Anyone who grew up with the original Nintendo Entertainment System or Game Boy probably had quite a few mishaps, whether it be accidentally dropping the console or submerging it in water, but what about surviving a Gulf War bombing? There’s this original Game Boy from 1989 that belonged to a medic named Stephan Scoggins. It was placed inside barracks in the Middle East during a bombing and was shortly sent to Nintendo for repair afterwards with a note saying” “Fortunately, this Game Boy, several Game Paks and sundry other personal items were the only casualties claimed by a fire.” It can be seen at the Nintendo Store in New York. Read more for more footage of this remarkable game console running Tetris.
A group of artists / modeling experts in China spent 48-days building a 1:1 scale cardboard replica of the Merkava MK4 Israeli battle tank, and it’s currently on display at the Hobby Expo China (HEC) International Model Expo in Beijing. Not much is known in the way of what tools were used, but social media users do state that around 5,000 cardboard parts were used, and it weighs in at 1-ton. Unfortunately (or fortunately), you’re not able to climb inside, nor is the cannon functional. Read more for additional pictures and information.
The U.S. Navy has plans to integrate a railgun with a range of over 16 km onto a ship in the next 5-years, and this weapon, while having a form factor more typical of a naval gun, will utilize hyper-velocity rounds weighing 23-pounds, are 18-inches, and fired at Mach 7. The ultimate goal is to develop self-guided projectiles, and the Navy is projecting each round to cost around $25,000 each. There are currently some high velocity projectiles developed by the Navy that have command guidance, but their accuracy is unknown, nor it can survive a full power shot. There are only two Zumwalt-class destroyers (DDG-1000 series) that can produce enough electrical power to get the desired performance, generating 78 megawatts of power. Read more for two additional videos and additional information.
What could make the BMW i8 Roadster look even more futuristic? When tuning shop EVE.RYN gets their hands on it and transforms it into the “i8 Roadster E.N.ARMY EDITION,” complete with carbon fiber air intakes, flared wheel arches, a set of gold wheels, a modified hood, and of course, the military-inspired paint job. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the engine has not been touched, so it’s still pushing an ample 369 hp. Read more for additional pictures and information.
Photo credit: Daily Star
An unidentified flying object seen falling from the sky in Anchorage, Alaska has left US Air Force pilots and personnel baffled. The footage captured by a bystander shows two plumes of black smoke trailing a mysterious object that apparently has a light guiding its way. “That doesn’t look like any of our planes,” said Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson spokeswoman Erin Eaton. Federal Aviation Administration officials also added that the object in the video did not appear in any of their reports. Read more for the clip and additional information.
Boeing has won a $43-million contract with the U.S. Navy to build four Orca Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUV). These autonomous robotic submarines are based on the Echo Voyager, but “will be modular in construction with the core vehicle providing guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, power distribution, energy and power, propulsion and maneuvering, and mission sensors,” the Pentagon announcement said. Read more for another video and additional information.
No, this isn’t a futuristic fighter jet, just th Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie, a stealthy unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) designed to be deployed by the United States Air Force (USAF). It recently completed its first maiden flight on March 5, 2019 at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. Unlike other combat drones, the Valkyrie is equipped with stealth technology, including a trapezoidal fuselage with a chined edge, V-tail, and an S-shaped air intake. Read more to see it in-action and for additional information.
We have seen the future of fighter jets, and they feature autonomous technology. This aircraft does not require a human pilot, can fly for extended periods, withstand higher g-force and process more data. “The Boeing Airpower Teaming System will provide a disruptive advantage for allied forces’ manned / unmanned missions. With its ability to reconfigure quickly and perform different types of missions in tandem with other aircraft, our newest addition to Boeing’s portfolio will truly be a force multiplier as it protects and projects air power,” said Kristin Robertson, vice president and general manager of Boeing Autonomous Systems.
Photo credit: Hi Consumption
FLIR Systems, Inc. has unveiled the latest Black Hornet, a nano-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for use by global militaries, government agencies, and first responders. The Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) is currently the world’s smallest combat-proven nano-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), and this next-generation Black Hornet 3 nano-UAV adds the ability to navigate in GPS-denied environments, enabling soldiers to maintain situational awareness, threat detection, and surveillance no matter where the mission takes them. Weighing in at just 32 grams, the Black Hornet 3 offers the lowest SWAP (size, weight, and performance) for UAS available. Offering improved speed and distance compared to previous versions, the Black Hornet 3 flies 2 kilometers at speeds of over 21 kilometers an hour. Read more for an in-depth video, additional pictures and information.
Russia’s Defense Ministry announced today that the new “Peresvet” laser weapons systems has been put on combat duty. It’s capable of “concealing the areas of deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles” and will be used in air defense and military defense,” said Viktor Murakhovsky, an expert at Russia’s Military Industrial Commission. “Starting from last year laser systems have been entering service that allow disarming a potential adversary and hitting those facilities, which are the targets,’ he added, saying such a device could take out targets ‘within fractions of a second,'” according to Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov. Read more for another video and additional information.