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This is based on a short essay I did back around 2000. Its points are still valid.
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<b>What Will Weapons Technology Be Like ...</b>
<b>... 100 Years From Now?</ib>
A combination of:
<b>1)</b> Personal body armor designed to keep you alive and unhurt in the "heavy damage" zone of a nuclear explosion, and containing sealed life support capability. Probably with strength augmentation.
<b>2)</b> A direct-fire weapon capable of firing *through* moderate terrain obstacles, such as trees and small boulders, and at least having enough energy to damage. Probably a high-frequency laser or magnetic gun.
<b>3)</b> An onboard computer, neurolinked to the operator, and enabling him to control a variety of semi-autonomous drone weapons systems, which would be used to deliver:
<b>4)</b> Indirect fire in which the missiles would actively seek out targets, and could be launched in a "loiter" mode and recovered if they did not find worthwhile target. Warheads would be up to tactical nuclear firepower.
<b>5)</b> Partially because of (4), the inidividual soldier would have interception weapons (small lasers or machine pistol caliber firearms) mounted *on* his armor as point defense systems, but still:
<b>6)</b> Anything which you see you can usually kill. So the soldiers would use networks of drone sensors, datalinked to their onboard computers, to enable them to see the enemy without being seen. Still:
<b>7)</b> Mobility would be vital. So the soldiers would probably also have some sort of personal transport system; perhaps an ATV bike, or an aerodyne flight pack. All movement would be under cover of terrain where possible; if by flight, the onboard computer would enable high-speed terrain following. Additionally:
<b>8)</b> AFV's would still exist, but would fight at over-the horizon ranges. They would range from small armored utility vehicles to massive Bolo-like "land battleships", and would in all cases carry significant anti-projectile defensive weapons. Some of these would be point defense, some area defense. Their main armament would be "brilliant" missiles and recon drones, similar to but more capable and longer ranged than the types the infantry would carry.
<b>9)</b> Aircraft would either be very high-performance terrain-following gound attack types, or very high altitude (probably orbital) fighter types.
I think you can see from this, by the way, why I don't think we'd stand a chance against an *intelligently planned* interstellar invasion!
<b>... 200 Years From Now?</b>
<b>1)</b> Personal infantry arms would be able to shoot through heavy terrain cover (large rock formations). The brilliant missiles and drones would be capable of ranging anywhere within thousands of miles.
<b>2)</b> AFV's would be mostly gigantic and triphibious (able to fly or submerge). A single such vehicle, unopposed, could dominate a continent.
<b>3)</b> Soldiers would not fight in their own organic bodies, but rather download edited copies of themselves to command the war machines.
<b>... 500 Years From Now?</b>
Surface and space combat merge, as do infantry and armor. Combat is between "vessels" capable of air, space, land, and water mobility. A single such vessel can dominate a whole planet with ease. The "people" who do the fighting (and for that matter form the society) are vast Personalities of what we would consider superhuman intellect and emotional scope; if they use organic bodies, they would do so purely as "devices" (in the computer jargon sense) ... and that sort of "device" would be poorly suited to combat in this era!
<b>END</b>
This is based on a short essay I did back around 2000. Its points are still valid.
-
<b>What Will Weapons Technology Be Like ...</b>
<b>... 100 Years From Now?</ib>
A combination of:
<b>1)</b> Personal body armor designed to keep you alive and unhurt in the "heavy damage" zone of a nuclear explosion, and containing sealed life support capability. Probably with strength augmentation.
<b>2)</b> A direct-fire weapon capable of firing *through* moderate terrain obstacles, such as trees and small boulders, and at least having enough energy to damage. Probably a high-frequency laser or magnetic gun.
<b>3)</b> An onboard computer, neurolinked to the operator, and enabling him to control a variety of semi-autonomous drone weapons systems, which would be used to deliver:
<b>4)</b> Indirect fire in which the missiles would actively seek out targets, and could be launched in a "loiter" mode and recovered if they did not find worthwhile target. Warheads would be up to tactical nuclear firepower.
<b>5)</b> Partially because of (4), the inidividual soldier would have interception weapons (small lasers or machine pistol caliber firearms) mounted *on* his armor as point defense systems, but still:
<b>6)</b> Anything which you see you can usually kill. So the soldiers would use networks of drone sensors, datalinked to their onboard computers, to enable them to see the enemy without being seen. Still:
<b>7)</b> Mobility would be vital. So the soldiers would probably also have some sort of personal transport system; perhaps an ATV bike, or an aerodyne flight pack. All movement would be under cover of terrain where possible; if by flight, the onboard computer would enable high-speed terrain following. Additionally:
<b>8)</b> AFV's would still exist, but would fight at over-the horizon ranges. They would range from small armored utility vehicles to massive Bolo-like "land battleships", and would in all cases carry significant anti-projectile defensive weapons. Some of these would be point defense, some area defense. Their main armament would be "brilliant" missiles and recon drones, similar to but more capable and longer ranged than the types the infantry would carry.
<b>9)</b> Aircraft would either be very high-performance terrain-following gound attack types, or very high altitude (probably orbital) fighter types.
I think you can see from this, by the way, why I don't think we'd stand a chance against an *intelligently planned* interstellar invasion!
<b>... 200 Years From Now?</b>
<b>1)</b> Personal infantry arms would be able to shoot through heavy terrain cover (large rock formations). The brilliant missiles and drones would be capable of ranging anywhere within thousands of miles.
<b>2)</b> AFV's would be mostly gigantic and triphibious (able to fly or submerge). A single such vehicle, unopposed, could dominate a continent.
<b>3)</b> Soldiers would not fight in their own organic bodies, but rather download edited copies of themselves to command the war machines.
<b>... 500 Years From Now?</b>
Surface and space combat merge, as do infantry and armor. Combat is between "vessels" capable of air, space, land, and water mobility. A single such vessel can dominate a whole planet with ease. The "people" who do the fighting (and for that matter form the society) are vast Personalities of what we would consider superhuman intellect and emotional scope; if they use organic bodies, they would do so purely as "devices" (in the computer jargon sense) ... and that sort of "device" would be poorly suited to combat in this era!
<b>END</b>
posted by:
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SF Bay Area
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