US Army

Drones Audio available

US Army creates a drone-netting grenade

Ben Coxworth February 7, 2019

​As last month's grounding of flights at Gatwick Airport showed us, drones can cause a lot of problems – and they can even pose a security risk – when they're flown in the wrong places. Engineers with the US Army are developing a countermeasure, in the form of a drone-netting grenade.

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Aircraft Audio available

First look at ultra-fast Sikorsky/Boeing SB>1 Defiant dual-rotor helicopter

Loz Blain December 26, 2018

Sikorsky and Boeing have been working on this high-speed, long-range, ultra-maneuverable military helicopter design for some time, and now they’ve released the first photos of what is expected to become a highly effective US Army utility helicopter sometime in the 2030s.

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Military Audio available

BAE Systems to develop new US Army armored vehicle for light infantry

David Szondy December 19, 2018

BAE Systems and General Dynamics have been tapped by the US Army to each build 12 prototype medium-armor vehicles. Part of the development phase of the Mobile Protected Firepower program, the US$376-million contracts aim to develop an agile, multi-terrain platform for Infantry Brigade Combat Teams.

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Aircraft Audio available

Autonomous Sikorsky helicopter makes piloting optional

Nick Lavars November 1, 2018

​​Describing a helicopter as "optionally piloted" might not do much to comfort those onboard, but this is the future DARPA is aiming for with its Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS).

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Robotics

US Army developing software to get military robots upright again

David Szondy August 28, 2018

Scientists at the US Army Research Laboratory are working on software to help fallen military robots right themselves. The purpose of this is not only to make such battlefield bots more efficient, but also less dependent on their soldier partners for support.

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Military Audio available

US Army moves ahead with development of 100-kW mobile battlefield laser

David Szondy August 8, 2018

The US Army is moving forward with a new 100-kW laser weapon, awarding US$10 million to Lockheed Martin and Dynetics to continue development of the High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator, the latest in the effort to produce incrementally more powerful and accurate directed energy weapons.

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Military

US Armed Forces pursue advanced night vision systems

David Szondy June 24, 2018

The US Army and US Marine Corps are fielding two different night vision systems that provide better depth perception and add thermal imaging to image intensification technology that will give soldiers clearer night vision even when dealing with overgrown areas.

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Military

US Army developing a "Third Arm" for soldiers

David Szondy June 5, 2018

At the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is testing a prototype passive support system called Third Arm, which evenly distributes the weight of heavy weapons, allowing soldiers to use them with less fatigue and greater accuracy.

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Health & Wellbeing

US Army algorithm determines ideal caffeine dosage patterns

Rich Haridy June 4, 2018

How many cups of coffee do you have a day? It’s not a stretch to say that caffeine is the world’s most popular drug, with 85 percent of American adults consuming the drug in some form every day. But when and how frequently should we be taking a caffeine hit to get the best effect from it?

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Military

Microwave/laser weapon takes out multiple drone swarms

David Szondy March 20, 2018

An energy weapon system built by Raytheon clocked up an impressive score as it took out 45 UAVs and drones. Part of this year's Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment, the test involved a directed energy weapon that combines Raytheon's high-power microwave beam and High Energy Laser (HEL) systems.

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