The US military has a pretty advanced armory - and
buried in those vaults are some of the strangest weapons ever invented. Here are the craziest
military weapons the army still uses today. #20. Atchisson Assault Shotgun Everyone knows the positives of a shotgun - they
hit like a tank, complete with an earth-shattering sound. The cons? Very limited capacity. That makes
it useful for scaring off a daughter’s boyfriends or blowing a head off a zombie, but maybe not
so much in combat. Military weapons require both accuracy, ease of use, and high capacity-
not something shotguns are typically known for. Enter the Atchisson. Also known as the Auto-Assault-12,
this gun is one of the only automatic combat shotguns ever created. It only needs
the user to make quick trigger pulls to fire, and can fire up to a whopping three hundred
shots per minute. While this model was designed in the 1980s and has largely fallen out of
favor, future designs built on it and combat shotguns are still used today. Making them
even more useful, the powerful recoil that comes with a shotgun - knocking many an unarmed
user off their feet - is barely present here. It takes the power of a shotgun and combines
it with the accuracy and easy use of a rifle. But sometimes, the best way to
survive combat is not to be seen. #19. Adaptiv Camouflage It’s hard to get a convoy through enemy
territory. One wrong move and you could come under attack from dozens of snipers - and
staying under the radar is easier when you’re not taking massive military vehicles with you.
Camouflage has been used by militaries for thousands of years - often as simple as
the color of clothing soldiers wear - but disguising something large like a tank is a
different story. But in 2011, that all changed, as BAE systems announced an incredible new program
that could protect convoys from enemy eyes. But could someone really make a tank invisible? Surprisingly…yes! The Adaptiv camouflage
system was simple and surprisingly effective. The sides of an armored vehicle would be covered
with around a thousand hexagonal panels that would take thermal images of everything around the
vehicle. They would then reflect what was on the other side - creating an image of the area without
the vehicle in it. Alternatively, the camouflage could reflect a chosen image, like a harmless
car driving through, to eliminate suspicion. This infrared stealth system remains one of the top
choices for high-tech camouflage available today. Sometimes, what an army needs is strength. #18. HULC No, they’re not dropping a giant green guy on the
enemy - although that would be pretty effective. The Human Universal Load Carrier was an attempt
by Berkeley Robotics starting in the year 2000 to see what a human can do when given a little
assistance. Carrying equipment is one of the biggest challenges of any army, and it often makes
it hard to travel from one location to another. So the scientists asked - what if we could
increase a soldier’s carrying capacity. By how much? How about an inhuman two hundred
pounds while traveling ten miles an hour? And all it would take was a simple exoskeleton. The HULC was designed to fit around
the legs and back, providing support and a powered assist while carrying a massively
heavy backpack. Powered by batteries, it would run for up to eight hours while marching and
could operate for days with lighter use. While it did perform up to par for weight and none of
the troops using it were injured by the weights, the Army wasn’t quite satisfied with
the freedom of movement it offered and it could cause strain on muscles.
