The electromagnetic railgun launcher is a new long-range weapon using electricity instead of chemicals to launch projectiles.
Projectiles can be launched at approximately 4,500 miles per hour using magnetic fields. These new weapons are allowing the military to eliminate
explosives where possible. It is being used by the Navy as well for its ability to be effective and affordable. The Navy is working on modernizing their weapons, including nuclear weapons. Two weapons on the list to work on creating are a "low-yield warhead for submarine-launched ballistic missiles" and a "nuclear capable submarine-launched cruise missile". The
U.S. Army is using Weapons Systems Engineering to help protect its soldiers. They have designed a
Humvee to be equipped to contain a gun with an automated tracking system. This would be controlled by another
soldier or a computer program. This along with other new systems, vehicles, etc. is all possible because of the new advancements in Weapon Systems Engineering. In May the Army will test out automated Humvee's to certify them as combat ready vehicles. According to the Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) this is the first step toward weaponized robotics. The Army is not looking to make killing machines, but machines controlled by humans. The
US Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) assigned
Lockheed Martin the job of creating "an aircraft-mounted high-power
fibre laser". They must make a weapon that is small enough and light enough, but also can be effective. The laser will be mounted on jet fighters with the ability to disable enemies targeting systems. == References ==