Weapons

Getting ammunition, equipment and medical supplies to frontline troops is often one of the most dangerous parts of military logistics. The final stretch between...

Small drones present a difficult challenge for mobile air-defense systems. Their size, speed and unpredictable movements make them hard to track, while vehicles protecting...

Armored vehicle crews already have plenty to manage during combat, from navigating difficult terrain and monitoring threats to operating weapons and communicating with other...

Bomb disposal robots are already used to keep specialists away from explosives, but there are limits to what conventional machines can do. Tracked platforms...

Drones are becoming a growing threat to ships, ports and other maritime assets, but detecting small aircraft over open water creates its own challenge....

A fighter pilot does not need to see a threat for it to be dangerous. Radar and other electromagnetic emissions can reveal that an...

GPS has become fundamental to modern drones and guided systems, but it also creates a vulnerability. Satellite signals can be jammed or spoofed, potentially...

Armored vehicles increasingly face threats from two directions at once. Infantry fighting vehicles still need enough firepower and protection to confront troops and armored...

Monitoring vast stretches of ocean creates a basic endurance problem. Crewed patrol aircraft can carry sophisticated sensors and respond quickly, but keeping them airborne...

Public-safety officers often have to enter environments that remain dangerous even after the immediate emergency has passed. An explosion can leave unstable debris and...

Military forces are adding drones and uncrewed ground vehicles faster than ever, but deploying more robots creates a new problem: someone still has to...

Long-range precision strikes are becoming increasingly difficult as electronic warfare disrupts GPS and communications links across the battlefield. Ground forces need weapons that can...

Mass attacks by one-way drones have created an increasingly difficult problem for air-defense forces. Systems such as the Shahed family can be launched in...

Small battery-powered drones face a basic limitation: endurance. Their motors, batteries and airframes must balance weight against the energy needed to stay airborne, often...

Monitoring remote stretches of water presents an awkward logistics problem. Boats can remain at sea for long periods but may take considerable time to...

Counter-drone systems have a reaction-time problem. If a hostile UAV is only detected or disrupted once it enters the range of a handheld jammer,...

Counter-drone weapons face a growing range problem. As unmanned aircraft become faster, more maneuverable and capable of operating farther from their targets, air-defense systems...

Battery weight remains one of the biggest constraints on electric drones and autonomous systems. Adding more cells can extend range or endurance, but the...

Precision weapons face a growing navigation problem. GPS can be jammed or unavailable, while weapons that depend on continuous external targeting may lose their...

Small and medium-sized drones are forcing ground forces to rethink air defense. Fixed systems can protect bases and other permanent sites, but troops on...

Fixed-wing drones can travel farther and faster than many multirotor aircraft, but operating them can require more space, specialized launch and recovery procedures and...

Electronic warfare creates a tactical dilemma. Jamming hostile communications can protect troops and disrupt enemy operations, but transmitting interference can also reveal the location...