Published on: 10/27/2015IST

1. Railguns

Precise, devastating, silent and awesome. Railguns are quite famous in futuristic-fictional animated works. Little do people know that it is now in use by the US Navy. It can fire a projectile that reaches speeds of Mach 7, seven times the speed of sound, without any propellant or explosive.

2. Mechanized Exoskeletons and Mobile Suits

Ironman, Gundams and the Space Marines are all famous for their futuristic mechanized suits. Although lacking the ability to fly, various real world exoskeleton prototypes are already deployed and sold. DARPA recently released a prototype designed for soldiers while Japan is selling a Gundam (giant mobile suit) on Amazon for $1 million.

3. Katana

Wielded by a capable Samurai, the katana proved to be the deadliest slashing weapon of its time. Never losing its edge; the construction of this curved-edge blade is, in itself, an art. One of the few things that both nerds and warriors alike, would want to have.

4. Ulfberht

If the Orient has its Katanas, the Western world can be proud of the Ulfberht. Aside from their long boats and ferociousness, the Vikings toppled their foes through superior weaponry. Modern day analyses revealed that the Ulfberht steel was far ahead of its time and can compare to today’s high-grade steel.

5. SLAM Missile

The SLAM Missile has a nuclear-powered ramjet engine, which allows longer flight durations and when given a target, the SLAM missile flies at super low altitudes and drops its payload. However, the real damage is done when the missile runs out of fuel and contaminates whatever area it falls on with radiation.

6. Bow and Arrow

The Mongols were famed for a lot of things but feared for their ability to use the bow and arrow while on horseback. The Mongols conquered vast amounts of land during their reign, including China. The bow and arrow needed years of training but once mastered, they provided the greatest edge for battles of their time.

7. Tanks

The invention of tanks broke the stalemate between the British-French and German-Austrian armies during World War I. From its humble beginnings as a farm tractor, tanks are now some of the most sophisticated weapons of any army. DARPA is now developing an agile tank, one that can maneuver and evade instead of taking hits.

8. Lasers

Lasers have long been scouted as a future weapon. Today, laser weapon systems serve mainly as defensive countermeasures that for taking out any airborne projectile, be it mortar shells, rockets or drones. The US Navy, recently, has successfully tested its Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) and precisely disabled a moving truck without any human casualties.

9. Iron Curtain

The Iron Curtain is  another war technology thought to be fictional. Games like Red Alert 2 featured this technology. However, it’s no longer fiction. DARPA has successfully tested its Iron Curtain prototype, which destroyed RPG rounds before they hit the Iron Curtain-equipped Humvee. Iron Curtain’s development is in lieu of preventing soldier casualties.

10. 50 CAL Gatling Gun

Ever since Terminator II, Gatling guns have become every boy’s dream toy. The GAU-19/A is one of the more recent versions of the Gatling gun; capable of firing 4,000 rounds/min; taking out both light vehicles and infantry; leaving the best fire trail since dragon’s breath.

11. Sniper Rifles

Precision, Stealth, Efficiency. Sniper rifles are some of the most expensive and sophisticated weapons in any arsenal. It takes an elite marksman to wield such awesome beasts; 1 shot, 1 kill. One of the latest versions of a sniper rifle is the AS-50; semi automatic and has a kill-record distance of 1.5 miles.

12. The Taser Shockwave

The Taser is a great non-lethal solution to subdue offenders, but now, they’ve made an even better derivative. Meet the Taser Shockwave, a wall of Tasers that can incapacitate anyone within 25 feet, creating the no-hippie zone. Awesome.

13. Warhammer

Warhammer, nothing beats it in armored battles. Breaking bones and splintering shields with its heavy and rugged front end while piercing plate with its pointed end, the warhammer proved its glory and might. That and the fact that it looks badass when carried by movie and TV characters. Young Robert Baratheon anyone?

10/27/2015 | | Permalink