While it’s not currently used in combat, interest in the project remains - bringing
us all a little closer to being Iron Man. In combat, the most important
factor is none other than accuracy. #17. Precision-Guided Firearm In today’s army, many of the soldiers are trained
marksmen - but many only get basic training, and in the events of a draft it’s likely
some would be thrown into combat with only a few weeks of training. That’s why today’s
military is focused on how to take a little of the work off the soldier - and onto the
gun itself. The precision-guided firearm is an upgraded sniper rifle that not only
has the traditional tracking scope, but comes with wireless smart technology to pick
up data to make it easier to hit your target. And when we say “pick up
data”, we mean all the data. The most advanced of these weapons can hack
into local and larger networks to pick up data from voice and video all around. The digital
scope can also provide visual assistance for locking on the target - similar to how fighter
jets often have precise targeting mechanisms. If this sounds like super-spy
territory - that’s because it is, and many of these weapons can track the
target and figure out the best possible vantage point to hit from, without much
input from the man behind the scope. But what if it wasn’t just the gun that was smart? #16. Smart Bullets Precision-guided munitions aren’t new - missiles
and torpedoes are often equipped with guiding mechanisms that can not just lock onto a target
but change their trajectory if the target moves. In 2008, the EXACTO program at DARPA switched
their strategy from focusing solely on smart guns to developing bullets that can have
the same abilities. The earliest model would illuminate the target with a laser designator
and the bullet would be keyed to follow that. It would be able to track targets up to a mile
away and change position thirty times a second! But modern designs may be even more advanced. The research into smart bullets is ongoing,
and Dr. Rolin Barrett developed a model that would have three fiber-optic eyes around it for
tracking. Other designed bullets that would be able to be controlled by radio waves, or to travel
around corners automatically without needing to be fired from a curved barrel. These weapons are
still in development, and the biggest roadblock in their way? Money. After all, most soldiers
will only use one gun - but a lot of bullets, and making every one of them a smart
bullet would involve a lot of technology. Maybe time to send those bullets
through community college instead? Sometimes, though, you need non-lethal weapons. #15. Taser Shockwave A stun-gun can be a useful way to neutralize
an enemy without killing or seriously hurting them - like when you need them coherent for
interrogation. But that becomes a lot harder when the person is part of a large group of
enemies - and they’re all coming right at you! They’d probably overwhelm you before you get the
chance to fire the taser more than once - and that’s if you don’t run out of charge. But
what if you could fire ten tasers at one time? That’s the question the mad scientists
at the Taser corporation decided to answer. And the resulting weapon was
amazing - if not exactly practical. Meet the Taser Shockwave, a battery of stun-guns
attached to cables and loaded into a launcher. When triggered, the tasers shoot out and deliver
powerful shocks to just about anyone they hit. It might look like a many-headed dragon, but
it’s effective at incapacitating attackers quickly and in large numbers - if it hits
its target. Accuracy isn’t its strong suit, and in a combat situation there’s no guarantee
it would hit its target. Taser continues to refine the weapon, and some think it would
be more suited to crowd control than combat. And sometimes, you need weapons
in the most unusual circumstances. #14. Heckler and Koch P11 You’re on a submarine and you get an alert
- a saboteur is trying to sink you! You get into the water to engage, but there’s just one
problem - your gun isn’t equipped for firing underwater. Ordinary rounds lose range and
accuracy when fired underwater. Fortunately, you’re armed with the Heckler and Kock P11 - one
of the best underwater pistols ever developed. It’s short and stubby, looking more like a
checkout scanner than a gun, but it packs a punch. But the surface isn’t the only
thing that makes it different. The P11 only has five barrels, as opposed to
the usual six. It fires steel darts rather than traditional bullets - but they can still
tear through the enemy. And rather than being traditionally fired, it uses a battery pack in the
grip. Also, don’t use it recklessly - it can’t be reloaded by users and has to be returned to the
factory for more ammo. This isn’t a weapon that’s used too often - unless we wind up fighting
an army from the lost city of Atlantis - but its secrets are well kept. So well, in fact,
that its manufacturer won’t comment on it. Sometimes the military goes small
- and sometimes they go big. #13. Electro-Magnetic Laboratory Rail Gun The US Office of Naval Research isn’t
a place you get into easily. This is where all the prototypes of the most advanced
weapons in the military’s stable can be found. But one of them has the potential to be one of
the deadliest weapons ever created - taking an already powerful tool and super-charging
it with modern technology. A rail gun is a massive weapon that fires projectiles
at rapid speed, and would be one of the most powerful weapons in the US arsenal without
needing the equipment for traditional firing. So what is the secret of this massive prototype? Instead of chemicals designed to ignite
explosions, this railgun would fire projectiles entirely using magnetic fields and
electricity. And they would travel faster and hit harder than any bullet currently available
- up to a whopping 5,600 miles per hour. This gives the rail gun power more associated with
cruise missiles. It’s currently in testing and the military is optimistic about mounting
it on ships soon enough. But to get there, they’ll have to perfect the repeated
fire capability - because for this gun, it’s both quantity and quality.
And that means a lot more tests. But what if the military didn’t
need to use humans at all? #12. The Fire Scout When troops are in a pitched firefight
and they see a helicopter from up above, it usually means one thing - the backup is
here. But the powerful defense contractor Northrop Grumman has given that a new twist.
