If you ask the first person you meet on the street about what plasma weapons are, not everyone will answer. Although lovers of science fiction films probably know what it is and what it is eaten with. Nevertheless, we can say that in the near future humanity will come to the conclusion that such weapons will be used by the regular army, navy and even aviation, although now it is difficult to imagine for many reasons. Let's talk about promising weapon designs.
General information and concepts
Despite the fact that we are used to hearing about energy and plasma weapons from films, the first prototypes and tests have been conducted for more than a dozen years. Another thing is that the authorities are trying to keep such information secret. This, in principle, is not surprising, because the arms race, in fact, continues, and who succeeds will have an advantage. In Russia, for example, since 1972, the development of a combat laser has been underway. It has been successfully tested. Today it is a cannon that can hit air targets, such as ballistic missiles, planes, satellites, etc. In particular, Chempromavtomatika is engaged in such developments. It is currently planned to build the world's largest laser, which will be located in the city of Sarov. Its size will be very impressive, we are talking about two football fields. Moreover, there are no analogues in Europe or Asia. In general, plasma weapons look very promising against the background of firearms. But it will develop and improve over several decades.
Modern weapons and developments
It is much better to consider a few specific projects than talk about what is not yet. For example, howitzers remain as popular as they were 50 years ago. That is why many countries are constantly improving this technology. A striking example is the Panzerhaubitze. This artillery mount is perfect. This gun is 8 meters long, ammunition - 52 shells. This howitzer allows you to destroy a heavily armored target from one salvo and immediately leave your position. Surprising and the rate of fire of this combat vehicle, which is 1 shot in 3 seconds. True, then the pace is significantly reduced to a shot in 8 seconds due to the heating of the barrel. Today it is the best 155 mm howitzer, firing at 30 km or more. Specially for this artillery, a projectile with improved striking abilities was developed. We can safely say that this is a deadly modern weapon, which is designed to destroy the enemy from one salvo. Well, now back to our topic.
Weapons of the future and everything about it
Today, almost no one doubts that sooner or later there will be a Third World War. According to many experts, there will be fighting with lasers and energy weapons. Most of the development of such weapons involved in the UK and the United States. So, some tests have already passed, and, as practice has shown, energy weapons (many call it impulse) do an excellent job with enemy communications and air defense systems.
High-energy microwave weapons began to be developed back in 1990. The pulses directed to the electrical object must disable it temporarily, and forever in priority. In fact, such a weapon does not harm a person. It is worth noting that pulses are capable of hitting fortified objects, as well as bunkers located underground.
Lasers are already working
If energy weapons today are easier to find in any project, then the lasers are already installed on some equipment. In particular, the USA is interested in such developments. One of the guns was successfully tested and was installed on board the aircraft. From the air it was possible to hit a car standing on the ground. In this case, the beam guidance system worked without deviations. The Boeing company, which makes such dangerous weapons, had previously tested lasers. It was back in 2010, in the laboratory. Even then, it became clear that the use of laser guns would save a lot of troops.
Well, what about Russia, you ask? Despite the fact that there is practically no information on the development of laser and energy weapons, not everything is so bad. We can say that we have dangerous weapons, and it is really deadly. Take, for example, a new generation tank, the Armata, which has no analogues worldwide. We will soon have electronic pilots, “smart” missiles, all of this is not development, but reality, which will be discussed a little later.
Latest weapon designs
If the weapons of the 3rd and 4th generations are now in service with the Russian army , then it is planned to put 5th generation systems soon. It is for this simple reason that it is too early to talk about the 6th generation. But if you look into the near future, say, in 2016, then Russia has succeeded, and it has something to brag about. First of all, this is the 5th generation T-50 aircraft , which is scheduled to be delivered in 2016. It is made using stealth technology, that is, it will be difficult to determine by radar. There will be a brand new avionics, integrated with an electronic pilot. Now all this seems unimaginable, but similar systems have already been tested and are working.
