The military spending of large countries, primarily the United States, China and Russia, continues to grow. A lot of budget funds go to the development of the latest types of weapons. The United States recently said openly that it views space as a space for warfare. States are investing in drones and hypersonic technology. It is precisely such weapons that can become the main thing in the third world war, if it does begin. Let's talk about the weapons of the future.
On earth and in space
Placing weapons in space provides almost limitless possibilities for destroying the enemy. While building rocket bases on the moon or delivering an asteroid to low-earth orbit and dropping it on a target looks fantastic today, technology already exists to use space for warfare.
Boeing X-37 ship
It is considered extremely promising to launch a spacecraft with electromagnetic weapons (EMP) into near-earth orbit. An electromagnetic pulse is capable of paralyzing electrical networks and control systems, control, communication, collection and computer processing of information, surveillance and intelligence C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) of the enemy.
An EMP rocket launched from Earth orbit is much more difficult to intercept. The United States, China, Russia, India, Japan and the EU countries are capable of launching such weapons into space today. EMP can be especially effective when used against “rogue countries” (Iran and North Korea), which have virtually nothing to answer.
No less promising is the deployment of directed energy weapons (laser weapons) on satellites to intercept ballistic missiles almost immediately after launch. Currently, in fact, the only space weapons can be considered maneuvering vehicles, which are tested by the United States, China and Russia, as well as numerous observation satellites.
Promotional video:
Hypersonic cruise missiles
A special feature of cruise missiles is the ability to maneuver. This allows you to evade enemy missiles and hit the target extremely accurately. The main advantage of hypersonic missiles is their speed exceeding five Mach numbers (more than six thousand kilometers per hour). It is extremely difficult to intercept such missiles. Hypersonic cruise missiles offer tremendous opportunities for the military. Such a missile is capable of hitting any target on the planet in less than an hour.
This served as the basis for the American concept of instant global strike PGS (Prompt Global Strike), developed since 2001. The military focused on the X-51A Waverider, which develops speeds of seven to eight Mach numbers, with a range of about two thousand kilometers and an altitude of up to thirty kilometers. It is planned to launch missiles from strategic aviation aircraft, demonstration samples of weapons should be manufactured in 2020.
Russia is also working on a hypersonic cruise missile. The first tests of "Zircons" were reported on March 17, 2016. In addition, projects in this area are being implemented in China and India.
SR-72 hypersonic aircraft prototype
Smart drones
The most important development in the defense industry over the past decade has been the emergence of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). As technology improves, drones are taking on more and more functions. It is possible that drones will completely replace manned aircraft in most combat missions.
While the overwhelming majority of UAVs need a person, we are talking primarily about remote control and monitoring of the device. Moreover, key decisions regarding the elimination of the target are currently not made without human participation.
UAV RQ-4 Global Hawk
For example, target search and launch of the American AGM-114 Hellfire laser or radar-guided air-to-ground missile, installed on the MQ-1 Predator drone since 2007, requires human participation. However, UAVs will soon become fully autonomous.
This is due to advances in the development of artificial intelligence (AI). Such systems will be able to independently make decisions concerning including life and death. This is exactly what scientist Stephen Hawking and businessman Elon Musk mean, regularly reminding them of the dangers of uncontrolled AI development.
Autonomous UAVs, endowed with the most advanced AI, will be able to work for a long time, and, if necessary, make a decision instantly. A party to the conflict with such weapons will have a key advantage over other participants in hostilities. This is well understood in the USA, China, the EU countries and Russia.
“Artificial intelligence is not only the future of Russia, it is the future of all mankind. There are colossal opportunities and threats that are difficult to predict today,”Russian President Vladimir Putin said on September 1, 2017 at the Projektoria forum. In his opinion, "the one who becomes the leader in this area will be the master of the world."
Last arguments
Prospective types of new weapons also include stealth aircraft using stealth technology, railguns that propel a projectile with an electromagnetic field, and kinetic weapons operating from space. Nuclear weapons will not lose their relevance either, remaining the last argument in the war of the future, but large and expensive military submarines are likely to lose special importance. They are becoming easier to spot with groups of small, inexpensive drones.
Railgun tests
The ability to develop the latest weapons says a lot about the state. In October 2017, the president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Alexander Sergeev, actually admitted that modern domestic science has nothing to offer the military. “We will not have fundamental science, it will be a big trouble, because in many areas - military and others - the scientific and technical reserve has been exhausted. It can be restored only by fundamental science,”the scientist stressed during a meeting with members of the Federation Council.
The academician voiced a long-known truth: without the support of fundamental science, the potential for applied research is limited in time and ultimately exhausted, as a result of which the country becomes technologically dependent on other states. “If we do not have the results of fundamental science, then our production and applied science will have to buy the results of fundamental research abroad. And there, excuse me, they will not sell modern at all. You need the modern yourself. They will sell what has gone out of necessity,”Sergeev believes.
