Over the last twenty years, the city-state of Dubai has blossomed into one of the world’s most technologically advanced urban centers. Boasting man-made islands, a massive waterfront development, and the world’s tallest building, there are few cities that can compare to Dubai’s super-modern infrastructure. However, despite being the world’s most advanced city, Dubai is still planning to expand.
In 2013, Tesla co-founder Elon Musk proposed a high speed electric train system, the Hyperloop, that would connect cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco. Three years later, Dubai has partnered with Hyperloop One, a Los Angeles-based company, in order to make this pipe dream a reality (1).
Hyperloop One has reportedly received a total of $160 million in funding since 2014; $50 million of which came from the Dubai-based company DP World in late 2016. DP World is currently the third-largest port and terminal operator in the world and is hoping to grow even bigger with this most recent investment (2).
Concept art and theoretical models depict the Hyperloop as a cylindrical pod inside of an enclosed track. The enclosed track allows for the pod to travel in a vacuum, therefore eliminating any drag from air resistance. The pod itself is then propelled along the track by a series of powerful electromagnets. This combination means that the train can theoretically reach speeds in excess of 700 miles per hour, faster than a commercial airliner (3). On paper, this system also happens to be incredibly fuel efficient. The absence of significant drag means that the pod only needs propulsion for the first 5% of the track, gliding effortlessly the rest of the way (4).
The primary drawback of the Hyperloop is the construction and maintenance of the system. Building and maintaining hundreds of miles of air-sealed railways will cost enormous amounts of money. This is especially true in Dubai as the planned track will have to cross under bodies of water and through mountain ranges.
Although the Hyperloop is certainly one of the more exciting projects being worked on right now, it is still in its infancy. Only a handful of scaled down prototypes currently exist, meaning that most claims of the Hyperloop’s abilities are loosely backed from scientific calculations.
This will surely change as a full scale test of the system is planned for the first quarter of 2017 (2). If the demonstration is a success, one can almost guarantee that many more investors will be pouring their money into the Hyperloop. Failure could mean major setbacks, pushing the reality of the Hyperloop even further into the future.
Whether or not the test is a success is fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. The Hyperloop has caught the eye that its construction is almost inevitable. Barring a major catastrophe, systems like the Hyperloop will be commonplace in the somewhat near future.
(1) Gambrell, Jon. "Futuristic Dubai Dreams of Hyperloop Transit Tubes." ABC News. ABC News Network, 4 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
(2) "$50mn Closer: Hyperloop One Gets Investment from Its Dubai Backer, Hires Ex-Google Treasurer." RT International. N.p., 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
(3) "Hyperloop One Just Received Millions to Make Superfast Transport a Reality." Futurism. N.p., 16 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
(4) Billington, James. "Will Dubai Build the World's First Underwater Hyperloop System?" International Business Times RSS. N.p., 05 Oct. 2016. Web. 18 Oct. 2016.
Image: © Liseykina | Dreamstime.com - Sunset at Dubai, UAE
Lasers are perhaps the most common form of Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) found in today’s militaries. Their popularity is due, in part, to their relative simplicity and their unparalleled effectiveness on the battlefield. Over the recent decades, as laser technology has continually improved, one type of laser has seemingly come out on top, the solid-state laser.
A solid-state laser is one that utilizes a solid mass, in place of a gas or liquid, as its gain medium. This solid mass is generally a crystal that has been artificially infused with rare earth ions and/or transition metals. Some examples of these solids commonly include materials such as neodymium, ytterbium, titanium, and chromium (1).
The benefits of using solid-state lasers, as opposed to liquid or gas lasers, are numerous. The first advantage being that solid-state lasers are far more economical to manufacture on a large scale than comparable liquid or gas mediums. The process of producing viable crystals is rather simple and inexpensive, meaning that mass production of solid-state lasers for militaries will be a viable option in the future. In addition, solid-state lasers are efficient in terms of their energy usage. Often times in gas lasers, much of the material is wasted, resulting in a drastic reduction in energy efficiency. By contrast, material is not wasted when using mediums that are solid at room temperature. Finally, solid-state lasers are able to function with either a pulsed or continuous wave output. This translates to a more diverse selection of options when weaponized (1).
The United States Military has certainly taken a major interest in solid-state lasers over the last ten years. A multitude of programs and weapon systems that use solid-state lasers are already in existence today. Some of those programs include LaWS, the Navy’s own solid-state laser that has been fitted onto ships in the Persian Gulf with great success (2). Another program is Northrop Grumman’s FIRESTRIKE laser weapon system, a modular weapon that can be outfitted onto a wide variety of vehicles for a different missions (3). Also, there are plans for solid-state lasers to be placed aboard the F-35 Lightning II, the United States Military’s newest joint strike fighter (4).
Expect to hear more about solid-state lasers over the coming years as countries besides the United States try their hand at Directed Energy Weapons.
