7 Emerging military technologies in India

Military technology has advanced significantly.

GPS has revolutionized war by allowing soldiers to locate enemies instantly with just the push of a button.

Army researchers are developing intelligent munitions capable of altering their flight paths during mid-flight to engage moving targets more accurately.

1. The Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System

Generations of military men and women have held out hope that more advanced weapons would help reduce violence and bloodshed of war, and never more so than when robotic arms fought their battles without tiring, hungering or becoming distracted.

MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) is one of those revolutionary military technologies which not only saves lives but also makes warfare more ethical.

QinetiQ North America’s SWORDS and TALON robots, but this new machine is “much more powerful.” It boasts a modular payload bay capable of accommodating everything from an M240B machine gun to a grenade launcher; plus 360deg visual capability, two-way communication channels, night and thermal vision capabilities and advanced security measures.

MAARS allows soldiers to drive it up to an IED and view it before disassembling it from a safe distance if necessary, using its claw-like gripper if necessary. MAARS can even be programmed to detect and disarm mines; and, should any soldier become wounded or killed during operations, MAARS robot can drag them away for treatment and safety.

2. The Black Knight Unmanned Combat Vehicle

The Black Knight is an early prototype of a robotic combat vehicle developed by arms maker BAE Systems and outfitted with weapons such as a 25 mm cannon and coaxial machine gun. Operated from within its nine-and-a-half ton vehicle or remotely from a separate control station, its goal is to be added to existing M113 armored vehicles so troops can operate them either from inside their tanks or directly from their own vehicles.

The Black Knight vehicle can perform day and night missions that would be too dangerous for human-controlled vehicles, including forward scouting, reconnaissance surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA). Additionally, its sensors include terrain-mapping sensors for path planning, obstacle detection and autonomous driving as well as assisted teleoperation mode with automotive dials and gages for easy remote operation by soldiers.

Though the Army holds high hopes for robotic combat vehicles in its arsenal, Dvorak notes it could take several years before one actually hits the battlefield due to funding considerations.

3. The S-97 Raider Attack Helicopter

Military technology moves at lightning-speed, so nations’ armed forces need to adapt quickly. A great way of doing that is adopting cutting-edge helicopters. One such chopper on its way is the S-97 Raider chopper which could prove transformative when it comes to speed, manoeuvrability and more.

Sikorsky was purchased by Lockheed Martin in 2015, and developed their Raider technology demonstrator in response to it. Featuring two rigid coaxial rotors that tilt independently of each other for propulsion with pusher propeller propulsion. This arrangement reduces hub drag significantly while leaving behind much less acoustic signature than conventional helicopters.

The Raider can accommodate six passengers in its back, and is equipped with various weapons, as well as an exhaust masking system to thwart heat-seeking missiles from detecting its exhaust. Furthermore, this advanced machine can fly at up to 248 MPH–far faster than any traditional helicopter–making it well-suited for both scout missions as well as deep strike missions.

4. The Human Universal Load Carrier

The HULC was created to reduce strain on soldiers when carrying heavy loads, which often cause back and neck injuries. The exoskeleton transfers weight of the load directly onto the ground for easy transport; this enables soldiers to march for long distances or run at speeds between 7mph-10mph in short bursts.

Lockheed Martin engineers have been working closely with Protonic Technology Corporation on developing fuel cells that will supply enough energy/power to run the HULC exoskeleton. However, unlike previous military exoskeletons such as Ekso Bionics XOS and Boston Dynamics eLEGS that required constant power supplies, HULC will not need constant battery power in order to function. While still needing battery power for its motors and actuators to function. Lockheed Martin Engineers have collaborated to find fuel cell technologies capable of meeting these energy/power needs in order to use HULC with ease. Lockheed Martin engineers collaborated closely with Protonex Technology Corporation engineers working on fuel cell research so HULC can operate with maximum energy/power needs from batteries; engineers from Lockheed Martin have collaborated extensively with them so as to be developed fuel cells capable of meeting energy/power demands of operating HULC.

After laboratory trials are complete, the ruggedized HULC design will undergo further military evaluation at Natick Soldier Centre. Although such exoskeletons might make soldiers feel superhuman-like, in order to prevail in real war on the ground. As Colonial Marines learned in Aliens, no amount of technology can replace effective combat strategies.

5. The High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator

The military seeks to employ directed energy warfare (DEW) as one of the fastest developing forms of military technology. DEW involves blasting away incoming rockets, artillery shells and missiles (along with drone aircraft) with beams of super-powered light energy from powerful lasers or LEDs – one method is known as laser denial systems – using only beams of light energy from super-powered lasers or LEDs. This field has seen significant advances over the last few years.

The Navy recently unveiled its Long Range High-Power Distributed Energy System, or LAWS, aboard a destroyer and successfully destroyed a small drone midair with it. Meanwhile, the Army is working on more powerful systems–including one mounted on Strykers capable of being towed behind brigade combat teams for air defense threats.

HEL-MD’s solid state lasers can be powered by standard diesel generators and scale up in power levels to meet advancing ground troops, making this portable DEW more manageable and adaptable than previous iterations of similar weapons. Thanks to recent advancements in electricity-producing engine technologies, that day may soon arrive.

6. The Laser Avenger

Military lasers may seem like sci-fi fantasy weapons from Hollywood movies, but the military actually uses lasers on an operational basis to keep its soldiers safe both on the ground and in the air.

The Army recently conducted trials of its new Humvee-mounted laser weapon called Laser Avenger at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Unlike traditional methods used to detonate these bombs, Laser Avenger could safely fire bombs from a safe distance.

Boeing believes its Avenger-mounted laser could also help combat roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices – and since it does not use kinetic energy to destroy targets, this system reportedly results in zero direct deaths.

Company plans to add laser turrets to existing Avenger anti-aircraft vehicles on an expedited timeline, powered by diesel generators used for other frontline equipment, making this technology far more cost-effective and practical than Boeing’s more expansive yet still-delayed 747 Airborne Laser project.

7. The Multi-Axis Armoured Robotic System

Automation offers many options when it comes to robot axes. Although adding more axes may unlock new abilities, their cost often outweighs any gains; most robots only operate with 7 axes; any additional ones could interfere with production lines and cause unreliability issues.

The Multi-Axis Armoured Robotic System aims to meet these challenges through offering extreme kinematic flexibility. Users of this modular robot system can select exactly how many axes are necessary for their application without incurring unnecessary costs; making this ideal for bomb disposal missions and other EOD duties that involve operating safely in hazardous environments while protecting soldiers.