FROM hydrogen bombs to AI-powered killer drones, here are some of the most terrifying weapons of the future.
The weapons used by man have come a long way from sharpened sticks and rocks.
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As new technologies have emerged, so has the ability to improve weaponry.
One nation leading the world in cutting-edge weapons is the United States, which spends on average nearly $800 billion a year on its military.
This is not surprising for the country that was first to develop a nuclear warhead, otherwise known as the ‘atomic bomb,’ in 1942.
Since then, the United States has not slowed down on its weaponry development and is constantly churning out new war equipment.
On that note, we have compiled a list of some of these weapons.
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AI drones
One of the most terrifying weapons the US (and its rivals China and Russia) are developing is AI-powered drones.
Drones are aerial devices that initially were controlled remotely by a person, however, now they work autonomously without human control.
Today’s AI drones use machine learning and sensors to gather data, assess their environment, and even fire an attack on their own.
The Pentagon helped pioneer drone technology and has used it for reconnaissance, airstrikes, and other purposes in war.
Some of the most popular models now include the General Atomics Avenger and the Boeing Insitu ScanEagle.
Lasers
According to Task and Purpose, the future of short-range air defense may be powerful lasers that can “shoot down drones, helicopters, and mortar rounds out of the sky.”
The weapon utilizes the Directed Energy Maneuver Short Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) system, which is a 50-kilowatt laser mounted on a Stryker infantry carrier vehicle.
The high-powered beam could be used to seamlessly attack a target.
The first systems are heading to Fort Sill, Oklahoma in September 2022, where they will undergo further testing, per the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO).
The DE M-SHORAD is one of several laser weapons that the military has been testing in recent years.
Hydrogen bomb
A hydrogen bomb is one of the deadliest weapons on the planet.
It is classified as a second-generation nuclear weapon and features non-fissile depleted uranium as its main fuel.
Hydrogen bombs possess a much greater destructive power than first-generation atomic bombs, are more compact in size, and have a lower mass.
Edward Teller, Stanislaw M. Ulam, and other American scientists developed the first hydrogen bomb on November 1, 1952.
Nations that currently have hydrogen bombs include the United States, Britain, France, Russia (as the Soviet Union), and China.
As of right now, a hydrogen bomb has never been used in war.
The Rods from God
One weapon, dubbed “rods from God”, is as powerful as it is terrifying – thankfully, it’s not exactly on the market.
The idea behind this weapon was to create a man-made meteorite that can be directed towards the enemy.
But instead of using rocks, rods the size of telephone poles that are made from tungsten (a rare metal that can withstand high temperatures) are deployed.
In theory, a satellite would fire the rods towards the Earth’s atmosphere while another steers them to a target on the ground at speeds of about 7000mph.
The impact once it reaches the ground would be something akin to a small nuclear warhead — but with no radiation fall out.
As bizarre as it sounds, a US Congressional report reveals the military has been pushing ahead with the kinetic space weapons.
Weapons expert Amy F. Woolf said: “One warhead would be designed to destroy or disable area targets like airfields or buildings, using a reentry vehicle loaded with tungsten rods — known as flechettes — that would rain down on the target and destroy everything within an area of up to 3,000 square feet.
“The other might be able to destroy hardened targets, like underground bunkers or reinforced structures, if it were accurate enough to strike very close to the target.”
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In other news, the creators of a chilling new horror game say that the title is so disturbing they’ve been forced to censor it on PlayStation.
Apple has announced updates to AirTags following claims that the coin-sized tracking devices are being used to stalk people.
And TikTok has announced new rules, banning users who deadname or misgender others.
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