Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

U.S. media “Connection” magazine recently published a paper in the U.S. Navy CNO Gary Roughead stressed that the belt-tightening, “We will develop the future ‘need’ rather than ‘wants’ of weapons.” Recalling the past half a century, the U.S. and other countries on the development of military weapons is indeed quite a few detours, spending huge sums to develop many fancy equipment. “Connection” magazine’s website lists one of the most representative 10.

1. Capable of firing an automatic grenade reconnaissance vehicle

1993, the Marine Corps said in a report, they need an unmanned reconnaissance vehicle, able to collect intelligence on enemy territory . 12 years later, Carnegie – Mellon University, worth $ 26 million contract to design, “Gladiator” tactical unmanned ground combat platforms. It is equipped with grenade launchers and chemical weapons detection systems, but has not put too heavy.

2. “Avrocar” flying car

This is the 1950s the Canadian military to help the development of a special reconnaissance equipment. “Avrocar” diameter to 8 feet (1 foot=0.3048 meters, the same below), can carry two people, by the internal combustion engine-driven fan 5 feet in diameter as the driving force. However, the fan noise to make it hidden poor at the same time, once more than five feet off the ground, stability is difficult to guarantee. By 1960, this flying saucer-shaped craft has burned 10 million dollars the following year, the manufacturer declared bankruptcy.

3. “Suicide” atomic cannon

nothing to stop the advance of Soviet tanks to Western Europe? The late 1950s, the answer may be a recoilless rifle had never fired a small nuclear warhead. M-28/M-29 “David Crockett” recoilless gun can launch the equivalent of less than 1 kiloton nuclear warhead, according to the size of artillery range of 2.5 to 4 miles (about 4 km to 6. 4 km) between. The question is, radiation generated by nuclear explosions that U.S. soldiers may become victims. Result, the gun only in 1962, hastily tested twice, in 1971 to stop production.

4. “Headless” machine mule

you do not have to feed it something to eat, do not worry it will be kicked, because it just looks like a mule robot. Called “Big Dog” Boston Dynamics robot developed by the United States, can carry up to 300 pounds (1 pound=0.454 kg, the same below) of the weight. It relies on GPS positioning and sensors to follow the activities of the Force, whether climbing steep slopes or across rough roads, can easily deal with. Although the high cost may not actually put into use, but “Big Dog” robot at least now “alive.” But, the big guy did not seem to head, is not it a bit creepy?

5. “Sea Shadow” was invisible test ship

it looks like the movie “Star Wars” in the black helmet Wu Siwei De Roth. Allegedly, the stealth ship 164 feet long ship can escape all the test radar surveillance. “Sea Shadow” was worked in the 1980s and 1990s for a secret mission, but not the U.S. Navy awarded the official number. Unfortunately, because of confidentiality considerations, Which museum did not dare to accept the now retired “Sea Shadow” number.

6. Soviet nuclear biological and chemical protection tanks

This is a car with a sleek appearance. 1950s, the Soviet Union want to tank in case of nuclear explosion near not being hit, this number “Obyekt-279″, weighing over 60 tons of tank so it is designed. However, later identified the Soviet tanks weight should not exceed 50 tons, this monster without nuclear explosion tests have been permanently sealed.

7. “Flying Lightsaber” The Airborne Laser

U.S. Missile Defense Agency as the “crown jewel”, Alas The Airborne Laser is a modified Boeing 747, a head the ball seems to dance flash devices. This device is able to fire a powerful laser to destroy the incoming missile launch soon. Alas is a $ 4 billion “black hole”, on Capitol Hill to keep the project funding, but the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz told lawmakers, “Flying Lightsaber” and not “feasible in practice on the performance of . ”

8. PhaSR laser gun

this “stimulus-response personnel to prevent and weapons” (PHaSR) is not lethal, but the use of low-energy laser irradiation to the target, so that it temporarily blind. Although it is not to let the military commitment to permanent damage to the target’s vision, the parties still no good opinion of this project. Currently, PhaSR by the U.S. police system under the R & D institutions – National Institute of Justice to continue to develop.

9. Soviet V-12 helicopter

the birth of the 1960s it was the largest helicopter, with a wingspan of 220 feet, weighs 231,000 pounds. 1969, V-12 helicopter carrying 44,000 pounds of weight climb to 7,000 feet, broke the world record in one fell swoop. Said, V-12 is the reason cause “air giant,” because the Russians want it to be the world’s only helicopter capable of carrying ballistic missiles. Although the V-12 has caused a sensation at the Paris Air Show, but the Soviet Union in the mid-1970s decided to stop this costly project.

10. “Flying Hummer” military vehicles

both if someone designed a vertical landing, can fly fast, but also a weapon in the gallop on the road, that would be what is the big scene ? This “mix” sounds like fantasy, but the U.S. military really hope it eliminates the threat of roadside bombs.

September this year, the U.S. AAI Corporation received $ 3,000,000 funding to study this from the sci-fi blockbuster “Transformers,” the idea is feasible. In late October, Pratt & Whitney also received $ 1 million contract to “fly Hummer” design engine. Equipment that has failed with different vehicle prototypes at the earliest to come out in 2013, but this does not prevent many people to look at it as a joke.