Erik Lang

Since the beginning of man, war has existed.  With each passing time period, the weapons, armor, and overall technology improve, become more sophisticated and deadly.  Open declared war between country and country has been non-existent for the past thirty years.  Taking its place is irregular warfare: warfare adapted to specifically combat terrorism.  This has been adopted by America as well as many other prominent countries.  Developing military technology, such as weaponry, armor, and defensive machinery has better paved the way for better executing irregular warfare as well as reduced military and civilian casualties.

In Afghanistan, the military situation has remained constant, constant meaning fragile and dire.  American soldiers’ lives are still being lost, and efforts to instill democracy in the region are being fought every step of the way politically and forcefully.  Since 2001, over 1,000 military fatalities have occurred.  Currently we have 33,000 American soldiers deployed in Afghanistan (Dwyer and Martinez).

Open, drawn out warfare between countries not an option for terrorists.  Their military strength is absolutely no match for open combat, case in point being the Persian Gulf War, which lasted only several hours and resulted in the near annihilation of Saddam Hussein’s military.  Terrorism is essentially extremely brutal guerilla warfare that tries to shock its enemies into either submission or giving in to the requested demands.  Terrorists in the Middle Eastern countries are no exception.  Their methods of opposing military forces are very simplistic, yet if directed properly, devastating to American forces.  When the Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan, they introduced their weaponry as well.  After the dramatic fall of the Soviet Empire, the struggling Communists sold much of their military equipment to the rebel Afghanis.  Of that equipment, two weapons are so readily used by terrorists they have become nearly synonymous with them: the AK-47 and the RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade).  The AK-47 was developed by a Soviet national named Kalashnikov, who desired to design a standard Soviet assault rifle that was durable and powerful.  The only drawback for this weapon is it isn’t very accurate.  The RPG was used by the Soviets as an anti-tank weapon.  This lethal projectile weapon is commonly used against American convoys, helicopters, etc.  Upon impact and detonation of the target, the warhead will fragment into hundreds of metal shards and tear through the target.  The most detrimental weapon that has killed most American soldiers, however, is the IED (Improvised Explosive Device).  These home-made bombs come in various forms such as a standard package, a suicide bomber, or disguised in a vehicle.  Protection and effective retaliation against these three threats is vital to effectively combat terrorism (Terrorism Team).

As a counter to the IED, vehicles such as the ILAV, the “Bull,” and the EM Tronic have been created to repel such attacks.  The ILAV (Iraqi Light Armored Vehicle) is a troop transport that so effectively handles IED detonations, reports show more deaths in ILAVs are contributed to the vehicle rolling over than the IED itself.  The ILAV is eight feet tall and weighs a total of 33,000 lbs. (Brown).  A second vehicle called “The Bull” also repels such attacks as effectively as the ILAV.  As well as withstanding IEDs, “The Bull” also resists EFPs (Explosively Formed Penetrators).  This armored vehicle is being evaluated by the Marine Corps currently (Brook).  Finally, the EM Tronic is a light reconnaissance vehicle used for detection of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials (CBRN).  The Tronic can also be set up via a standalone system (a Tronic controlled through a computer on an onsite location) or a deployable chemical and biological laboratory (EM Tronic).

