-blend-infrared-technology,-image-intensifiers/

Unmanned Vehicles

Let's take things a step further. I have talked about high-tech, efficient tactical support vehicles, but what about unmanned vehicles? Unmanned vehicles have the obvious advantage of requiring no soldier to be physically present in the line of fire. We have been hearing about the Predator on the news recently. It can carry bombs and objects weighing up to 1.5 tons. It also has a battery life of 14 hours, which means it can travel greater distances.

Unmanned air crafts are also useful, such as the Global Hawk. This piece of technology is designed to scan the terrain using radar imaging. It uses a wireless connection to transmit its data back to the soldier at any location in the world.

While unmanned military vehicles make it safer for our troops, it also makes it easier to participate in war fare, which could become a very bad convenience. It would also make it much more expensive to build all of these robots. Then they would probably end up taking over us anyway....terminator style. Yup.

Wong, William. electronicdesign.com "Unmanned Military Vehicles: Robots on the Rise." 27 Jul, 2009. http://electronicdesign.com/Articles/Index.cfm?AD=1&ArticleID=19685

Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle

The United Kingdom utilizes vehicles that are actually designed to compliment each others abilities, which I find to be very interesting. Some of these vehicles are used to accompany troops, transport supplies, and as ambulances. In October 2008, 400 TSVs (tactical support vehicles) were ordered as part of the $700m protected patrol vehicles package. The Coyote in particular is a light-armoured support vehicle intended to transport supplies and designed to support the Jackal 2. The Jackal 2 is a high-mobility weapons platform patrol and reconnaissance vehicle. I have never really thought about the design of tsv's before. In fact, I've always really just thought of them as "tanks," so it's nice to gain some perspective.

army-technology.com. "Coyote Tactical Support Vehicle, United Kingdom". 21 Jun, 2009. http://www.army-technology.com/projects/coyote/

Improved Armored Vests

For the last 5 months the government has been working to improve armored vests currently being utilized by the military. They have added more protection to the sides of the vest in order to deter shrapnel injuries from occurring so frequently, which has become a big concern due to what U.S. soldiers are experiencing in Iraq and Afghanistan. These new vests should prove most useful for soldiers operating guns on top of vehicles.


Gilmore, Jerry. "Improved Armored Vests." About.com 13 Jul, 2009. http://usmilitary.about.com/od/weapons/a/newvests.htm.

Present Military Tech

Now on to the cool stuff that the military uses today! Enjoy

Drifting Contact Mines-the original torpedoes

David Bushnell created the original naval mines back in January of 1778 to help protect good old Philadelphia from the British. They were originally kegs filled with gun powder and a slow burning fuse.

In the Early 20th century the slow burning fuses were removed and replaced with a device that would make the bombs explode on contact. They were used as a form of defense from attacking navies.

The Minie Ball

The minie ball was invented to allow riflemen to load their rifles faster. Which would eventually bring about the popularity of rile use in combat. The bullets would be packed with gunpowder and than stuffed inside the rifle. When shot the powder and other gases would allow the bullet to spin. Which in turn increased the bullets accuracy and velocity.

Aireial spying usuing baloons was used by both the union and the south. These baloons were first used to spot approaching armies, but soon comanders and leaders realized they could command their armies.

Being able to see the whole picture was a great advantage. The baloons were targeted near the end of the war when both sides realized they could gain an advantage by downing them.

This lead to Blimbs being used during WWI to see the trenches and movments of oposing armies.

"http://centenialofflight.gov/"

Medieval Armour

Medieval Armour was designed to protect vital areas of the body, and to deflect weapon blows while allowing for freedom of movement in the joints. In the present, scientists are working on "futuristic" armour that may actually have some similarities to original medieval suites of armour.

The First Torpedo

The first self propelled Torpedo was tested in 1868. It was tested by Robert Whitehead. Compressed air was used in this test.

This was following the semi sucess the Uss Hunley had against the North during the civil war. After sinking a union blockade ship the hunley sank due to a faulty rudder killing the entire crew.

