Military

Non-lethal weapons are intended to have reversible effects on personnel and material. They provide soldiers with another option when lethal force isn’t considered to be the best first response to a situation. One non-lethal weapon prototype that is being evaluated by U.S. military is the Thermal Laser System, which attaches to a rifle and uses a laser to create a heating sensation to repel adversaries. Unfortunately, current trials indicate that clothing nullifies the weapon's effectiveness. Read More

The ability of military vehicles to better protect occupants with modern designs and high-tech materials has become an increasing priority and UK firm Amsafe has already seen success with its Tarian armor plating in the U.S. Oshkosh Defense, part of the U.S. Marine Corp’s MRAP (Mine-Resistant, Ambush Protected) program, is also heavily involved and a recently-announced armor system took an alternative approach with an emphasis on mobility. Development of its new TerraMax vehicles seems almost flawless in its potential, however, at least in protecting the lives of the soldiers on board because, put simply, there aren’t any. Read More

NASA and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) have successfully launched a nine-foot rocket to a height of 1,300ft using an environmentally-friendly propellant made from aluminum powder and water ice. The fuel, called ALICE, has the consistency of toothpaste with a high burn rate and achieved a maximum thrust of 650 pounds during this test. Read More

Recent developments in battlefield technology have demonstrated the increasing need for soldiers on the ground to be able to relay large amounts of information, using highly portable and flexible equipment. To this effect American Reliance (AMREL) has announced their latest compact computer platform, the HC-2, featuring a Windows XP interface and 128GB solid state drive. Read More

Developed by UK firm Amsafe, Tarian cloth is capable of repelling armor-piercing anti-tank warheads by creating a ‘cushion’ between the vehicle’s exterior and typical armor plating, thereby triggering the explosive early and dispersing the force of the blast across the existing armor. Read More

The launch of the handheld TASER X3 has been grabbing headlines lately, but the company has also been developing large-scale versions of its stun-gun technology for 'area denial' (read 'riot control'). The TASER Shockwave is a fully modular system that effectively bunches six TASER X26 stun guns together to cover a 20-degree arc with 25-foot cartridges. Read More

When we previewed the release of the Taser X3 stun-gun a couple of weeks back, details on what it looked like were scarce. Now images have been released to coincide with the official launch, along with more detail about the new three-shot Electronic Control Device (ECD). Read More

It's the most effective killing machine in human history - a gun that, on its 62nd birthday, is still killing as many as a quarter of a million people every year, in every corner of the globe. Invented by a gifted tank mechanic to save Russia's motherland from the invading German hordes in WW2, the AK-47 went on to rise to global prominence during the proxy battles of the Cold War. Even today, a poorly trained militia group can become a force to be reckoned with once it finds a supply of AK-47s - such is its simplicity, reliability, affordability and sheer killing power. Abhorrent - yes, but with reference to its impact on humanity it is, sadly, among the greatest inventions of the 20th century. We take a look at this amazing weapon's history, its significance and its brutal dominance of world politics. Listen to the Podcast or Read More

A new Taser that fires three shots before it needs recharging is soon to be released. Billed by the company as its most innovative handheld electronic control device (ECD) since the Taser X26 was released in 2003, the high-tech Taser X3 can be simultaneously used on multiple targets and boasts a range of additional features including laser sights for both top and bottom probes, improved monitoring and data recording and the ability to survive harsh environments. Read More