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Russia says it will give soldiers bomb-carrying drones
Never mind using small drones for battlefield recon -- if Russia has its way, they'll be another part of the arsenal. The country's Defense Ministry recently told Izvestia that it's not only outfitting platoons with small drones, but will eventually outfit these drones with weapons. There are already "miniature bombs" in development, the Ministry said. The move was apparently a response to experiences in Syria, where ISIS tried attacking a Russian base with commercial drones (such as the one pictured above) modified to carry explosives.
US Army shows how it will use HoloLens in the field
When Microsoft employees balked at the company's $479 million HoloLens contract with the US Army, it raised a question: just what would this system look like? You now have a better idea. The Army has given CNBC an early demo of its Integrated Visual Augmentation System, which uses a modified HoloLens 2 to provide both combat assistance and training. It reportedly feels like a "real-life game of Call of Duty" -- you can see your squad's positions on a map, a compass, and even your weapon's reticle. Thermal imaging would help you see in the dark without as much of a telltale glow as existing night vision headsets.
MIT and US Army crafting uniforms with full-body fiberoptic sensors
Militaries want soldiers to carry an increasing amount of tech on to the battlefield, but that isn't necessarily convenient -- or comfortable. MIT and the US Army have started early work on uniforms with fiberoptic sensors that would alleviate much of that burden. By weaving in microfibers cut from a mix of specialized, fluidized materials, the partnership can build data links that cover the entire body without breaking or adding significant bulk. They could serve as basic elements of a communication system, but MIT has broader ambitions: the sensors could track wounds through heat signatures, and just might prevent friendly fire incidents by sending a don't-shoot signal when targeted with a laser sight. The fibers still have to get much thinner before the Army can offer smart uniforms as standard issue, but the wearable tech may keep soldiers nimble and, just possibly, save a few lives.
Boston Dynamics shows a quieter, more thoroughbred AlphaDog to DARPA and the Marines (video)
When we last saw Boston Dynamics' AlphaDog (aka LS3), it was strutting through outdoor trials with the subtlety of a nuclear missile: for all that noise, it might as well have been holding a "shoot here please" sign broadcasting American soldiers' positions to everyone in the forest. Several months later, the company is showing both DARPA and the Marine Corps a refined version of its load-carrying robot that has clearly been through a few rounds of obedience school. While we still wouldn't call the four-legged hauler stealthy, it's quiet enough to avoid the role of bullet magnet and lets nearby troops chat at reasonable volumes. And yes, there's new tricks as well. AlphaDog can speed up its travel over difficult surfaces and move at up to a 5MPH jog, all while it's following a human squad. DARPA and the Marines recently began testing and improving the robot over a two-year period that should culminate in an Advanced Warfighting Experiment with the Marines to test viability under stress. If AlphaDog passes that bar, there's a good chance many on-foot soldiers will have a mechanical companion -- and quite a weight lifted off of their shoulders.
EverQuest Online Adventures slays its final dragon
EverQuest Online Adventures, the console spinoff of SOE's EverQuest franchise, is counting down the hours until the server is switched off at midnight tonight. In addition to EQOA, SOE is shuttering three other underperforming titles today: Cosmic Rift, Infantry, and Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga. Instead of spending its final days in sorrow, the EQOA community joined the dev team for a series of epic battles against marauding dragons this past week. Players have filled the forums with posts about their favorite in-game memories over the past nine years of gameplay. To compensate players for the loss of their game world, SOE gave EQOA subscribers three months of gold-level status in EverQuest and EverQuest II. EQOA came out in 2003 on the PlayStation 2 and was one of the first generation of console MMOs. For those Massively readers feeling nostalgic or curious about it, definitely check out our series on the game: part 1, part 2, and part 3.
