The UH-60 Black Hawk, workhorse of US Army aviation, was flown with no crew for the first time this week, after being fitted with an automated flying system Technology 9 February 2022 By David Hambling A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter during its first uncrewed flight on 5 February 2022 Ted Carlson/Sikorsky Aircraft The US Defense … Read more
By David Hambling US Army M1 Abrams tanks use depleted uranium rounds Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy The maker of a controversial depleted uranium weapon used by the US Army has said that it is ceasing production. Depleted uranium (DU) is an extremely strong and dense metal that is able to pierce armoured vehicles, making it the … Read more
At higher latitudes, traditional GPS navigation is not reliable, but muons produced when cosmic rays hit Earth’s atmosphere could be used to navigate in the Arctic, as well as underground or in the water Technology 7 December 2021 By David Hambling An artist’s representation of high-energy cosmic rays colliding with Earth MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Alamy … Read more
By Matthew Sparkes Wrinkles in this material can help camouflage an object Xuesong Jiang Many camouflage materials are limited by the need for power or external sensors as they effectively record video of what is behind an object to be hidden and display it on the front. Instead, a new material inspired by octopuses and … Read more
Lasers are currently used to shoot down small drones, but a more powerful weapon could take on larger targets Technology 29 October 2021 By David Hambling An artist’s impression of the new laser weapon General Atomics The US Army is planning to demonstrate a 300-kilowatt laser weapon, its most powerful ever, next year. General Atomics … Read more
By David Hambling A 3D-printed concrete building, constructed as part of the Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures programme US Army Research and Development Center The US Army Corps of Engineers can now print concrete barracks, bunkers and other structures in challenging environments. Its Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES) programme has also drawn up plans … Read more