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Solid state laser sustains 67-kilowatts, approaching battlefield status
We know what you're thinking: when you've got eight-Megajoule railguns, aircraft-mounted tactical lasers, and xenon-based paralysis inducers, what good is a feeble solid state laser blaster? Presumably hoping to see a Star Wars-esque warzone in the not too distant future, a team of researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have crafted a Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL) that can sustain 67-kilowatts of average power in testing, besting their previous record of just 45-kilowatts. Chemically powered lasers, on the other hand, have been able to achieve megawatts of power for some time now, but the solid state variety is much less burdensome and could be used on the battlefield without a constant source of chemical fuel flanking the soldier's belt. The SSHCL is said to generate a "pulsed beam which fires 200 times a second at a wavelength of one micron," and the "magic 100-kilowatt mark" that would enable it to become a satisfactory weapon could purportedly be reached within the year. While we're down with giving our troops crates of real-world rayguns to beam down the baddies, we've got a sneaking suspicion that someone's going to put an eye out while oohing and aahing at the light show these things emit. [Via Slashdot]
US Army to arm UAVs with xenon-based paralysis inducer
While places like Australia and Raleigh might be flooding certain areas (or in the Aussie's case, the whole continent) with more energy-efficient light, the US Army is looking to counteract those uber-green intentions by busting out a 7.5-million candlepower strobe floodlight system to be used as a "non-lethal crowd-control device." The government has awards Pennsylvania-based Peak Systems a contract to fabricate a modified Maxa Beam searchlight that will be xenon-based, sport strobing capabilities, and will act as an "immobilization system /deterrent device" on large crowds. Furthermore, this behemoth of a flashlight will be flanking an unmanned aerial system, presumably to cruise over a rioting crowd (or platoon of foes) and theoretically flash bomb them until they suffer from "short-term paralysis." While the idea sounds like a logical way to slow down millions of oncoming soldiers whilst at war, what happens with those baddies come over the hill rocking welding masks or ultra-tinted Thump shades? [Via Wired]
Caption Contest: Operation Red Ring of Death
The US Army just wrapped up its first live-fire exercise for Future Combat Systems technologies and equipment in Texas last week, with 36 soldiers testing out robotics, UAVs and remote sensors -- though it looks like Bogden here wasn't quite putting in his fair share of the work.Ryan: "Is it just me, or is the Xbox Live connection hella laggy out here?" Or, "Dude, have you guys played this America's Army game?!"Evan: "Um, I'd love to keep playing UNO fellas, but I'm a little busy right now." Or, "Hey guys, anyone know how many Achievement points I get for taking out a landmine?"Paul: "Just a sec guys, they're doing the romance dance!"Thomas: "What's the command for safety off?"Chris: "Just give me a sec, Sarge... I'm playing out this scenario in GRAW to see if we live or die." Or, "Gold subscription expired... I can't connect to the drone. Can I use your Visa, sir?"Donald: "Hang on guys, we need a firmware update before we can go any further."Darren: "I admit, I feel a little bad for keeping the head-mounted displays biz lucrative."
'America's Army' grows to 8 million, actual Army increase costly
According to America's Army PR (ostensibly paid for by US tax dollars), the PC version of the popular shooter registered its 8 millionth user this past weekend. The America's Army user base now apparently spans more than 60 countries, likely owing to the fact that the "game" is freeware; the payoff is in the propagation of a positive image of the US Army throughout various parts of the world. It's no secret that the US Government developed the project as a propaganda device, but it's difficult to measure its impact on worldwide opinions, not to mention US Army recruitment success. We do know that the Army met its recruitment quotas in the two years following the game's release (in 2002).Lt. Gen. Stephen Speakes, a deputy chief of staff, estimates that increasing the size of the Army's active troops by 65,000 (as recommended by Defense Secretary Robert Gates), would cost $70 billion (to be budgeted between 2009 and 2013). Nearly half of that proposed increase has already been accomplished under a temporary program that will likely be made permanent. It's unclear what portion of the estimated $70 billion, if any, would be spent on future upgrades to America's Army. If US troop growth is indeed this costly, then America's Army's true strength may be in its potential to win over the minds and bodies (enlisted in the militaries of US allies) of non-US players.[Via press release]
Land Warrior gear to equip a US Army battalion
After 15 years in the making, our footsoldiers are finally getting the proper location-based gear that they need. Noah Shachtman, one of the finest experts on military technology out there, has just informed us via his blog, DefenseTech, that one Army battalion will be equipped with a bunch of wearable electronics, known collectively as the Land Warrior. The team leaders of the 4th Battalion, 9th Infantry division (better known as the "Manchus", who are slated to be deployed to Iraq next year) will get the nearly 20-pound getup that includes weapon-mounted sensors, voice communications, GPS, a full-color visual interface via the monocle, and a long-range gun sight on the monocle as well. While only the team leaders will get the whole kit and caboodle for now, every soldier will get a GPS beacon, alerting the higher-ups to their sub rosa whereabouts.
US Army builds a better night scope
In news from the why-didn't-anyone-think-of-this-before department, the US Army has recently filed a patent for an improved rifle night scope that'll let soldiers keep their heads down while still being able to spot their target. Current night scopes require soldiers to raise their head above the rifle to look through it, and move their head away before shooting to avoid getting slammed by the gun's recoil. This new system simply connects the infrared night scope to a video viewfinder than can be attached to the soldier's helmet, letting them raise the rifle above their head or around a corner without sticking their neck out. No word yet on when the patent will be put into practice -- or if it already has been, for that matter -- but we're guessing that it can't come soon enough for those folks actually doing the sniping.[Via NewScientist]
Meet Zazoox, a new Internet caf gaming kiosk
You know, if you could use proper names in Scrabble, Zazoox would be a good one to play. We hadn't heard of them until today, when we read in the trade publication Kiosk Marketplace that Zazoox is a new pay-for-use game café kiosk that can play PC, Xbox and PlayStation games alike. The company behind the gaming systems, Zoox Stations, says that it's installed 300 Zazoox (Zazooxes? Zazooxi?) on US Army bases domestically and in Germany. Currently, a Zazoox comes with games that include Halo, Call of Duty 2, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06, with each setup running a 26-inch LCD display, a PX620 mini-tower loaded with a Pentium IV 2.8 GHz and 1GB of RAM -- and the best feature of all time, a "PC Reset Switch." Including its speakers and encasing, the whole thing (sans chair) weighs a hefty 300 pounds. No word on how much a Zazoox costs, or if its worth the 31 points that it would get on the Scrabble board. (And yes, we know that there's only one Z tile in Scrabble, so back off, it's ours, son.)[Via The Raw Feed]