Sony closing four online titles in March, you're probably okay with it
The folks at Sony Online Entertainment have announced that four titles in its stable of massively-multiplayer online games will be taken out to pasture, but they probably aren't experiences you're staying up nights to savor. The worlds of Cosmic Rift, Infantry, Star Chamber: The Harbinger Saga, and EverQuest Online Adventures (pictured) will all come to a close on March 29, 2012. "This is not an easy decision," a post from the team at SOE revealed, as we scoured Google for any information of the aforementioned titles. SOE cites "there comes a time when" development resources must step away from old adventures and focus on new ones as the primary reason for its decision. And ... EverQuest Online Adventures is a PS2 game and it was working this whole time? Color us surprised. According to Videogamer.com, the multitude of players journeying through the affected titles will receive refunds for any pre-paid time that reaches beyond the shutdown date. Sarcasm aside (we do it because we love you), EverQuest Online Adventures players will net three free months of Gold Membership status in both EverQuest and EverQuest 2 -- free-to-play titles on the PC. SOE thanked fans for their loyalty, saying: "It's been a blast. And we hope to keep gaming with all of you in our other great games here at SOE."
Lockheed Martin's SMSS autonomous vehicle wins Army competition, ships off to Afghanistan (video)
The US military's fleet of unmanned vehicles may soon get some extra support, now that Lockheed Martin's Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) has received the Army's official blessing. Designed to support infantry squads or special ops forces, the company's autonomous craft was recently crowned the winner of the Army-sponsored Project Workhorse Unmanned Ground Vehicle competition, after more than a decade of development. Measuring 11 feet in length, the SMSS is capable of transporting more than 1,000 pounds of equipment over rugged terrain, and features a set of onboard sensors that can automatically track individuals by recognizing their 3D profiles. Both the SMSS and its Block I variant can be carried aboard CH-47 and CH-53 choppers, with the latter offering a driving range of 125 miles. Three of the beasts will deploy to Afghanistan for a three-month evaluation later this year, when they'll become the largest unmanned vehicles to ever deploy with infantry. Shoot past the break for a video tour of the SMSS, along with the full press release.
Battleground Europe celebrates D-Day, adds U.S. forces
June 6th is an historic day in the annals of both U.S. and military history. The Allied landing on the beaches of Normandy was not only the largest amphibious assault ever but also a decisive turning point in the course of the second world war. It's fitting, then, that D-Day also marks the 10th anniversary of Battleground Europe (or World War II Online, as it was known in 2001). To celebrate, Cornered Rat Software has announced the addition of American forces to the long-running WWII sim. The dev team has also been hard at work on behind-the-scenes functionality improvements and a scenario-based gameplay option called Rapid Action. A special Rapid Action D-Day scenario pack will mark the introduction of U.S. troops and equipment to the game, as will a special Battle for Aachen campaign event. Details on all the new deployments present in version 1.34 can be found on the official Battleground Europe website. You can also take a peek at Cornered Rat's 10th anniversary teaser after the cut.
Massively Exclusive: Cornered Rat talks longevity, simulations, and the future of Battleground Europe
It's P-Day across Battleground Europe, as today marks the official introduction of World War II Online's 1.33 patch. The update is something of a milestone for Cornered Rat's stalwart MMOFPS simulation, and Massively sat down with the game's high command to chat about the past, the future, and of course the spiffy new infantry models that 1.33 brings to the table. Join us after the cut for an exclusive interview with producers Steve Daniels, Al Corey, and Dana Baldwin, as well as Cornered Rat president Jim Mesteller and community director Amy-lynn Smith. %Gallery-119028%
WWIIOL: Battleground Europe readying 1.33 patch, infantry upgrades
MMO shooters are a dime a dozen these days, and whether you're into sci-fi, spy-fi, modern warfare, or post-apocalyptic mayhem, massively multiplayer gun battles are pretty prevalent across the genre. Not to be outdone by the parade of young whippersnappers is World War II Online: Battleground Europe, and the granddaddy of MMOFPS titles is still going strong after nearly a decade in service. Cornered Rat's 1.33 version update is nearing the end of its open beta phase, and the new patch is bringing a bevy of changes to the game including brand-new infantry models as well as memory leak fixes, performance tweaks, and an upgrade to the core audio engine, just to name a few. Due to the extensive work required to revamp the infantry models, Cornered Rat has delayed a few of its planned features to a future patch (these include emotes, lean, and high command uniforms) but is nonetheless enthusiastic about the new models and anxious to get them in players' hands as soon as possible. You can read more about the update on the game's official website and be on the lookout for an exclusive Massively Q&A session with the developers later this week.
