The 50 Military Vehicles Of The Future

Arquus Scarabee Armored Vehicle

Arquus is, surprisingly, a Volvo branch that unleashed this bulky machine during the 2019 Paris Air Show. Despite its heavy frame, the Scarabee is a light armored vehicle that has electric motors and ICE, set to roll out in 2021. The Scarabee was designed with stealth in mind, with its quiet and completely electric engine that can run for some days without needing to be charged. Units can now stay behind enemy lines for longer periods of time.

Arquus Scarabee Armored Vehicle

Owl-Eye Drone

Indeed, the Owl-Eye drone is a drone disguised as an owl, designed to fly past enemy detection, mistaken as a harmless bird. This Russian initiative is unique to the nation’s almost hilarious range of unique technological military developments. While you might think that well-trained soldiers with vision-enhancing technology would easily spot the difference between a robotic owl and a real one, you would be surprised at how effective the simulations have been for the Owl-Eye!

Owl Eye Drone

Army Rotocraft Technology

While you are reading this article, the U.S. Army is experimenting with a range of rotorcraft technology, putting prototypes to the test under explosive conditions. According to the aviation analysis team leader of the ARL-SLAD, Brian G. Smith. “1 purpose of this program is to generate some limited ballistic data that could reduce risk and/or encourage Future Vertical Lift designers to consider CTEF technology.” You might see this technology revolutionize military aviation as we know it.

Army Rotocraft Technology

Saab Globaleye

The fence-like addition on this plane is the GlobalEye, so-called due to its early warning detection system that does so much more than the ordinary control platform. Developed by the security and defense division of Saab, the GlobalEye is made up of a sensor range of the Erieye Extended Rage radar and mission system. This is a part of the Bombardier Global 6000 long-range business jet. To put things simply, it is an incredible radar. With a 30,000 feet operating altitude, the GlobalEye can work up to 450km.

Saab Globaleye

The TERN Program

Despite there being an abundance of tiny autonomous planes existing in the military, most have been deterred by the deployment and retrieval of units within stormy oceans and restrictive decks. The TERN (“Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node” from DARPA designed with seabirds in mind eliminates this Achilles’ Heel with a tail-based launch and landing system. This will allow navies to wield drone technology like never before, without fear of losing most of their fleets.

The TERN Program

Ghost Fleet Overlord

NAVSEA, or Naval Sea Systems Command of the U.S. Navy, has begun its breakthrough naval program with the completion of one of two Ghost Fleet Overlord test ships concluding a duo of 4-day unmanned voyages. This culminated in more than 181 hours’ worth of independent missions, covering 3,200 nautical miles. This could be the beginning of a widespread autonomous revolution in the navy? We might just see navies around the world decreasing in personnel sizes in the near future.

Ghost Fleet Overlord

Sea Hunter

While we love the cool names that military technicians give their new creations, the Sea Hunter’s real name is ACTUV, Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel is the response to naval stealth reaching a nearly undetectable level. With countries’ borders being plagues with terrifyingly stealthy submarines, the Sea Hunter aims to level the playing field. It is, of course, autonomous, designed to seek out and report covert submarines and their crews.

Sea Hunter

The Gladiator UGCV

Need a bomb disposed of in a pinch? The highly improved Gladiator UGCV is saving lives in the Marine Corps. It has an extended range, boosted speed and flexibility, and a thick defense from small arms. This is perhaps the only real combat drone being used by the world’s armies. The Gladiator is also an automatic and versatile killer that can hold its own against both personnel and vehicles with a surprisingly devastating performance. It can also provide a remote and extended scanning service for scouts and deliver much-needed supplies for soldiers well behind enemy lines.

The Gladiator UGCV

B-21 Raider

This next one is still floating around the rumor mill, but we are no less excited about the B-21 Raider. The turn of the millennium resulted in a much-needed Long-Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) to be developed for modern times. The Air Force then began working with Northrup Grumman to start development on the B-21 Raider. This is a piloted aircraft, with a talent for stealth, peak altitudes, and bombing. The engineers over at the Air Force heading the initiative declared that they need a minimum of a single pilot in the cockpit, seeing as the B-21 will frighteningly focus on carrying nuclear payloads.

B 21 Raider

BigDog Military Robot

The Google-owned Boston Dynamics developed the BigDog with force multiplication in mind. As with the WildCat, the BigDog can traverse a variety of terrain forms without tripping. This means that otherwise inaccessible or time-wasting trips, not to mention minefields or enemy positions, can be overcome quickly and easily. This makes reinforcing units a breeze, without having to put a single person at risk. The BigDog is sturdy, dependable, and can carry a lot of stuff.

BigDog Military Robot

“RoBattle” Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Here we have a seriously explosive piece of robotic genius, weighing in at 7 tones and clad in enough armor to take heavy arms head-on. The IAI RoBattle bot will not be reinforcing soldiers or providing intel. No, this is the future of military vanguards, as the super tough and super explosive RoBattle leads the charge against the enemy with its range of TOW missiles and 25mm Bushmaster cannons. If left to its own devices, the RoBattle could happily annihilate enemy positions, but the human element is still needed to make last-minute ethical decisions.