In WWI the German wolf packs that were groups of submarines that were used to sink allied '
ips, the torpedo used were short range, but powerfull and sank countelll allied ships. This continued during WWII, when the Germans had even more sucess againt allied ships.

Many people felt the torpedo and submarine were not gentleman like and was against the rules of war. After seeing the success it had though other countries copied the sub and torpedo and soon forgot any issues they had w ith them.

Work cited:

Https://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWtorpedo.htm

Origins of U.S. Naval Special Warfare

The Navy SEALS were commissioned in 1962 by JFK to conduct guerrilla warfare on the enemy's turf and bring the war to them.

Their origins however extend back to WWII. The navy was conducting numerous beach landings in both the European and Pacific theaters of battle. In both instances they were running into countless underwater obstructions in order to keep us craft from landing troops. To counter these the U.S. Navy created what they called UDT or Underwater Demolition Teams, or Frog Men. With no more then fins and masks these brave sailors charted tides, destroyed underwater obstructions, and paved the way fro beach invasions.

After WWII these teams were decomissioned only to be reactivate, and then rolled into what became the U.S. Navy Seals.

"Navy SEAL Historynavyseals.com-experience the SEAl EDGE." NavySeals.com-experience the SEAL Edge Gear, Fitness, info. 22 June, 2009

http://www.navyseals.com/navy-seal-history.

The Telegraph and the Military

The electronic telegraph was extremely vital to military efforts in the Civil War. 15,000 miles of lines were built just for military use. They also took over commercial lines as well. The operators worked at great risk to them selves. So the military could keep the guise that they were not using the telegraph system, the operators were not actually part of the military. Because of this when one of them died, the military denied that they worked for them thus their families recieved no military benefits. This tecnology far surrpassed the usefulness of the horse when relaying messages.






A. W. Greely, Major-General, United States Army THE MILITARY-TELEGRAPH SERVICE
http://www.civilwarhome.com/telegraph.htm

Radios In Vietnam

Prototypes of the AN/PRC-25 were initially tested in 1959 and it was ready for issue to Army units during 1962. In July 1965, responding to General Westmoreland's complaints about the AN/PRC-10, the new, transistorized FM radios of the AN/VRC-12 and AN/PRC-25 families were diverted from Europe and were shipped to Vietnam.
The first AN/PRC-25's in Southeast Asia (mid-1965) were intended for advisers. With their initial distribution came the first NET Team (new equipment training) from the Electronics Command to begin instruction on the operation and maintenance of the VRC-12 and the PRC-25. Those radios soon became the mainstay of tactical communications in Southeast Asia. In three and a half years, 20,000 VRC-12 and 33,000 PRC-25 radios were delivered to Southeast Asia. The PRC-25 was, according to General Creighton Abrams, "the single most important tactical item in Vietnam."

Starks, Dennis AN/PRC-25 and AN/PRC-77 Backpack Radio

http://www.olive-drab.com/od_electronics_anprc25.php

First Nuclear Submarine

The USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the first nuclear submarine. This signaled a major change in military submarine technology. Instead of having to surface for fresh air, and to recharge batteries, the Nautilus could stay deep for months. Admiral Hyman G. Rickover was instrumental in ensuring this technological endeavor did not fail. This leap also allowed the submarine to travel under the arctic ice, this is important for the fact that the quickest way to launch a nuclear strike against the USSR is over the poles. Having a ship that only needed to refuel every 10+ years allowed it to loiter and only return to port or land when it’s crew ran out of food.

Works Cited
"USS Nautilus (SSN-571)." National Museum of American History. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 June 2009. .

Bulletproof Silk

In 1881, Dr George Emery Goodfellow accidentally discovered that silk could stop bullets from penetrating the skin. He eventually developed a Gambeson that used silk folded thirty times to successfully protect the human body from bullets.


Other deigns that used silk as the medium were brought about before the start of World War I. After the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, who was wearing a silk protective vest during his assassination, scientists began testing other materials. Eventually leading to the use of Kevlar during the 70s and that has remained as the primary material of which bullet proof vets are made of. That is until 2002 when scientists found out that Dragline silk is three times stronger than Kevlar.

