An Easy Guide To Understanding The Technology The Military Uses

The United States defense budget is one of the largest in the world. It’s projected that between 2013 to 2022, the U.S. military will spend over 392 billion dollars on nuclear weapons and 97 billion dollars on missile defenses. 

Other investments include weaponry, vehicles, and drones. Military technology is advancing at an exponential rate, to protect people from global threats, warmongering from hostile states, and international terrorism.

The technology used by the military can seem very confusing, which is why in this article, we’re going to present you with an easy guide to understanding military tech:

Vertical Take-Off and Landing System

Vertical take-off and landing systems, commonly referred to as VTOL systems are the future of military technology. 

The name VTOL system refers to highly advanced aircraft that have the ability to launch, hover, and land vertically. Aircraft with VTOL technology can take off and land from anywhere in the world, which makes them highly flexible. 

They can also perform maneuvers not possible with ordinary planes, which gives VTOL pilots an advantage in combat. VTOL tech is also being developed in the public sector to make delivering food easier by companies like Uber.

Self-Guided Bullets

Another very important piece of military technology that will come in very handy in a combat situation is self-guided bullets. 

These bullets are built with tiny sensors in them, which allow them to change course during a flight. It allows people to hit moving targets easily, instead of missing them. 

They will prove to be very handy in rugged terrain, in the air, and during combat situations where visibility is low.

 Self-guided bullets have been in development for a number of years, though quite recently developers perfected a bullet that could navigate itself for a mile before striking its target.

Submarine Hunters

A very interesting piece of technology that defies belief, is the unmanned submarine hunter. This technology is used to detect and track submarines. 

It’s able to track a submarine for several months at a time, without submarines knowing that it’s present. These submarines are equipped with radar, sonar, and high-tech vision systems.

 Journalists and academics have all agreed that we’re living through a modern Cold War. These submarines will help the United States to monitor its adversaries deep in the ocean and far out at sea, protecting U.S. submarines and warships.

Laser Cannons

In addition to vertical aircraft, self-guided bullets, and ultraquiet submarines, the military is also developing laser cannons. 

The U.S. The Navy has tried laser weapons aboard the USS Ponce, during its deployment in the Persian Gulf. Laser weapons are also being used on land by the army, who are developing a truck-mounted laser gun that can take out incoming missiles, drones, and other threats. 

Governments around the world are increasingly concerned about carbon emissions, which makes laser cannons a superior choice of weapon. 

This is because they use very little fuel to fire, thus eliminating unnecessary emissions while still protecting U.S. service personnel.

Camouflage Tanks

The Swedish military has developed an extremely advanced type of tank, imperceptible to radars. The tank, which is called the T Ghost, uses ADAPTIV camouflage, which makes it completely invisible to enemy thermal imaging.

 In addition to its invisibility, the tank carries high-caliber cannons, and technology that reduces recoil and weight.

 This tank is a great fighting tank that will be incredibly useful on the battlefield. It will give operators the ability to strike before the enemy realizes that they are even present. 

We can expect to see similar tanks rolled out across the world over the coming years, including in the U.S. military.

Augmented Reality Headset

In 2018, the U.S. military signed a contract for over 100,000 augmented reality headsets from Microsoft, for over $470 million. 

This technology will help the U.S. Army see where targets are, where their support is, and how far it is until they reach their objective. It is very similar to the kind of technology seen in video games, but it is now a reality. 

It’s currently used, and also provides servicemen and women with crucial information when they are on the battlefield, helping them to make more informed decisions. These headsets are being rolled out throughout the U.S. military.

Robots

Robots are no longer a thing of fantasy; they are a reality. The U.S. military is developing high-tech robots that can carry gear, explosives, ammunition, and sensors. 

The idea is to include robots in Army and Marine units, to help them complete objectives safely. A number of test runs have taken place, quite successfully.

 In one test, the Marines were able to use robots to locate and eliminate enemies, before the enemy even knew that they were present.

 In the coming years, we can expect to see more investments in robot technology.

Hypersonic Missiles

Hypersonic missiles are a very important piece of technology that will transform the military landscape. 

They fly at five times the speed of sound, sometimes faster. Because of their immense speed, it is nearly impossible for interceptors to catch them and destroy them before they strike their target. The U.S. military’s own hypersonic weapon system is named Dark Eagle. 

It can strike as far as 1,700 miles, which makes it an indomitable adversary to rival militaries. While at this time there is very little need to use one of these missiles, it will undoubtedly prove invaluable if any global conflicts were to erupt.

Autonomous Aircrafts

An incredibly innovative, extraordinary piece of technology currently being developed is autonomous aircraft. 

This piece of equipment would allow aerial missions to be flown much safer, with less risk of human casualties. It will also allow missiles and weapons to be fired autonomously, again, with a reduced risk of human casualties. 

The U.S. military has recently tested out its autonomous aircraft capabilities, by pitting an autonomous plane against a piloted aircraft.

 This technology is highly advanced and will completely change the military landscape, just like robots.  

Military technology is constantly being updated, changed, and advanced. In this article, we hope to have told you about some particularly significant types of technology that will change the military landscape and the way that wars are fought. It should also give you a picture of the type of technology that the U.S. military uses.