* for military special forces and police SWAT teams there is the case for high powered military exoskeletons
* for regular soldiers the need is for soft and light weight and lower power exoskeletons (Warrior Web) which would prevent soldiers from being injured carrying around heavy loads
The need would be to drive down the cost and weight of HULC and Warrior web systems
High energy density batteries, improved materials and lowering the energy demands of the exoskeleton are what is needed for a practical relatively common exoskeleton
Is does not make sense to put too many heavier weapons and armor onto exoskeleton systems.
We have seen in recent wars that the rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) can defeat armor in vehicles that weight about 4 tons.
In terms of real world weapons against movie situations. An RPG would take out the Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator. Hollywood likes to use guns when explosives are the appropriate weapon.
RPGs can penetrate 10 inches of armor.
RPGs cost $100-500
Beyond special forces and situations where a military needs to send in a small but fairly well armed team if soldiers need more firepower and armor then it just makes sense to have better transport and bring in heavier and more powerful systems.
The support systems will be heavier drones. They are turning the A10 anti-tank plane into a drone that can be controlled by a soldier.
They are making drones that can carry Humvees.
50 caliber and other big bullets for piercing armor for going through up to 2 inches of armor
Cartridge, Caliber .50, Saboted Light Armor Penetrator, M903
This cartridge has a 355 – 360 gr (23.00 – 23.33 g) heavy metal (tungsten) penetrator that is sabot-launched at a muzzle velocity of 4,000 ft/s (1,219 m/s). The 0.30 in (7.7 mm) diameter sabot, which is designed to break up at the muzzle to release the penetrator, must also survive the gun environment until launch. It is injection molded of special high strength plastic and is reinforced with an aluminum insert in the base section. The cartridge is identified by an amber sabot (Ultem 1000). For use only in the M2 series of machine guns. This round can penetrate 19mm of steel armor at 1500 yards
The multipurpose name is based on the projectile having an armor-piercing (tungsten core), an explosive, and an incendiary component, thus making it capable of penetrating lightly armored targets and causing damage to personnel inside the target after penetration. It is a suitable round for engaging helicopters, aircraft and lightly armored vehicles, as well as unarmored vehicles, and it is capable of igniting jet fuel. The Mk 211 has about the same destructive power as a standard 20mm round against such targets..
The MK 211 is claimed to penetrate up to two inches (51 mm) of rolled homogeneous armor
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Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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