DARPA: A Glimpse of All Tomorrow’s Weapons

I did a quick search and did not see this article. Sorry if it already is up.

I was searching for "All tomorrow's Project" in google, something pertaining to dinosaurs, and this article was one of the options available. Being a frequent reader on ATS, when I saw the word "DARPA" I just had to click on the link. Now I don't know how reliable this is so I thought I'd post it on here and get the opinions of others who are more knowledgeable in the area.

DARPA: A Glimpse of All Tomorrow's Weapons

Tactical & Weapons Projects

CROSSHAIRS (Counter Rocket-Propelled Grenade and Shooter System with Highly Accurate Immediate Response) - This program aims to develop an all-in-one, vehicle-mounted , detection and weapons unit that will be able to locate enemy ambushers and snipers while moving or while stopped. It will also be designed with the capability to destroy incoming threats, such as rocket-propelled grenades and mortars, by firing directly on them using automated, radar guided weapons.

Given combat theaters such as Afghanistan and Iraq, where small, hit and run tactics such as roadside RPG attacks are common, this technology could potentially engender a substantial reduction in casualties and lost equipment.

Cyber Security Projects

ADAMS (Anomaly Detection at Multiple Scales) - Given the rise of digital technology and the massive systems that accompany it, cyber security and the protection of digital information is becoming increasingly important. With this in mind, DARPA has initiated the ADAMS project which aims to process and monitor enormous data sets of digital activity, with the ability to detect anomalous behaviour. The initial intent with such anomaly flagging is to detect compromising or malicious behaviour from within.

Plan X - Still in the formulation phase, Plan X represents an effort to understand and approach cyber warfare in a new paradigm. It aims to develop a platform that allows US defence departments to defend against, conduct, and train for cyber warfare. Such practices and capabilities will only become more important in the future, as the current trend in international conflict is moving away from conventional interstate war. With increased digitization of security and defence technologies, and the proliferation of non-state enemies who lack the means to conduct conventional warfare, cyber warfare is a growing threat which Plan X will help counter.

There's more in the article. The article was created 6 days ago.

Personally i think weapon wise the future will bring space bound particle beam weapons and scalar interferometers but who knows???

About a year ago i saw a documentary on fighting street to street in Iraq. They had a small robot moving ahead of the squad that detects weapon fire and instantly fires a grenade into the window the fire came from so it is not exactly new technology. It just has been expanded upon it appears.

Originally posted by andy06shake
Personally i think weapon wise the future will bring space bound particle beam weapons and scalar interferometers but who knows???

I thought they already had space bound particle beam weapons? Isn't that part of the Star Wars program? Sorry I'm just beginning to learn about all this weapons stuff.

Dream up the wildest weapons you can think of, that's what they have.

Have a nightmare thinking about these weapons and what could stop them, that's what they are working on.

DARPA is looking at a lot of other things than weaponry, but most of their stuff is sort of speculative.

You want weapons design contracts that are a bit closer to happening, you need to check out FBO and the SBIR/STTR solicitation lists.

The Navy and AF ones are generally pretty far out. As you read through there, understand that while some of those are real solicitations for development of something, the really detailed ones have already happened and they're paying the developer after the fact. It's a way to do this without bid. So you'll see a few every solicitation that are like "develop a satellite that can deposit patterned charges on the ionosphere, using the following methods", that one's already in orbit.

I swear sometimes they come up with a cool name and then design something that fits. CROSSHAIR! That or I'm just not very good with acronyms.

reply to post by Domo1


It gets old trying to come up with them. I submitted "Federal Employee Computerized Entry System" in the middle of a meeting once, got thrown out.

/contractors, we get no respect

edit to add: seriously, though, the time taken to come up with stupid code names and acronyms can be longer than the technical discussions. At least most of the time the code names are issued by computer but when they're not it's butt awful. I got into a row with someone who wanted something like "Vengeful Deathblow" and I was pushing for totally non-descript names like "Bovine Summer" or "Dave". Seriously, no one's going to look twice at Operation Dave, but "Crusader Sword" is too over-the-top

last edit I swear: We actually used to put crap like that on the white boards to see which vendors were leaking information. A few bogus sketches and an equation or two, and leave "Project Polo Dynasty" on for one, "Project Guiding Hammer" on the next, pretty soon, you start getting calls about "what's the scoop on the new secret development Polo Strike II?" and you know it's the Pioneer guy who's been picking up stuff out of the trash.

reply to post by Bedlam


We use the FECES everyday in my line of work.

