Military Technology Then and Now

Recently there has been some debate at the U.N. about “killer robots,” with prominent scientists, researchers, and Human rights organizations all warning that this type of technology – lethal tech. that divorces the need for human control – could cause a slew of unintended consequence to the detriment of humanity....

Despite the warnings of risk and concern, this is not stopping arms manufacturers from taking warfare into the twilight zone and bringing the futuristic battlefield scenario where A.I. robots and human are fighting with each other, side by side, closer to everyday reality....

According to Sergey Denisentsev, a visiting fellow at the Center For Strategic International Studies, Russian weapons makers see robotics and the artificial intelligence driving them as key to future sales to war makers.

“There is a need to look for new market niches such as electronic warfare systems, small submarines, and robots, but that will require strong promotional effort because a new technology sometimes finds it hard to find a buyer and to convince the buyer that he really needs it, ” Denisentsev said earlier this year....

It's "the Russians," you see.

Zero Hedge
Elon Musk's Worst Nightmare - Russian AK-47 Maker Builds Fully-Automated "Killer Robot"

Joseph Jankowski | PlanetFreeWill.com

IN THE 12th CENTURY, the crossbow was considered by many to be a weapon of mass destruction. Not only was it was remarkably accurate and deadly at vast distances, but shockingly, the bolts it fired could penetrate a knight’s armour. Crossbows meant that no breast-plated nobleman, prince or king was safe on the battlefield. Any low-born peasant with just a bit of training could kill a lord or sovereign with simple squeeze of a trigger — a platoon of crossbowmen could wipe out a kingdom’s aristocracy with just a few volleys. And that was something Medieval elites feared might shatter the natural order of society. 

Not surprisingly, the highest European authority of the day, the Roman Catholic Church, called for an outright ban on the weapon. And the Vatican wasn’t messing around — violating its decree could lead to excommunication, or worse: damnation of the soul. Strong language, to be sure. In fact, for much of the Middle Ages, the crossbow was considered to be one of the most destabilizing weapons in existence, not unlike today’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons....

Military History Now
The Crossbow — A Medieval Doomsday Device?

Editors

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Containing Russia and China: Pentagon requests more than $230 billion for nuclear weapons

A new nuclear arms race is on between the US and Russia and China, as well as weaponizing space and cyberwarfare capability, which this post omits.

The nominal amounts spent on military are misleading since US prices are higher to make room for corporate profit and graft. The comparison should be real resources, and that data is unavailable.

Fort Russ
Containing Russia and China: Pentagon requests more than $230 billion for nuclear weapons
RT Russian - Inessa Sinchougova

Kris Osborn — The U.S. Army Is Getting Ready for A Big Test: Killing Russian and Chinese Weapons

Might not be as easy as shooting pigeons any more as inexpensive but formidable Russian and Chinese weapons hit the arms market.

Forget infrastructure. Develop weapons. (Just kidding.)

The National Interest
The U.S. Army Is Getting Ready for A Big Test: Killing Russian and Chinese Weapons
Kris Osborn | Managing Editor of Scout Warrior

SouthFront — China Presents Its New Radar Capable to Detect ‘Invisible’ Targets at Distance up to 100 Km

Uses quantum entanglement.

SouthFront
China Presents Its New Radar Capable to Detect ‘Invisible’ Targets at Distance up to 100 Km
VV2

Patrick Tucker — Pentagon Is Spooked From What It Has Seen From Russia in Donbass

Why the US is unlikely to risk a land war with Russia in eastern Europe.

This article is also a summary of the state of the art in Russian weapons development and why the US is concerned — the US depends on its tech edge and that is evaporating based on analysis of Russian weaponry and Russian "volunteers" operating in Donbass. This is not even the regular Russian military that the US would be dealing with in a war in eastern Europe, and air power is not in play. This is strictly infantry — "boots on the ground."

The article also implies a lot about the scale of the current arms race and military expenditure in the future to meet growing high tech threats. There is going to be more push to switch US social spending to military speeding to meet the threat from both Russia and China while maintaining "financial discipline."

Russia Insider
Pentagon Is Spooked From What It Has Seen From Russia in Donbass

Patrick Tucker

See also

Can Russia Destroy US Missile Defenses in Europe? - Viktor Sokirko

The Saker — Technology SITREP: How Russian engineering made the current operation in Syria possible – The SVP-24 system

Is Russia using dumb bombs in Syria as the Western media are now claiming en masse. The Saker explains why that is not true.

Introducing the SVP-24:

The SVP-24 system

SVP stands for “специализированная вычислительная подсистема” or “special computing subsystem”. What this system does is that it constantly compares the position of the aircraft and the target (using the GLONASS satellite navigation system), it measures the environmental parameters (pressure, humidity, windspeed, speed, angle of attack, etc.). It can also receive additional information from datalinks from AWACs aircraft, ground stations, and other aircraft. The SVP-24 then computes an “envelope” (speed, altitude, course) inside which the dumb bombs are automatically released exactly at the precise moment when their unguided flight will bring them right over the target (with a 3-5m accuracy).

In practical terms this means that every 30+ year old Russian “dumb” bomb can now be delivered by a 30+ year old Russian aircraft with the same precision as a brand new guided bomb delivered by a top of the line modern bomber.

Not only that, but the pilot does not even have to worry about targeting anything. He just enters the target’s exact coordinates into his system, flies within a defined envelope and the bombs are automatically released for him. He can place his full attention on detecting any hostiles (aircraft, missiles, AA guns). And the best part of this all is that this system can be used in high altitude bombing runs, well over the 5000m altitude which MANPADs cannot reach. Finally, clouds, smoke, weather conditions or time of the day play no role in this whatsoever.

Last, but not least, this is a very *cheap* solution. Russian can now use the huge stores of ‘dumb’ bombs they have accumulated during the Cold War, they can bring an infinite supply of such bombs to Syria and every one of them will strike with phenomenal accuracy. And since the SVP-24 is mounted on the aircraft and not the bomb, it can be reused as often as needed.

The SVP-24 has now been confirmed to be mounted on the Russian SU-24s, SU-25s, Tu-22M3 “Backfires” and the Kamov Ka-50 and Ka-52 helicopters, the venerable MiG-27 and even the L-39 trainer. In other words, it can be deployed on practically *any* rotary or fixed wing aircraft, from big bombers to small trainers. I bet you the Mi-24s and Mi-35Ms deployed near Latakia also have them.…

The Vineyard of the Saker
Technology SITREP: How Russian engineering made the current operation in Syria possible
The Saker