(1) "Solid State Lasers." Electronics Engineering Notes, Lectures, Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
(2) McCaney, Kevin. "Navy Cranks up the Power on Laser Weapon -- Defense Systems." Defense Systems. N.p., 28 June 2016. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
(3) Szondy, David. "Northrop Grumman Tests New Laser Weapon." Northrop Grumman Tests New Laser Weapon. N.p., 14 May 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
(4) Gallagher, Sean. "Marine Corps Wants to Put Lasers on F-35 (and Everything Else)." Ars Technica. N.p., 31 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
Image: © Jordan Tan | Dreamstime.com - Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth multi-role joint strike fighter on display at Singapore Airshow 2012
Amidst the hills of the remote Guizhou Province in southwestern China lies the largest radio telescope on the planet. Referred to as FAST, or Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, this behemoth has been built by the Chinese government in order to monitor deep space radio frequencies primarily in search of extraterrestrial life.
Stretching 500 meters from tip to tip and taking up space equivalent to 30 football fields, FAST easily dwarfs all of its contemporaries (1). As in the case of all telescopes, bigger is better. More surface area allows for more light to be collected, therefore improving the image seen. This same logic applies to radio telescopes but instead of collecting light, FAST collects radio signals.
FAST is so massive that unlike other, smaller, telescopes it cannot be rotated. To get around this, special mirrored panels on the telescope allow for the signal to be directed towards different parts of the sky (2). FAST’s massive size gives it a range of 1,351 light years, a distance that no other telescope can come close to competing with (3).
Part of the reason for the scientific community’s excitement behind FAST is due to the recent success of other radio telescopes. Radio telescopes have played a crucial role in a handful of recent major astronomical discoveries, such as pulsars, quasars and cosmic microwave background radiation. Additionally, 6 of the last 10 Nobel prizes in physics have been attributed to the work of radio telescopes (1). Many scientists believe that FAST will further improve and expand on these recent findings by other radio telescopes.
Perhaps the most enticing aspect of FAST is the part it will play in the search for extraterrestrial life. FAST’s potential to discover alien life has been estimated to be 5 to 10 times greater than all other current telescopes (1). This is primarily due to the fact that FAST can see planets that are farther away and darker than previous technology could see. If anything has the chance to detect alien life, it’s FAST.
FAST was activated on September 25, 2016, meaning that its search for alien life has just begun.
(1) "Xinhua Insight: Installation Complete on World's Largest Radio Telescope." - Xinhua. N.p., 07 July 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
(2) Nelson, Bryan. "World's Largest Telescope Now Ready to Receive Messages from E.T." MNN. N.p., 01 Oct. 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
(3) Smith, Gina. "FAST Forward: China’s Massive New Alien-Finding Telescope Explained." ANewDomain. N.p., 05 Sept. 2016. Web. 05 Oct. 2016.
Image: © Zhanglianxun | Dreamstime.com - Armillary sphere
Unmanned vehicles have become commonplace on battlefields today. From aerial reconnaissance to bomb disposal, drones complete a wide variety of tasks that are deemed too risky or too expensive for humans or manned vehicles. In spite of the success of drones in their respective fields of work, many countries, including the United States, have been hesitant to assign drones to actual combat roles. However, the Russian Federation has recently released a vehicle that could be the first drone to face front line duty.
Named the Uran-9 Vikhr (Whirlwind) by the Russian military, this UGCV (Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle) is the first, and the deadliest, of its kind. Weighing in at around 15 tons, the Uran-9 possesses an operational range of 600 km, a maximum road speed of 60 km/h, and a swimming speed of 10 km/h (1). Because of its size and weight, the vehicle can be airlifted by helicopter and is mobile enough to operate in nearly any terrain. This means that the Uran-9 will be able to provide fire support for infantry in situations where armored support would be previously impossible.
In addition to its outstanding mobility, the Uran-9 is designed to be completely modular, meaning that its weapons’ loadout can be altered depending on the mission. The standard armament for the vehicle consists of a 30 mm automatic cannon, a coaxial 7.62 machine gun, and six anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) (1). These weapons, combined with state-of-the-art optics, give the drone the ability to deal with infantry, soft targets, and even other tanks. The Uran-9 can also be equipped with anti-air missiles, flamethrowers, and even light artillery attachments, further expanding its abilities on the battlefield.
Despite its impressive abilities on paper, and in Russian military videos, the weapon has its limitations. The Uran-9 is controlled via radio by a team of soldiers operating out of a nearby trailer. This system severely limits the possible effectiveness of the Uran-9 as certain terrain can block line-of-sight radio signals (2). Not only that, but radios are also prone to jamming by enemy electronic countermeasures. Without a radio signal, the vehicle would be rendered useless and inoperable, likely at the expense of its supporting soldiers.
In reality, the actual combat capabilities of the Uran-9 are quite limited. Relying on multiple individuals to control a single tank at once brings up questions of how efficiently the system will actually run. This issue, combined with the relatively unreliable nature of radio signals lead many to believe that the weapon will not see active combat anytime soon. One thing is for certain, the Uran-9 will not be the last of its kind. Expect to see more countries trying their hand at their own UGCVs over the next few years.
(1) Novichkov, Nikolai. "New Russian Combat UGV Breaks Cover, Uran-9 Readies for Service." Defence & Security Intelligence & Analysis. N.p., 9 Sept. 2016. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
(2) Rogoway, Tyler. "Russia's Drone Tank Looks Cool In Videos But Is It Tactically Relevant?" Foxtrot Alpha. N.p., 28 Mar. 2016. Web. 28 Sept. 2016.
Image: © Oleg Nesterkin | Dreamstime.com - Meeting of the military leadership