[mikhael]

Interestingly, this hit Slashdot today:

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200509/kt2005092118400211960.htm

Will it shout KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE! on loudspeaker in pitched battle?

[Rictor]

GOSU
 ^-^

[Rictor]

Originally posted by TrashMan
Future Fore Warrior is said to be in operation by 2020 (and in several battalions)

For those of you who don't know it it's allmost a asci-fi thing.

the outfit/armor would consist of several layers - a thermal layer that adapth to the outer temperature, a "power" lyaer that consists of a fiber that mimics muscles movments increasing the soldiers strenght by 30%., and a protective layer with properties that makes kevlar looks like a tissue paper.

the suit itself is filled with sensors and can tighten itself on arms/legs to prevent blood loss if someone is hit. It allso can distribute antibiotics or antitoxins in the body.

In addition to that the helmet is equippedwith a cammera and IR sensors and a powerfull computer. It's linked with any other such helmets of scout veichels and the data is calculated and displyed in real-time. If ayone from your team, or a scout drone, can seea enemy hidden somewhere he will be displayed on your helmet, thus making an ambush nigh impossible nad giving a soldier an excellent overview of hte battlefield.


Of course, the weaponry, like hte X-8 is highly flexibla nad adjustible... There are many other projects out there and I heard tales raging from power armors (big ones) to ultra-light miniguns with caseless ammo with a small enough recoil to be carried by a man...


Guess well have to wait and see...

Nah. Look, even if the US is able to field such equipment, and even if it comes into general use within the military, do you think any other country is rich enough and stupid enough to go for it? Half the countries of the world have trouble just feeding themselves. Sure, you have varying levels of technical sophistication and ability, but most soldiers are and will remain in the forseeabe future just a guy with a gun. Keep in mind that if the US is able to afford all the stuff you mentioned, which is not at all certain, they are able to do so because they spend upwards of $500 billion a year on military expenditures. Their next closest rivals, places like China and West European countries, spend about 1/10th of that. Quite simply, the vast majority of countries, even rich industrialized ones like Germany and Britain, can't afford it.

[aipz]

They will don't field Future force Warrior like systems...
but definetly Land Warrior like ones...
Infanterist der Zukunft - Germany from 2005 - 2007 v1
                                                      from 2008 - ?       v2
FELIN                            -  France   from 2006 - 2012
FIST                              -  don't know from when, but UK will propably        
                                        order 20-30 thousand
Comabatiente Futuro    -Spain    from 2010 propably 10 thousand
China                             - less sophisticated one (targeting suite
                                        actually)????

[Kosh]

even rich industrialized ones like Germany and Britain, can't afford it.

The EU probably could if they REALLY wanted to, but why bother? It's not like the Russians are going to invade them or anything.


But I just wonder how long it will be before we have Smartguns, Pulse Rifles, and sonic electronic ballbreakers........

[IceFire]

Originally posted by Rictor
As for the XM-8, I'm not at all convinced that it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. First of all, the army has been screwing around with that one for a while now, without doing anything serious to commit to the project. Secondly, it is after just another assault rifle. Whoop-de-doo, it look flashy. It's just a G36 with a cosmetic change.  Sure, it's accurate, lightweight and doesn't jam, but it doesn't do anything that a $60 Kalashnikov with a scope can't. It's not revolutionary. Certainly not considerably better than other modern ARs.

In terms of other armies its not a big deal but for the U.S. Army, should they finally deploy this thing, will finally have a weapon that is accurate, reliable, and extremely capable.

The M16 was good...a very good weapon indeed but it has its shortcomings.  The M4 was a great weapon on paper (and I like the looks) but its turned out to be not nearly as good as it should be in operation.  Lots of problems experienced using the weapon in Iraq and Afganistan.

With a weapon based on the G36 design they now have a pretty good and solid weapon to use.  The G36 is widely regarded at the moment as being amongst the most reliable and powerful 5.56mm NATO rifles available.

You are right...a $60 Kalishnikov is probably just as effective in many ways.

On the other hand, the neat thing with the M8 series is that its supposed to be something like 90% interchangable. So you have a series of weapons but with common replacement parts.