It works just as advertised too.

reply to post by projectvxn


It was going to be an enhanced CAC thing. Part of Project You Forgot And Left Your CAC In The Slot When You Went To Pee Again.

I voted for a lanyard. Problem Solved. But no, it had to be technical, and expensive, and they wanted biometrics, and bla bla bla then we broke and started doing names. It was getting ridiculous so I tossed in FECES. WOW great name what does that (silence) Ok, Tom, I think you need a break.

edit to add: in my defense, CAC is slang (and Irish!) for...feces. I thought it was clever. The brass, no.

reply to post by Bedlam


I just wrote up a presentation for my company on the proper use of flight records...

It actually has real information in it...

But it's in a History Channel Ancient Aliens format...

It may go over well...It may not. All I know is that it will probably be funny. Even if I have to push afterward.

Brass never thinks anything is funny.

reply to post by projectvxn


Be careful you don't do something you don't want everyone to do forever.

I'm sure the first guy that did a powerpoint with bullet points for the brass thought THAT was funny, and now we're ALL stuck with it.

reply to post by Bedlam


Yeah...

Some of the guys thought it would be a good idea to not fill out records properly...So now everyone has to do a PP on it.

I told my NCOs that if I have to do this then I'm going to have fun with it.

DARPA should develop a method of weaponizing power point. It would kill scores of enemy in one 2 hour presentation on why they should not fight us.

reply to post by projectvxn


I think Death By Slides is forbidden under LOAC. It's indiscriminate and cruel.

edit to add: I just had a wonderful idea. It's an AAFES dream product. A "Death By Slides" mission patch. How do you say "death by slides" in Latin?

From stuff I I've seen over the last few years it looks pretty legit to me .
And as far as cross hair goes I saw millimeter band radar that could track bullets ( and back track them to their point of origin ) 15 or 20 years ago . I've been wondering where an auto-return fire weapon was since it does'nt make any sense to not have one .

Originally posted by projectvxn
DARPA should develop a method of weaponizing power point. It would kill scores of enemy in one 2 hour presentation on why they should not fight us.

edit on 9-12-2012 by projectvxn because: (no reason given)

Somebody should drop a "free" cracked copy of PowerPoint into the Chinese Defense Ministry.

Problem is, they're probably smart enough NOT to use it.

Originally posted by thudpuddy
From stuff I I've seen over the last few years it looks pretty legit to me .
And as far as cross hair goes I saw millimeter band radar that could track bullets ( and back track them to their point of origin ) 15 or 20 years ago . I've been wondering where an auto-return fire weapon was since it does'nt make any sense to not have one .

Didn't read TFA, but way back when we left Huntsville there was a company that had demoed that exact thing and had a handful of contracts. Maybe 2004.

When I read the description for the Disc-Rotor Compound Helicopter, I couldn't help but wonder if many people had seen it flying at night and thought it was an alien UFO instead of a man made UFO.

I also think the Nano Air Vehicle would be perfect for use on spying on people on their public property. I thought I had read an article about allowing spying on public property without a warrant but all I could find was this example Phillyburb hunters shoots down activist spy drone by ForthAnthem.
ForthAnthem says

The police are investigating the incident. What they should be investigating in my opinion is the violation of privacy involved in sending a spy drone over private property to record perfectly legal activity.

Where do these people get off thinking that its all right to send drones over private property without some type of legal warrant? I think it should be the right of every red-blooded American to deploy countermeasures when their privacy is invaded in such a way. Imagine if instead, this had been some group of pedos sending a spy cam over a pool party to get video of young boys and girls. How is that any different? How is this not considered trespassing?

reply to post by Bedlam


Man, what didn't happen in 2004 lol.

Magnets and plasmonics and dosed civvies oh my.

reply to post by framedragged


2000 and 2004 were happening years. I think I saw more cool crap bid out in that five year range than any time since. The last "hologram" bid went out in 2004, for example.