Although vehicles provide exceptional defense against insurgent threats, the human body itself needs individual protection as well.  Body armor has been the subject of many military experiments.  What type of body armor can the standard American soldier wear that will completely protect him yet give him freedom of movement?  This technology will not be seen for years down the road, but increased torso protection has been made available.  Dragon Skin Armor, made by Pinnacle Armor, can withstand nearly any small arms fire.  The vest is composed of ceramic composite discs overlapping each other to spread the shock of impacting bullets and prevent penetration.  After a grueling 120-round test with mp5, m4, and AK-47 rounds, absolutely no penetration showed through on the other side of the vest or damage to the dummy wearing the Dragon Skin.  This is especially exciting, because rounds from the AK-47 usually pierce standard body armor (Discovery Channel).  Enhanced Kevlar vests will soon be made ready to the military known now as Liquid Body Armor.  Essentially, Liquid Body Armor is Kevlar treated with a polyethylene glycol embedded with millions of nanoparticles.  This covers the Kevlar in a relaxed state, but when aggravated, instantly becomes rigid.  This causes the bullets to bounce off the soldier wearing the armor, not penetrating the Kevlar.  This technology is not perfected but is very close to completion (Scien Central Inc.).  Not quite body armor but just as helpful is the Lockheed and Martin HULC exoskeleton.  The HULC exoskeleton consists of robotics applied to the wearer’s body that conforms to it, sensing and reacting appropriately to its movements.  Such technology greatly enhances a soldier’s ability to carry more equipment, possibly heavier.  The HULC exoskeleton takes the strain of carrying equipment and transfers it to the ground a soldier walks (Lockheed Martin).

For the average American soldier, ease of access is a valuable thing, especially in a firefight on the battlefield when every second is crucial.  Technology has improved enough to reveal the SDR, the fuel cell, and the Dräger rebreather system.  The SDR (Software defined Radio) will greatly improve combat communication.  The SDR is viable for nearly any type of radio frequency.  This is vital, because for joint-forces operations, meaning missions where Marines, Army, Air Force, and Navy all are coordinating together constantly, instead of normally communicating on radio wavelengths unique to each branch of the service, information can be passed directly between services increasing the mission’s potential for success (Thane).  Another less complicated yet efficient machine is the fuel cell that may eventually replace the battery.  A fuel cell is like a battery, performing the same functions except with superior durability and easier access.  A fuel cell can last much longer than the typical battery.  Fuel cells come in cartridge form and are far lighter than batteries, allowing soldiers to carry more fuel cells and making swapping expended fuel cell cartridges for fresh ones quicker and easier, giving that soldier the extra few precious seconds he needs.  As a bonus, fuel cells are biodegradable and can assimilate into the environment, unlike batteries (Hawkes).  In some Special Forces missions, it is required for the infiltrating Special Forces team to be submerged and scuba dive to a point to complete the mission.  A scuba system leaves a trail of bubbles on the surface of the water, which may alert hostiles to the soldier’s presence.  The Dräger rebreather (LAR 5000) allows for a soldier to be completely submerged and leave absolutely no bubble trail.  This occurs because the rebreather mixes gases in the system to filter oxygen out of the water alone and not from an oxygen tank (Dräger).

Protection is nothing without great offensive measure.  Since World War II, the technology surrounding guns has quickly ascended to produce more deadly, powerful, and accurate guns.  One particular gun that marked a new era of guns was the Trench gun, first used in Vietnam (Creveld 265).  The 1950s brought on the development of laser-guided weapons and missiles and rockets powered by a small computer chip or electronic signal (268).  The M249 SAW Light Machine Gun (LMG) is the United States variant of the Belgian FN Minimi.  Currently, the SAW is the standard light machinegun for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.  This gun is used as a suppressive firing rifle.  While engaged in a firefight, American soldiers need to move to take up strategic positions to outmaneuver the enemy and neutralize them.  The SAW lays down a wall of protection as it strafes the enemy position, causing the hostiles to take cover.  During this time, American soldiers move to their desired location of attack and resume fighting (Willbanks 248).

Many of these firefights take place in urban settings.  A perfect assault rifle for urban warfare has recently been developed by the Israeli government.  The Cornershot gun is a shorter gun with a hinge in the middle that can collapse and allow the user to put the end around the corner of a building and neutralize the targets behind it without revealing his own body.  This is made possible due to the small screen on the gun near the handgrip.  A small camera is near the tip of the gun, and images are transferred to the screen in real time so the user can react accordingly.  This Cornershot gun, although small and hinged, comes equipped with night vision.  One of the main worries about this gun was the power behind it and if it would stop an enemy in no more than two shots.  Also, the use of a smaller caliber to accommodate the Cornershot gun’s radical design came into question.  The developers took all this into consideration and designed the gun to have the same power as an M16 assault rifle: the American standard assault rifle (Strategy Page).

