The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Air Force Research Laboratory have developed a turret that could be used to aim future high-powered laser weapons through 360o at aerial and ground targets. Previous attempts to develop airborne laser weapons were ridiculed, but without an effective laser to use with its turret, is DARPA’s attempt also doomed to fail?

The post Will DARPA’s airborne laser succeed where Boeing’s YAL-1 failed? appeared first on Army Technology.

From the 510 PackBot to the Dragon Runner, Army-technology.com lists the top five tried and tested Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robots deployed by major armed forces across the world.

The post Detect and diffuse – The top 5 military robots for explosive ordnance disposal appeared first on Army Technology.

This year, funding for the US Army's next generation of combat vehicle - dubbed the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) - was slashed and the programme all but cancelled. Plans were for the GCV to replace an ageing fleet of Bradley vehicles. Instead, it joins a growing list of failed army acquisition programmes. Now other armoured vehicle projects are coming under closer scrutiny as experts question whether these failed projects are affecting US capabilities at home and abroad.

The post The US Army’s armoured vehicle conundrum appeared first on Army Technology.

Delays on big defence programmes caused by design errors can have costly consequences for manufacturers and customers. Now engineers are taking advantage of Formula 1 design tools, including Oculus Rift-style virtual reality, to test and review equipment before it’s even built. Can these high-tech tools make design-related delays a thing of the past?

The post Pole position: how F1 design tools are transforming major defence projects appeared first on Army Technology.

British troops are set to receive over 500 next-generation armoured vehicles as part of a £3.5 billion contract announced today. It is the British Army’s biggest single contract for armoured vehicles since the Cold War. The announcement comes on the eve of the NATO summit, where world leaders will discuss deteriorating relations with Russia and the growing threat from Islamist extremists in the Middle East.

The post UK to receive “fully digitised” armoured vehicles amid global crisis appeared first on Army Technology.

Wargaming’s suite of online games lets players take virtual command of history’s greatest war machines, but the company is now helping to restore historic vehicles in the real world. From the lifting of a Dornier 17 bomber from the bottom of the English Channel to the recently-announced restoration of the legendary Panzer VIII Maus tank, Wargaming is working with museums around the world to preserve historic military tech for generations to come.

The post World of Tanks developer on rebuilding lost legends appeared first on Army Technology.

The UK announced it would be sending weapons to the Kurds in Iraq, the US Army aborted flight test of advanced hypersonic weapon, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Libya crisis, and China develops new anti-tank missile. Army-technology.com wraps up the key headlines from August.

The post August’s top stories: UK to arm Kurds in Iraq, advanced hypersonic weapon fails appeared first on Army Technology.

Innovation in armoured vehicles is taking place under the bonnet as much as elsewhere, exploring power options such as hybrid electric engines and hydrogen fuel cells. Automotive engineers from the defence industry and civilian manufacturers are finding that quiet new engine designs promise additional military benefits beyond breakthroughs in fuel consumption, range and reliability.

The post Innovation drive – how new engine technology is transforming military vehicles appeared first on Army Technology.

Growing organs, spray-on skin and limb transplants might sound like technology found in a Hollywood sci-fi movie. In reality, these medical miracles are happening right now. The relatively new field of regenerative medicine – which aims to naturally regenerate human cells and tissue – has seen huge progress in recent years, which could transform the lives of injured servicemen.

The post Re-generation game: how regenerative medicine could help injured soldiers appeared first on Army Technology.

While ceramics, smart materials and additive manufacturing have dominated recent military material innovation headlines, metal alloys have been quietly evolving to deliver unprecedented new protective properties. A new form of steel alloy called super bainite has been licensed to Tata Steel for use in its vehicle development projects – and it performs even better with holes in.

The post Super bainite steel – perfection in impenetrability appeared first on Army Technology.