The helicopter is here to provide support - but that doesn’t mean there’s anyone on board.
The Fire Scout looks almost exactly like a standard military chopper, but you'll see
a few subtle differences. For one thing, it doesn’t have windows - because there’s
no one inside to look out of them. The Fire Scout might be the most
advanced drone ever created. It can take off and land independently,
provide aerial fire support for ground troops, and has a top-of-the-line targeting system.
While it’s designed to be used in combat, it’s also an effective surveillance tool.
It was declared mission capable in 2019 and took to the skies, although the Navy
continues to develop and enhance it. This raises the question - if the smart
machines are the wave of the future, which other heavy artillery could soon be roaming
the battlefield without any soldiers on board? Naturally, we’re about to find out. #11. The Black Knight Tanks are the workhorse of the military. These
treaded vehicles provide valuable shelter for soldiers, run over enemy lines, and are equipped
with powerful guns. There’s just one downside - if they take a hard hit, they can be hard to
escape from in a hurry. Which is why the mad geniuses of BAE Systems asked - what if we
had a tank without the vulnerable people inside? Enter the Black Knight, a twelve-ton tank designed
as an unmanned ground combat vehicle. It looks like an ordinary tank on the surface - but much
like the Fire Scout, looks can be deceiving. Let’s just say you don’t want
to be in the way of this drone. It’s armed with both a turret-mounted large gun
and a coaxial machine gun, runs on a traditional Caterpillar diesel engine, and its tractor
treads make it ideal for off-road operations. It’s operated by remote control, but can also use
its computer system to make in-combat decisions independently of operator input. While it’s
ideal for missions that are too dangerous to send soldiers into the field, its technology is still a
work in progress as the military tries to perfect the wireless communication system. But many people
in power think this remote tank may be the future. The military has developed many non-lethal
weapons - some with a devastating impact. #10. PHASR It looks like a sci-fi laser gun - and it kind of
acts like it too. The PHASR, officially titled the Personnel Halting and Stimulation Response Rifle,
is a massive laser-dazzler gun designed by the Air Force’s research division. It doesn’t fire
a projectile but can neutralize an entire field of enemies in seconds - by unleashing a massive
burst of light that can temporarily blind them. This is a low-intensity laser, which means that
victims should recover quickly - but it can leave an entire field of soldiers stumbling among
each other and firing nowhere in particular. So why is this weapon not everywhere yet? It’s not that the gun didn’t work - it’s
that the military had to make sure it didn’t work a little too well. Blinding weapons
that can cause permanent damage are banned under a 1995 UN protocol and using them
is seen as a crime against humanity, so the military needed to make sure
there were no lasting side-effects. They also had to give it a really cool name,
and someone in the design process was definitely a Star Trek fan. But unlike its namesake
weapon, this one only has a stun setting. This next weapon might be the
way out of some close quarters. #9. The CornerShot In the 1940s, the Nazi army debuted a new weapon
- the Krummlauf, a rifle with a curved barrel that could shoot around corners. It was an innovative
solution to a major combat problem - and it was a complete failure, with the bullets getting
jammed and damaging the barrel after only a few shots. But over fifty years later, the
design may have been perfected - ironically, by an Israel weapons designer named Amos Golan.
Designed in cooperation with American investors, the Cornershot has become a
key tool for modern militaries. But technology has marched on
since the 1940s - and it shows. Unlike the failed version, this weapon doesn’t
try to shoot a bullet through a curved barrel. Instead, it mounts a small pistol on the
end of the larger weapon, allowing it to be aimed at the target that can be seen through a
periscope lens. It’s not a high-powered weapon, but it’s one that makes shooting targets from the
safety of cover much eaiser. And in case you’re looking for a little more firepower, it can be
equipped with a 40 mm grenade launcher that can send rounds flying in any direction you choose -
without the risk of blowing up your own barrel. Sometimes, it’s not about the firepower
you pack - it’s about what you see. #8. IVAS Soldiers can be armed with the best weapons
in the world, but in the fog of war, they’re dependent on their own eyesight.
