Saturday, January 27, 2007

The Top Ten Futuristic Weapons


Here is the list of the top ten futuristic weapons that can disable any force of the world.

• Autonomous Weapons

These are the robotic weapons that are currently in the development phase. They work on a find and destroy criteria. These Automatic Robotic vehicles can strike in air or on the ground without causing any damage to the friendly troops. These are equipped with sensors that can sense between enemy and the friendly troops and ask for a conformation from the ground forces to begin an attack. The limitation of this type of robotic vehicles is that it would be difficult to distinguish between animals, civilians friendly forces and enemy forces. And if anything goes wrong then the weapons could start wild firing injuring many innocent.

• High Energy Lasers

High Energy lasers travel at the speed of light and can destroy an approaching missile in minutes and can also strike targets over thousands of kilometers. The Lasers use large mirror to focus on the weak spots of the missiles that usually is the fuel compartment. This high energy laser then heats up the missile which destroys it in mid air and hundreds of kilometers from the target. The only limitation of the weapon is that it is very bulky and cannot be used in all environments.

• Space-Based Weapons

Nothing is above space. A weapon in orbit will be able to see and destroy anything on the planet. The main mission of these weapons will to seek and destroy any approaching ballistic missile in mid air. The reaction time of the weapon should be very fast so that it can even hit a supersonic craft before it reaches its target.

• Hypersonic Aircrafts (Scram Jet)

These are the aircrafts that can fly at a speed of Mach 5 that means five times the speed of sound. These aircrafts can reach any target on the planet within two hours. The aircrafts initially have to take a ride on the back of some other planes, which can carry it to an altitude where the air density is less. Then the aircraft shifts to the scramjet engine that uses the mixture of air and fuel to power the aircraft to supersonic speed. The limitation for the aircraft is that the scramjet engine cannot start until the plane is flies faster than the speed of sound and moreover the plane has not yet undergone a human testing.

• Active Denial System (Millimeter-Wave Weapon)

The active denial systems have been designed to make people flee without injuring them. A 2-meter long antenna and a generator produces and aims a 95 GHz wave on a group of people which causes them intense pain in the skin making them to flee. The problem with the system is that it can cause serious burns to the people who will not be able to run quickly as the wave can burn the skin in minutes.

• Nuclear Missiles

Nuclear Missiles are the most destructive weapons that have been made by man. They are capable of destroying a whole nation at the first strike and the after effects are also devastating. The nuclear missiles are based on a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead that explodes. The missiles have not been used by any nation as yet. The launch site and the trajectory of the missile is easy to identify so it can easily be destroyed in flight.

• Stun Guns (Tasers)

Tasers use high voltage electricity to subdue people without any permanent injury. These are targeted on the bodies or on the legs of people and they disrupt the normal functioning of the voluntary muscles of humans making them to fall on the ground. The practical limitations of the Stun Guns are many as they can cause injury when a person falls on the ground, and many deaths have already been reported.

• High-Power Microwave Bombs (e-bombs)

These are known as e-bombs because they can totally damage computers, electronics and electric power. The technology uses high power microwave pulses that can burn the electrical equipment and particularly the semiconductor chips. The limitation is that they also damage the friendly equipment within range.


• Layered Missile Defense

This technology offers the best chance to shoot a missile before it reaches its target. Multiple systems are targeted on to the missile during different stages of its flight. The first is the boost phase during which the rockets are firing. During this stage the missile is easy to detect and easy to shoot down. The second stage is the mid stage of the missiles flight while the war head is in space. The last phase is when the warhead is approaching the target. The limitation is that the system is difficult to make and maintain and also it requires very fast response time.

• Information Warfare

The technology interferes with the flow of information in the enemy channels totally disrupting it. Specially trained computer hackers are used to break into the military computers and steal the information and also destroy it by spreading some viruses. The limitation is that till now only the U.S is relying on the computers so other low-tech enemies are not so vulnerable against the weapon.

Via: newscientist

No comments: