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The US Army will test a 300 kW laser weapon system in 2022
Even if it’s only a demonstration, the system represents a significant step up from the lasers the military has had access to in the past.
Israel reportedly used a remote-controlled gun to assassinate an Iranian scientist
Israel allegedly used a remote-controlled, AI-boosted gun to assassinate an Iranian nuclear scientist.
Autonomous Mission Master XT can haul over a ton of supplies into war zones
Armies want autonomous vehicles to reduce the risk and workload for soldiers, and a new model is a prime example of how that will work.
Leak provides early details for Trump's proposed Space Force
Congress is still a long way off from greenlighting Trump's proposed Space Force, but that isn't stopping the Pentagon from outlining plans for the new military branch. Defense One has obtained a leaked draft proposal that reveals some of the potential changes. The military would move quickly, creating a US Space Command by the end of 2018 that watches over space operations across the armed forces. The Pentagon would recommend that the leader of Air Force Space Command also head up this new division. Simultaneously, officials would establish a Space Operations Force that would include personnel (including civilians) from the whole military. It'd be ready quickly -- "space experts" would go to the European and Indo-Pacific Commands by summer 2019.
Respawn teases realistic VR warfare on Oculus Rift
Respawn Entertainment might be going back to its historic stomping grounds. In virtual reality. A quick tease from the Oculus Connect stage revealed that the team that made Call of Duty is working on what very well may be a VR take on wars of the past. Studio director Peter Hirschmann writes that it isn't Titanfall in VR, nor is it related to Star Wars, the game Respawn is working on for EA. "We really want to depict being a soldier in combat in a more fully fleshed-out and realistic way," CEO Vince Zampella says in the video below. No other details are available (not even a name) but the clip ends with a big "2019." Respawn has had a Rift development kit since at least 2013, so that could very well be a realistic release window.
British warships will soon have Siri-like voice controls
British warships will soon integrate Siri-like voice systems into their controls, according to the head of the UK's Royal Navy. Speaking at the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition -- one the biggest arms fairs in the world -- First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Phillip Jones said the Royal Navy wanted to embrace the speed at which warfare is being transformed by IT, and pointed to new Type-31 frigates as an example.
‘Modern Warfare Remastered’ heads to PS4 without the bundle
If you were disappointed that you had to keep the $80 disc for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in your gaming rig to be able to play the better-reviewed Modern Warfare remaster, you're in luck. Publisher Activision has announced that it will reverse the classic bait and switch tactic it employed with Infinite Warfare by putting out Modern Warfare Remastered as a standalone title on June 27th. Of course, it's not all straightforward, as the title will only be available for PS4 as a disc or digital download (at first). We've reached out to Activision for more specific information on other platform release dates.
The army may have laser-equipped vehicles by 2017
The army, in partnership with General Dynamics, is developing a short-range laser weapon designed to protect soldiers against mortars, missiles and drones. The news was broken by Scout Warrior, which reports that the weapon could be implemented in as little as a year. The idea is that the technology would be installed on the roof of an armored personnel vehicle -- specifically a General Dynamics Stryker (pictured). Once operational, the technology will scan the immediate area and destroy anything suspicious that approaches by air.
You'll need the disc to play 'Modern Warfare: Remastered'
Folks are salivating at the thought of playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, but the new game it comes with? Not so much. But if you purchased the disc-based version of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in the hope of playing Remastered and slinging the newer title back to Gamestop, we've got some bad news. Activision has mandated that you can't relive the adventures of Soap and Price unless the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare disc is sat in your console and your internet connection is live. Bummer.
US military worries it will lose the AI war
It took a while for the US military to bolster its defenses against cyberattacks, and it looks like there's a similar deficit when it comes to artificial intelligence. A new Defense Department report says that the country needs to take "immediate action" to speed up its development of AI war technology. Academic and private research on AI and autonomous tech is well ahead of American forces, the study says. There's a real chance that we could see a repeat of what happened in cyberwarfare, where the US was focused so heavily on launching attacks that it left itself off-guard.
The robots of war: AI and the future of combat
The 1983 film WarGames portrayed a young hacker tapping into NORAD's artificial-intelligence-driven nuclear weapons' system. When the hit movie was screened for President Reagan, it prompted the commander in chief to ask if it were possible for the country's defense system network to be compromised. Turns out it could. What they didn't talk about was the science fiction of using AI to control the nation's nuclear arsenal. It was too far-fetched to even be considered. Until now.
US reportedly elevates the role of Cyber Command
Now that the US treats cyberwarfare as a staple of its combat operations, it's ready to raise the prominence of its internet warriors. Reuters sources say that the Obama administration is planning to elevate Cyber Command, turning it into a "unified command" that's just as crucial as a major regional section like Pacific Command. The proposed shuffle would also detach Cyber Command from the NSA, giving it more input on the use of online weapons and defenses.
The Navy wants to deploy railguns on its latest destroyer
The US Navy's latest toy, a railgun that can fire projectiles at seven times the speed of sound, maybe be deployed sooner than thought. The original plan was to test it on joint high-speed vessels (JHSVs) in 2016, but the Navy is reportedly building an operational unit that could be installed on the USS Lyndon. B. Johnson, according to the Associated Press. That ship, the last of three Zumwalt-class destroyers, would be an ideal candidate because its Rolls Royce turbine generators produce 78 megawatts, more than enough to power the electromagnetic weapon.
The Navy sees its future in unmanned fighters
The US Navy is creating an office to oversee drones and may never order another manned fighter jet. Navy secretary Ray Mabus told a conference that "the F-35 should be, and almost certainly will be, the last manned strike fighter aircraft the Department of the Navy will ever buy or fly." His reasoning was simple -- a person in a fighter cockpit is a fiscal and logistical liability. "With unmanned technology, removing a human from the machine can open up room to experiment with more risk, improve systems faster and get them to the fleet quicker."
The US Navy is taking cyber warfare to the enemy
The US Navy will soon operate as a cyber warfighting platform, ready to attack rogue nations when ordered by the White House. A top military commander tipped the initiative at a defense conference, saying "you don't win a knife fight without swinging a knife." US intelligence services already launch limited cyber strikes, as they did against North Korea following the Sony hacking incident. But assigning such attacks to a military arm is a signal that the US wants a stronger deterrent against hacking aggression from China, Russia and other nations. There's no word on whether the Navy's new role is part of the new US Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center initiative.
The Navy's new laser can do more than just shoot down drones
We've all seen how good the Navy's experimental laser is at shooting down drones, but it turns out that the hardware's got more than one party trick. A report by the Wall Street Journal has revealed that military types are also praising the surveillance capabilities of the gear, describing it as a "Hubble telescope on the water." The device is also earning praise from the Navy's accountants, since while each surface-to-air missile costs around $400,000, each shot from the laser is a paltry 59 cents. As a result of these trials, the Navy will now deploy the USS Ponce in the Middle East for the next year with orders to test the weapon's self-defense capabilities. [Image credit: John F. Williams/US Navy, Flickr]
EVE Evolved: Capital ships ruined nullsec
All throughout EVE Online's lifetime, compelling stories of incredible events, daring heists, and colossal battles with thousands of players have periodically surfaced and spread across the gaming media like wildfire. Most of the recent stories have been about record-breaking battles between huge alliances of players in the lawless depths of null-security space, and each one has been met with an influx of new players who want to participate. The surprising truth behind nullsec warfare, however, is that many of those on the front lines are simply fed up with the political state of the game. In EVE's early years, the map was split between hundreds of small alliances, each of which slowly expanded its influence by conquering the star systems bordering its space. Skirmishes and pirate incursions were brief and commonplace, while border wars over territory were long and protracted affairs. Today's nullsec is a different animal entirely, with nearly the entire map carved up between two colossal mega-coalitions of alliances (N3/PL and CFC), each one internally held in a state of perpetually monotonous peace. No alliance in a coalition can break away and stand on its own for fear of being demolished by the others, and so all of nullsec is at peace with its neighbours and bored to tears by it. In this edition of EVE Evolved, I examine how nullsec got to the state it's in now and why it's badly in need of an overhaul.
Military's 'Plan X' would put cyberweapons into the hands of soldiers
A soldier's natural home is on the battlefield. So what happens when to infantry when conflicts move online? It turns out that DARPA, America's mad science division, has a solution called "Plan X." The project is designed to make cyber-weapons as easy to use as a pistol, but also to use technology to turn soldiers into digital warriors. One of the more realistic aspects of the project is to equip marines with hardware that'll sniff out wireless networks that could be hosting booby traps.
Engadget Daily: futuristic Army helmets, Sony Alpha 6000 review and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
EVE Evolved: The Bloodbath of B-R5RB
To the vast majority of gamers, EVE Online is an unforgiving sci-fi dystopia that's one part epic sandbox stories and nine parts spreadsheet. Once or twice per year, the gaming masses get a glimpse of the game's true depth when stories of incredible wars, political corruption, and record-breaking heists spread across the internet like wildfire. From the 2005 Guiding Hand Social Club heist that was plastered over the pages of gaming magazines to last year's infamous Battle of Asakai, tales of big events from EVE have always managed to grab the gaming media's attention. This week saw the largest record-breaking battle to date as a total of 7,548 players belonging to EVE's two largest megacoalitions fought for control of an innocuous dead-end solar system in the Immensea region. A total of 11 trillion ISK in damage worth over $310,000 USD was inflicted during what has now become known as The Bloodbath of B-R5RB and is allegedly the largest PvP battle in gaming history. The odd story of how the fight started and its record-breaking destructive scale are both big news, but the unsung heroes of B-R5RB are the people who work behind the scenes to ensure that the server can remain online during major battles. In this week's EVE Evolved, I look at how one player forgetting to check a box on a form sparked this immense battle and how technologies like Time Dilation help to keep the server online when the ship hits the fan.