The first combat jet fighter

The first Jet used in combat was the German Me 262. It was used in 1944 in a multi roles. This aircraft was a leap in technology, and if it had come earlier could have affected the war, but by the time it was being produced Germany was running out of oil, but more importantly it was running out of experienced pilots.

To get these jets flying and to try and counter the B-24's and B-17's devastating the German landscape, the Luftwaffe was using young and untested pilots many who could not control the new aircraft and crashed before ever engaging in a fight.

1,430 were built, and did have about 500 claimed kills, but nearly 100 were lost.

This was a pivotal leap in plane technology, and after the war the United States and Russia both quickly began working on their own jet fighters.

On a side note there us restored Me 262 on display at the Willow Grove NAS. This aircraft is able to be seen by the public and we are very lucky to have such an important piece of combat history in our area.

The first tank

The very first tank to be used in battle was the Mark I tank back in World War I. The idea behind the tank was a way to get around the stalemates of trench warfare. The original models had some design flaws such as mobility and safety. They had a difficult time on rough terrain and going uphill. For safety if the outer shell was somehow penetrated the gasoline inside the tank was very likely to explode and the whole tank would catch fire, burning everyone inside. The tanks didn't complete the job that they were created for. But the possibility for future tank use was seen by most European nations.

The Gatling Gun

Dr. Richard J. Gatling was always very interested in working with rotating devices and machinery. He invented many useful items during the 1800's such as a modernized ship's screw propeller, automated seed sower, and his most famous accomplishment, the Gatling Gun. What made the Gatling Gun so special was that it could shoot multiple bullets at once. This hand cranked gun consisted of 6 barrels locked into the central firing cylinder, and was able to shoot 200 rounds per minute, which was unheard of at the time!

Gatling happened to live next door to a Mrs. Colt, widow of Samuel Colt, creator of the Colt Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company. The relationship quickened the advancement of the fire arm, although Colt did consume the Gatling company in the future. Gatling wrote letters to President Abraham Lincoln imploring for the use of his guns during the Civil War.

"It occurred to me if I could invent a machine--a gun-- which could by its rapidity of fire, enable one man to do as much battle duty as a hundred, that it would, to a great extent, supersede the necessity of large armies, and consequently, exposure to battle and disease be greatly diminished."-Dr. Richard J. Gatling, Hartford, CT, June 15th, 1877

The Gatling is still used today, mostly on fighter planes and is able to now shoot 6,000 rounds per minute, making it one of the most important pieces of military technology throughout our history.



civilwarhome.com 6 Apr. 2005. Civil War Potpourri. 15 Jun. 2009. http://www.civilwarhome.com/gatlinggun.htm.

History of the Atomic Bomb & The Manhattan Project

On August 2, 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote to the President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify uranium-235, which could be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the United States Government began the serious undertaking known then only as "The Manhattan Project." Simply put, the Manhattan Project was committed to expediting research that would produce a viable atomic bomb.The most complicated issue to be addressed in making of an atomic bomb was the production of ample amounts of "enriched" uranium to sustain a chain reaction. At the time, uranium-235 was very hard to extract. In fact, the ratio of conversion from uranium ore to uranium metal is 500:1. Compounding this, the one part of uranium that is finally refined from the ore is over 99% uranium-238, which is practically useless for an atomic bomb. To make the task even more difficult, the useful U-235 and nearly useless U-238 are isotopes, nearly identical in their chemical makeup. No ordinary chemical extraction method could separate them; only mechanical methods could work.

http://inventors.about.com/od/astartinventions/a/atomic_bomb.htm

Satellite Communications of the Recent Past

This is some of the equipment that i personally used while i was in the Marine Corps in 2002-2006. This equipment was put into service in 1985.

The AN/TSC-93A and AN/TSC-93B terminals contain equipment to receive, transmit, and process medium and high capacity multiplexed voice, data, and teletypewriter circuits. AN/TSC-93B provides a capacity of 24 channels that can operate in a point to point mode or as a non-nodal terminal in a nodal network. These terminals are used as a communications link via satellite with another AN/TSC-93A. Using encryption equipment, they will process secure and nonsecure traffic. The terminals are intended for point-to-point operation in tactical communications systems. They can simultaneously transmit and receive a single high data-rate carrier.

