It’s been another exciting week for mil-tech developments. Since the end of World War II, Germany has largely lacked an aerospace industry. That’s why the Germans are teaming up with the French to design and build a next- generation jet. Meanwhile, the U.S. military is buying paintball guns but they aren’t looking to conduct war games. The guns will be equipped with pepper spray and teargas-filled paintballs.
Finally, Russia’s Uran-9 drone tank hit the field in Syria and now the results are becoming clear. So far, however, the battle system has faced many setbacks. We’re going to take a look at what went wrong with the Uran-9 and also what’s up with the other mil-tech developments.
France and Germany Team Up to Build Jet
France and Germany, two historic arch rivals, are teaming up to build a next-generation fighter jet. The jet isn’t scheduled to take to the skies until sometime around 2040, so who knows what the final form will take. Regardless, French and German designers anticipate the future jet to feature many advanced capabilities, such as the ability to command drone swarms.
French Rafale Fighter Jet. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Capt. Jason Smith)
The unnamed next-generation jet is expected to be a multi-role aircraft with some stealth capabilities. It’s also expected that the aircraft will be able to target both ground and air targets. It will likely be given the ability to carry and deploy nuclear weapons.
France is expected to take the lead on the project. Being home to Airbus, the French aerospace industry is far more advanced than Germany’s. While the French have developed several fighter craft of their own, Germany often buys foreign equipment.
Don’t expect either the French or Germans to rush the project. The United States F-35 cost overruns and design and manufacturing issues point to how difficult it is to develop an aircraft, especially on a tight timeline.
Uran-9 Unmanned Tank Drone Flops In Syria
Someday, drones and robots may largely replace human soldiers on the battleground. If that day ever comes, however, it won’t be anytime soon, at least if Russia’s Uran-9 is an accurate indicator. Many have eagerly been watching the Uran-9’s deployment in Syria. Early results suggest the battle tank drone has a long ways to go.
The Uran-9 suffered a number of issues, including communication failures with controllers and an inability to accurately target hostiles on the go. Currently, the Uran-9 must stay within about 1,600 feet of its controller. Even within those parameters, however, the vehicle lost communication nearly 20 different times. While most of the incidents lasted for a minute or less, one incident lasted over 1.5 hours.
The gun and suspension systems also proved unreliable, breaking down and requiring field repairs. The Uran-9’s setbacks were revealed at a defense conference in Russia. The results aren’t overly surprising; early iterations of military weapons systems are often plagued with issues.
Pepper Spray-Equipped Paintball Guns
Non-lethal weapons are becoming as important as lethal weapons. Sometimes, it’s better to suppress individuals rather than to kill them. While non-lethal weapons have been common in law enforcement for years, the military is still building up its capacities.
VKS Paintball launcher. (Credit: United Tactical Systems)
Indeed, the military is purchasing paintball guns that shot paintballs filled with 5 percent pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA), which is a synthetic variation of pepper spray. Paintballs can also be filled with tear gas. The Variable Kinetic System (VKS) paintball launchers vaguely resemble military rifles.
Being shot with any paintball gun is a painful experience. Tear gas and pepper spray is only going to make it more unpleasant.
