Future Weapons - Another Discovery Channel Prize

[M.D. Holloway]

Theres some pretty cool things being developed. I wonder if some of this stuff (as well as other stuff) is being tried out today.

Everytime I see an episode I get to feeling that we are getting further and further ahead of the bad guys unless they get those goodies as well.

How many of you guys watch this show and get all sorts of happy that we got this stuff?

[RickM]

I like the show as well. The British made 50 cal sniper rifle was absolutely awesome...and I thought Barrett was the premier 50cal manufacturer.

[bell]

i like the death ray thing......step in it's path and your body senses go on overload thinking you are burning up on fire

[89911]

It's a good show. Part of me has thought that maybe they are giving out too much information to the wrong people. Then I think, maybe they need to know we have this stuff.

[Rick Lee]

Isn't there also one that sends some kind of waves at you and makes you lose control of your bowels? That's gotta suck.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

That show is awesome. I think either that guy or the dudes on "Mythbusters" have THE coolest jobs in the world. Shoot - getting paid plus getting to be on TV just for blowing stuff up. How great is that?!?!

[onlycafe]

i just caught part of that show the other night when they were showing the new design in body armor and couldn't penetrate it with repeated hits of 7.62 rounds or even a fragmentation grenade. they call it dragon skin. quite amazing stuff.

[sewell94]

i think they already have alot what they show, they were showing the invisilbity cloaks a year or so back, but a buddy of mine who did some pretty cool stuff in the army was telling me about these about 6 years ago, he said they would put them on tanks and drive right up to the enemny and blow the **** outta them. He said they didn't have a clue what was comming.

[ZAMIRZ]

Originally posted by 89911
It's a good show. Part of me has thought that maybe they are giving out too much information to the wrong people. Then I think, maybe they need to know we have this stuff.

But at the same time, think of the things that they can't show / don't want us to know...can you imagine what's classified.

[Seahawk]

One of my UAVs was featured on the show, the Fire Scout.

They came down to Patuxent River (actually Webster Field where we do most of our tactical UAV ops) for the day and filmed for about eight hours.

Great bunch of folks. I choose to stay behind the camera and give the CDR who runs the day to day Fire Scout program his moment in the sun. He did very well.

Great experience for my folks.

[IROC]

Originally posted by ZAMIRZ
But at the same time, think of the things that they can't show / don't want us to know...can you imagine what's classified.

I am actually working on some of these things. :>)

Mike

[M.D. Holloway]

I think they should come up with a weapon that makes the bad guys too lazy and fat to fight, where they just give up before they ever start blowing up buildings or road side bombs or themselves. Oh, wait they do have something like that, its called the fully stocked media room!

[DavidI]

I like the weapons, but cannot stand the host. He over-acts and tries to make everything seem like a secret. Former Navy SEAL though, so what can I say?

David

[strupgolf]

I still cant imagine a gun that shoots around a corner, at 90 degrees. That makes a lot sence, but still leaves me wondering.

[fintstone]

Originally posted by bell
i like the death ray thing......step in it's path and your body senses go on overload thinking you are burning up on fire

Until recently, the very best technology was usually in use for about 20 years before its existence was made public. We are probably closer to 10 now. What you see is not really advanced technology, but fairly mature stuff that is being used in new or different applications.
What you are probably referring to is a type of "directed energy weapon." The typical category of directed energy would be a laser weapon like the Airborne Laser designed to destroy missiles in the boost phase (or most anything else) with a very powerful laser. The category that you are probably talking about would be a type of microwave weapon that causes the water under/in the skin to boil. This would be nonlethal but would result in great discomfort making one feel they are on fire. Imagine the riot/crowd control applications. I imagine that judicious use could cause entire armies to throw down their weapons and run...like the French.

[tabs]

Originally posted by LubeMaster77
I think they should come up with a weapon that makes the bad guys too lazy and fat to fight, where they just give up before they ever start blowing up buildings or road side bombs or themselves. Oh, wait they do have something like that, its called the fully stocked media room!

Yep its called the TABS effect.

[fintstone]

But Tabs...Saturday you were looking so svelte and urbane...

[M.D. Holloway]

The other night they showed the 6 pack attack - a granade launcher that is able to fire 6 in succession. They are also able to launch arial video survalance cameras as well as IR flares and phos flares. In the wrong hands this thing could be a very bad thing. (Except if you wearing dragon skin)

[RickM]

Originally posted by strupgolf
I still cant imagine a gun that shoots around a corner, at 90 degrees. That makes a lot sence, but still leaves me wondering.

I'm not sure if the Israeli designed 90 degree gun was on Future Weapons but it was on another show. I'ts basically a pistol attached to the front end of a rifle stock/body. 90 degree shots were acheve via a sprung hinge that's controlled near the trigger. IIRC the shooter aims via a CCD driven camera scope.

[Seahawk]

I went and got this thread 'casue I have video proof!

Wait a bit until it loads...the Discovery folks were all great.

FS Video