If they’re caught in smoke or a snowstorm, their aim may be off, leading to missed targets
- or worse, friendly fire casualties. This gets even more dangerous when the enemy releases
vision-clouding weapons, letting them get the drop on the soldiers. Which is why teams in
the United States Army are working on a unique new headset - one that will not just clear the
vision, but plunge the soldiers into a new world. Are our soldiers ready for virtual reality? The Integrated Visual Augmentation System,
or IVAS, is an augmented reality headset that eliminates visual fog and provides
soldiers with a unique array of image options. This includes a thermal setting, so
soldiers will be able to see hidden enemies. It can also filter out interference and
let soldiers focus on what’s important. The headset is in final testing and the
Army plans to use it both as a field tool and a training tool - with soldiers able to
engage against virtual enemies on the headset. Maybe exclusive headset video games will make
some pro gamers sign up for the service, too! It’s not the only field where the military is
working on what sounds like science fiction. #7. Quantum Stealth Guy Cramer comes from Canadian innovation
royalty, being the grandson of the man who invented the first walkie-talkie. But he may
be looking to outdo his granddad - by cracking a concept HG Wells invented in fiction over a
century ago. How do you turn someone invisible? The military has been working on vehicle
camouflage for a while, but options for mobile soldiers are much more limited. That’s where
Quantum Stealth comes into play - a long-term project between Cramer’s company Hyperstealth and
military officials in both Canada and the USA. So what’s the secret of this innovation? The keys to Quantum Stealth are being
kept close to the military’s chest, but what we know is that Quantum Stealth uses
lenticular lenses - the same technology seen in 3-D movie posters. The lenses refract light
according to the angle they’re viewed at, and the way they’re arranged creates dead
spots where the object isn’t visible - but the background is. While it doesn’t render the subject
completely invisible and can create a blurry spot, it’s more than effective enough to confuse
a soldier observing from a distance - so it’s no surprise the government is
investing heavily in this technology. But sometimes, you need an
earth-shattering kaboom. #6. XN-1 LaWS Unleash the death ray! Laser weapons are part
of science-fiction lore, but the US government doesn’t want to destroy any planets with them
- we hope. The advantage of lasers is that they use a simple powered device and don’t rely on
ammunition - so they can deliver more than one hit in quick succession. The XN-1 LaWS was
developed by the US Navy and first deployed for field testing in 2014 - and the USS Ponce
was the lucky ship to get to fire it first. It uses an infrared beam launched from a laser
array to hit flying and sea-based targets. So how does it work? For one thing, it’s highly energy-efficient -
needing only the energy pulse to fire and none of the equipment. It can also be adjusted
for power, being useful for temporarily blinding enemies at the lowest level. But
when it’s dialed up to the maximum level of 30,000 watts, it can deliver a massive punch.
Not only can it target motors and fry sensors, but it can detonate explosive material on an enemy
boat before it reaches its target. It might not be able to blow up enemy battleships from afar,
but it’s the most effective laser weapon yet. But when it comes to non-lethal
tech, sometimes things get…weird. #5. LED Incapacitator The enemy is advancing, and the only
thing that will defeat them is…a flashlight? Well, not just any flashlight. The
LED Incapacitator is one of the oddest weapons designed by the Department of Homeland
Security’s Innovation Research Office, and is largely designed for use at border
crossings and other locations where confrontations with suspicious individuals
who might be carrying contraband are likely. Rather than using a traditional weapon, this
weapon unleashes a series of random pulses of multi-colored light, which switch frequency
often and cause pressure on the brain. And the effects of this can be…messy. The first symptom is a severe headache, and
subjects can experience temporary blindness because their eyes can’t adjust to the
flashing lights. But they also can’t focus, become disoriented, and are hit with a wave of
nausea - which is why this weapon has earned the nickname “The Puke Ray”. It’s largely an
effective weapon against individual targets, but some subjects have been proven largely
immune. While it hasn’t been largely deployed due to concerns over its effectiveness, the odds
are it would at least be a useful distractor. But that’s nothing compared to what
this next non-lethal weapon does. #4. Active Denial System The US military and defense contractor Raytheon
wanted a way to maintain perimeter security and crowd control without having to rely on live
fire - and they developed an option that comes out of science-fiction. Known as the ADS, it
works by firing an energy beam of a similar wavelength to the way a microwave oven works.