But this is not all the capabilities of the T-50. It can develop supersonic speed without afterburner, and is also equipped with an electronic warfare complex called the Himalayas. Today, only the US Air Force has 5th generation fighters in service, but developments are underway in China and Russia. Such units are very expensive, but with all this, the capabilities of such aircraft are very large.
UAVs of the future
Today, more and more often they are thinking about how to make a full-fledged aircraft, but without a crew. The drone is not yet such, however, modern developments say that this is a serious and effective technique. The main tasks facing the designers - to establish powerful weapons and make it possible to save the wounded or hostages. Actively developing drones engaged in the United States. Such drones will still be auxiliary on the battlefield, but, despite this, extremely useful. They will be involved in the transportation of goods, transporting the wounded, conduct reconnaissance and destroy unarmored targets. The Americans plan to create drones that can help in any situation, regardless of weather conditions and conditions. In addition, the ability to conduct electronic warfare is important. Therefore, it is possible that such a new secret weapon will be equipped with pulse cannons.
Combat platform "Armata"
As noted above, not everything is so bad with us. Russia is the leader in the manufacture of Armata combat platforms, which belong to the 5th generation. Until recently, it was a mystery what kind of tank will appear at the Victory Day parade. Now we know that this is the Armata tank, which has no analogues in the whole world. After what they saw, the Americans immediately thought about upgrading their equipment, which, in fact, is not surprising. The crew of the tank is located in an isolated capsule, which protects people from fire and splinters. Nevertheless, the armor of “Almaty” is able to withstand the direct hit of any existing or promising weapon. The tank itself is armed with a 125-mm cannon, which fires armor-piercing projectiles. The control of the machine is digital, and the gun is remote. It is very convenient, safe and effective.
Terrible "Prometheus" S-500
The 5th generation anti-aircraft missile systems are already in Russia. These are the S-500 "Prometheus" complexes. This is an impressive weapon, which is also multifunctional. The S-500 is capable of hitting inter-ballistic missiles in space. The Prometheus is without a doubt a very promising weapon. Land-to-air missiles are capable of hitting a target located at an altitude of 3,500 kilometers, flying at a speed of 5 kilometers per minute. Another characteristic of Prometheus, which allows you to hit about 10 supersonic missiles at a distance of 600 kilometers, is also surprising. Despite the fact that the S-500 is already in the Russian Federation, they are not in service. It is planned to put their army in 2016. According to many experts, the S-500 itself is not capable of changing the course of the battle, but in combination with other defensive weapons, Prometheus will become a reliable barrier protecting the air borders of our country.
Hypersound is a reality
In fact, it’s hard to say something about what modern US weapons have. Obviously the most interesting remains a secret. Nevertheless, it recently became known that the Americans are developing and testing the Waverider X-51A. These are hypersonic missiles that are capable of speeds of about 6.5-7.5 thousand km / h. The first tests did not bring any results. But already in 2013, the rocket flew about 500 km in 6 minutes. In the end, it was possible to develop a speed of about 5 thousand km / h. Russia also carries out similar work, but we have an earlier stage. Well, now let's move on.
Precision weapons and robotics
Of course, promising weapons are being developed daily. But special attention should be paid to robotics, as more and more are talking about this. How convenient it is to replace the soldier with a robot that would make a faster decision, he was not mistaken and shot more accurately. But this is still on the verge of fantasy. Nevertheless, the Russian SAR-400 will soon be indispensable on the battlefield. He can defuse bombs, perform the functions of a repairman and reconnaissance. There are no analogues in the world.
Conclusion
So we talked about weapons of the near future and the present. Of course, plasma weapons are unlikely to be used so far, however, their development is underway. In particular, there are many limitations associated with the properties of plasma, which is not as durable as we would like. Nevertheless, plasma weapons will appear, but it is not known when. The same goes for energy weapons. But all this in the near future will not be able to replace the powerful guns of tanks and howitzers that shoot shells. The same applies to combat aircraft, bombers and other military equipment. Of course, it’s difficult to say what will happen tomorrow, what to discuss about the appearance of plasmatrons. In addition, it is now difficult to imagine exactly how and under what conditions plasma for ammunition will be extracted. The same applies to the cost of the substance.