AN?TSC-93A and AN/TSC-93B Satellite Communications Terminals, http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/com/an-tsc-93.htm Maintained by Robert ShermanOriginally created by John PikeUpdated Thursday, March 02, 2000 10:25:31 AM

Pigeons, Radios of WWI

In 1915, the pigeon service became a special branch of Signals controlling 20,000 birds. The Canadian Corps used 100 pigeons a day in 1915. By 1916 mobile vehicle lofts came into use. In 1916 the telephone was providing primary front line communications. Lines had to be buried at least six feet deep, a labour intensive operation. Existing division and corps signal companies lacked the resources for this so a number of "lines of communication" units were formed.

Military Communications and Electronics Museum, http://www.c-and-e-museum.org/te_tp2.htm

Satellite Communication of the Past

When most people here about satellite communications in the military they think of the recent past or the present. In reality the Army has been working on satellite communications since 1946. It was then that they made radar contact with the moon. Starting in 1954 and achieving their goal in 1959, the army made a communications link between Hawaii and Washington D.C. using the moon as a reflector.

Martin, Donald H., A History of U.S. Military Satellite Communications Systems, Aerospace, http://www.aero.org/publications/crosslink/winter2002/01.html

Trebuchet: The Atomic Bomb of the Middle Ages

During the summer of 1191, Richard the Lionhearted laid siege to the city of Acre that was captured by the Muslims during the Crusades. He placed a series of trebuchets surrounding the city, ordering them to continually hurl stones all day and night. A trebuchet is a type of catapult that was used in Medieval warfare. It is comprised of a weighted beam that swings a sling typically carrying a large stone. Richard's most effective trebuchet was called the Malvoisine Petraria, or the "Bad Neighbor stone hurler." One stone killed 12 men at once, and that stone was taken by messengers to Saladin in order to intimidate him. The stones thrown from this machine were even able to reach the inner city's meat district. Eventually, Bad Neighbor was able to tear down part of the city's wall and destroy their Cursed Tower, despite the Turks having their own trebuchet inside the city aimed solely at destroying the Bad Neighbor.


Talbot, Alice-Mary. "Dumbarton Oaks Papers, No. 54" Washington, DC. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection. 2000. http://www.doaks.org/publications/doaks_online_publications/DOP54/DP54ch4.pdf

Battleships: Old vs. New

The USS Enterprise was considered technologically advanced during World War I, utilizing such improvements as night operations and radar guided missiles. By World War II, it was considered inefficient and used for scrap metal. A new USS Enterprise was created, becoming the first ship to be equipped with nuclear warheads, except this ship was fit with a propulsion engine, therefore the ship did not need to carry it's own fuel. This allowed it to carry 90% more cargo, such as fighter planes and ammunition.

The First "Machine Gun"

Archers had the advantage of being able to attack their opponents from a distance, lessening the chance of themselves facing injury. However, while these forces proved effective, the development of the longbow nearly 700 years ago rendered the original bow and arrow a trifle. The longbow, developed in Wales, but quickly becoming adopted by the English, was much longer than the original arrow at 6 feet. Achieving accurate hits required a stupendous amount of upper body strength, and training of upwards to 10 years. These longbowmen could hit distances from 50 to 250 yards, and they designed special arrowheads for bringing down horses or piercing armour for example. An effective longbowmen could shoot 10 to 12 arrows a minute, emerging as the world's first "machine gun." The longbow gave England a tactical advantage for many years until the creation of the crossbow, which while only covering shorter distances, had more power behind its force and appeared more machine like. These delicate weapons were a prelude to modern guns, obtaining the idea of shooting damaging materials while maintaining your distance from the enemy.


militaryfactory.com. "Brief History of the Crossbow". 1 Jun. 2009. http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/medieval-longbow.aspcivil.