But instead of heating up your frozen burrito, the ADS is going to heat up…you. It activates
the water and fat molecules in the skin, suddenly heating them and creating a painful
effect that sends anyone hit with it running. But surely microwaving people
can’t be ethical, right? While the technology is scary, the effects have
been minimal. A microscopic percentage of those affected develop minor burns and blistering, while
most retreat from the painful sensation without suffering any obvious injuries. While the device
could seriously hurt someone if focused on them, the device is intended to protect perimeters and
deter people from entering - meaning they’ll have the option to run away as soon as they feel the
heat. Authorities are now exploring deploying it both in theaters of war and as a way to
keep prisoners from escaping over the fence. This next weapon raises the question
- is James Bond becoming real? #3. The Armatix iP1 This weapon doesn’t look like much - just a
standard handgun. But if the agent carrying it gets attacked and disarmed, and the
enemy grabs their gun, they’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise - because it doesn’t
matter how many bullets are in the chamber, that gun’s not firing. The Armatix iP1, developed
by a famous German firearms manufacturer, is notable for being one of the most advanced smart
guns in the world. Not only is it optimized to be safe and easy to fire and equipped with a camera,
but it can only be fired by its authorized user. And it pulls that off with
an unassuming accessory. The Armatix iP1 comes in two parts - the gun, and
the wristwatch it’s linked to. It might look like a standard accessory, but it’s actually an RFID
system that communicates with the handgun and can wirelessly affect it when within ten inches.
If the gun is separated from the watch-wearer, it becomes a paperweight. This is one watch
battery you don’t want to run out, so it indicates the charge on both parts, and comes with
a targeting system that can identify and only fire towards the assigned target. It’s not a surprise
that this gun is not only being considered for classified missions, but many people want
some of its features added to standard guns. But what’s the ultimate frontier
in combat? It just might be…droids. #2. Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System What’s better than armed combat vehicle drones?
How about an armed robotic soldier that can head into battle instead of humans? We might be a long
time away from the cyborg wars, but that hasn’t stopped the defense department from dreaming big.
They’ve been experimenting with combat robots for a while, and the current models are more advanced
than ever. Coming soon to a battlefield near you - the MAARS, a nearly 400-pound robot
armed with sensors, weapons, and cameras. And it’s packing more firepower
than any human could carry. How much? How about a machine gun, four grenade
launchers, the capability to fire non-lethal gear like tear gas, as well as a laser dazzler and
a loudspeaker for communicating safely with the enemy. For non-combat missions, the MAARS
can be equipped with the ability to carry up to 120 pounds. While some combat robots
are designed for artificial intelligence, the MAARS is more analog - controlled
by an operator at base like a drone. But it doesn’t need to be a smart robot - it’s
got enough brawn to make up for the brains. But there’s one more robot in
the field that might take you by surprise - and make you say “What a good boy!”. #1. Robot Dogs A battlefield is stressful enough - but imagine
seeing a large, four-legged animal approaching you. It looks kind of like a dog, but the
proportions are off - and it’s moving fast. This isn’t some weird desert beast, it’s one of
the military’s most popular innovations - the BigDog. This four-legged military robot was
developed by Boston Dynamics and DARPA in 2005 for equipment-carrying purposes - essentially
replacing the pack mules of old. Its four-legged system would let it overcome rough terrain, and
each one would have a complex onboard computer. But sometimes reality defeats innovation. The BigDog project didn’t work out for carrying
military equipment because they were too loud for combat - turns out all those moving parts aren’t
quiet. But that wasn’t the end of the project. While the original shut down in 2015, a
smaller all-electric model with a lower carrying capacity was soon introduced
- and many current models are being equipped not just with carrying capacity,
but with non-lethal defense capabilities. That means these robot dogs have a bite, and
they just might be coming to a city near you. Want to know more about bizarre weapons? Check out “Weirdest World War 2 Weapons You Never
Heard Of” or watch this video instead.