As efficient as the SAW is, Heckler and Koch, a German weapons manufacturer, has developed a replacement for the SAW.  The HK IAR is seriously being considered by the American Army to replace the SAW.  Both weapons take the same ammunition; however, the advantage lies with the IAR.  The SAW is box fed ammunition.  This holds a great quantity, but the reload time is very long.  The IAR is magazine fed, like the M4 or the M16.  The IAR still holds 100-150 rounds, which is plenty for a suppressive firing weapon.  In fact, the IAR can even interchange magazines with the M4 assault rifle.  The IAR is gas operated and has a closed bolt system, which is unique to a gun of such purpose.  A closed bolt system allows for rapid cooling to occur inside the gun, which makes firing the weapon repeatedly not a problem for overheating, unlike the SAW (Lamothe).

As critical as good infantry weaponry is needed, the first step to winning a war is to control the skies.  The F117A Nighthawk is a stealth bomber nearly invisible to radar.  This is because the plane was constructed to have no curves anywhere on the craft, only flat planes.  The flat planes as well as the flat black paint with which the craft is painted bounce radar waves off to avoid detection entirely (Berliner 13-14).  The Nighthawk was instrumental in the Persian Gulf War.  The F-117A was used by the United States Military to destroy the Iraqi Army’s anti-aircraft guns before the main attack (6, 9).  On January 17, 1991 during Operation Desert Storm, the F-117A Nighthawk attack became the world’s first mass attack of stealth bombers (10).  The B2 Stealth Bomber is literally a flying wing.  It has no body or tail but has all of the necessary components inside (26).  The B2 is composed of a graphite-epoxy as opposed to steel.  This composition is stronger than aircraft aluminum and absorbs radar waves instead of reflecting them.  The B2 can fly for over 5,000 miles without having to refuel.  For reference points, that’s the length of Missouri to Kosovo, Eastern Europe.  The total cost for a B2 Bomber is one billion dollars (27).

Different from the Nighthawk or the B2 is the F22 Raptor.  The Raptor is the world’s first stealth fighter jet as well as supersonic.  Supersonic is the ability to travel faster than the speed of sound.  Not much has been released about this craft because of its secrecy and new development (28).

A UAV is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and comes in several forms.  The American Military uses theses UAVs or “drones” as a way to penetrate enemy airspace in a smaller craft with no danger to the pilot.  The Predator RQ-1 is the most prominent UAV and is equipped with warheads and satellite imaging.  The RQ-1 locates a possible target, analyzes it, and destroys it if the target is indeed hostile.  The Predator RQ-1 can be controlled by a pilot or set on an autopilot (Air Force Technology).

A brand new way to keep convoys safe while en route to a point is through the CHK program (Cooperative Hunter Killer).  The Hunters are small hand-thrown planes that continually circle the progressing convoy monitoring the surroundings searching for potential hostiles.  If located, the Hunter sends a message to the Killer (probably a Predator or a fighter jet) giving it the location of the potential hostile.  The Killer locates the target and neutralizes it before it can affect the convoy.  The Hunters also have the capability to locate IEDs and direct the convoy along a safer route or to take a detour before the IED detonates.  This program uses Air Force/Army/Navy cooperation.  This program is still in its experimental stage, and not all details have been released to the public (JFEX Journal).

Terrorists use their brutal and bent ways to exploit humanity’s fears and leave none of us alive.  Military technology is being developed overall to keep Americans safe, be they civilian or military.  With deadlier, more effective weaponry, the United States Military can bring swift hard justice to those who threaten American livelihood.  Protecting those who risk their lives to keep Americans safe is not easy, but with the application of science, such revelations like the Dragon Skin by Pinnacle Armor can be greatly utilized by our troops.  With America’s superior technology and strategies, Americans can rest assured this great nation will resist terrorism everywhere, and that the United States will win.

Works Cited

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