Future Military Technology

One U.S. Army leader says robots could account for a significant portion of American fighting forces in the next 20 years or so. Find out how machines are waging war now and how they may change the face of battle in the decades to come.

By Chris Opfer

Over the years, the science-fiction genre has amassed an impressive arsenal. Is anything from those fictional armories remotely close to becoming a reality?

By Susan L. Nasr

For the battlefield of the future, the U.S. Army is developing an infantry uniform that will provide superhuman strength and much more. Learn how the Future Force Warrior will turn a soldier into an "F-16 on legs."

By Kevin Bonsor

Soldiers face danger every day -- detecting landmines, deactivating unexploded bombs and scoping out hostile buildings are tasks that don't always require a human presence. That's where military robots come in.

By Ed Grabianowski

Technology has changed the way we fight wars. Future conflicts may be resolved with completely different types of weapons than the ones we use today. What can we expect to see in the years to come?

By Jonathan Strickland

Winning wars sometimes requires innovative new tools, so it seems possible that new technologies are developed in the heat of battle. But is all technology born from conflict?

By Jonathan Strickland

The military uses virtual reality for most everything -- from learning to fly a jet fighter to putting out a fire onboard a ship. Learn about how virtual reality military applications help with training and safety enhancement, and serve as a tool to analyze military maneuvers and battlefield positions.

By Jonathan Strickland

The U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) initiative is a massive overhaul of military technology intended to prepare the Army for modern warfare. Learn how.

By Ed Grabianowski

When he needs a new state-of-the-art trick up his sleeve, James Bond asks Q. Who do U.S. soldiers go to for cutting-edge equipment?

By Jonathan Strickland

The idea of anyone messing with your mind probably makes you nervous. But what if doctors could put that power to good use without drilling a hole through your skull?

By Robert Lamb

Weapons in space that can knock down missiles have been under development for years and are starting to look realistic. Learn how they will work!

By Kevin Bonsor

Phasers have been a staple of SciFi for decades, and the "pain beams" being developed by the U.S. military bring us one step closer to that technology. Learn about this new weaponry.

By Kevin Bonsor

The Trump administration wants to develop a new generation of low-yield nuclear weapons that could be used without launching an all-out nuclear war.

By Patrick J. Kiger

The Air Force currently handles U.S. military activities in space. But some experts argue that the country needs a new, independent Space Corps.

By Patrick J. Kiger

If you're a fan of Iron Man comic books and movies, you probably wish you had a flight-capable suit of armor to battle evildoers. Well, you might just be in luck.

By Kevin Bonsor & Patrick J. Kiger

Laser weapons have been depicted in science fiction for years, but they do exist in real life. How is the military looking to use laser technology?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Military types are looking to drones to fly the deadly skies.

By Chris Opfer

Capable of firing a round of shots from what appears to be out of nowhere, the no-line-of-sight cannon (NLOS-C) can put the kibosh on enemy movement.

By Josh Clark

Hypersonic missiles, which could reach distant targets in a matter of minutes and wreak destruction with their own kinetic energy, are a potentially destabilizing threat to world peace.

By Patrick J. Kiger

In 2016, U.S. diplomats in Havana, Cuba, reported strange sounds and steady pulses of pressure in their heads. Many still have unexplained illnesses. Now at least two incidents have occurred in D.C. What's going on?

By Joanna Thompson