RoBattle Unmanned Ground Vehicle

UH-19XRW Hoverwing

This interesting fusion of flying boat and hovercraft features turns this army friendly and pioneering Hoverwing is exploring uncharted territory. Known as the “Batmobile”, the UH-19XRW is able to carry a maximum of 1,200 pounds of stock at 75mph with a maximum 140 miles range. The best part about this next-level hovercraft is that it can hover at more than six feet, effortlessly wiping out obstacles and a majority of landmine types.

UH19XRW Hoverwing

Lockheed Martin SR-72

The jet that is as science-fiction as it gets. The Lockheed Martin SR-72 can supposedly arrive at any spot on earth within an hour. You read that right, 60 minutes! The latest figures report a velocity of more than 14,500 mph. Certainly, no human could handle that kind of hardware or speed, and so this spaceship is autonomous. It also only possesses a single-engine. We cannot wait to see this beauty take to the skies in the near future.

Lockheed Martin SR72

The Distributed Aperture System (DAS)

The F-35 is equipped with a Distributed Aperture System (DAS) which provides pilots with a livestream compiled from half a dozen cameras that are positioned across an aircraft. This essentially provides a pilot with an invisible cockpit, where every angle is covered, and any blind spot is left in the past. Pilots embarking on night missions will have this panoramic utility at hand too with its dedicated night vision function.

The Distributed Aperture System

Festo Camera Ants

We no move from the borderline accessible to the distant and incredible. The Festo Camera Ants are the ideal little spies, and unlike the earlier-mentioned Owl-Eye drone, is almost impossible to distinguish from the real thing. As you can imagine, the remotely controlled or autonomous cybernetic insects can feed instant and live footage over enormous distances. Of course, these sci-fi ants are still in the conceptual development stages. Nevertheless, it is terrifying to imagine the possibilities!

Festo Camera Ants

Drone Strike-Downs

Unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are a commonplace asset in fighting terrorism, and while the good guys still maintain an overwhelming aerial superiority, who’s to say that we will not see the rise of advanced UAVs being used for nefarious means? To counter this potentially imminent threat, Drone Strike-Downs technology is being developed which can rapidly acquire multiple flying targets and take them out extremely quickly. You can expect to see this tech being employed soon.

Drone Strike Downs

RIPSAW MS-1

Here we have an autonomous light tank capable of hitting a 95mph acceleration, meaning that it is the speediest military vehicle with tracks on Earth. Incredibly, the RIPSAW MS-1 was fashioned as a base chassis for an entire novel collection of armored personnel carriers and drone tanks. But when military engineers saw how quick and responsive this core model was, they knew that they had made one of the fastest armored vehicles ever. With a single unit having a development cost under $1 million (at this point), the RIPSAW tracks are capable of being deployed at a level suitable for total war.

RIPSAW MS1

Army Futures Command All-Terrain Vehicles

This beauty is still semi-classified, and its developers prefer it to be called “The Vehicle That Shall Not Be Named.” What we can tell you is that there is a fast-approaching revolution in military ATVs, where their name might actually have a whole new meaning in a few years’ time. The new range was recently concluded as satisfactory after some Texas A&M tests pushed radar capacity, flexibility, and reliability of performance to new limits.

Army Futures Command All Terrain Vehicles

Non-Pneumatic Tires

While civilians might be about to enjoy airless tires, this is a technology that military vehicles have been enjoying for a long time now. There is no need to replace such tires, at least not for a long time, as they can endure all manner of punishment and will not flatten as ordinary tires do. This means that the U.S. Army’s tire budget can be saved incredibly. Such tires will allow military vehicles to navigate rugged or debris-filled environments far easier, without the worry of punctured tires.

Non Pneumatic Tires

Oshkosh M-ATV

The tiny but powerful Oshkosh M-ATV has had enough time in the field now to justify taking the HUMVEE’s place on the battlefield. It has a much higher acceleration and maneuverability than its ancestors, not to mention a superb set of armor that can withstand rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) extremely well. When it comes to spontaneous bombs, the Warlock electronic IED jammers will disable many varieties of home-made explosives before they even get near to the M-ATV, not to mention the CROW remote weapon station.

Oshkosh M ATV

DOK-ING MV-4 Mine Clearance Drone

We now have a Croatian developed drone. The DOK-ING MV-4 is able to turn lethal minefields into harmless clearings and eradicate vehicle barricades in no time at all, allowing its operators to do their work with miles between. This is a tracked vehicle that is incredibly silent, thanks to its all-electric power train. The DOK-ING series is a highly varied one, providing mining and fire-fighting alternatives. Turn any dangerous situation into a safe one!

DOKING MV4 Mine Clearance Drone

Gibbs QuadSki

Here we have a seriously thrilling development and a first for military technology: an amphibious assault bike! The Gibbs QuadSki is a combination of an ATV and a jet-ski that can reach 45 mph in the waves or on the ground with its 140 hp. Like the DOK-ING, the QuadSki comes with a snow-friendly variation. Despite being originally developed for leisure, international military intelligence soon became incredibly interested in the QuadSki, soon becoming a feature in many special forces’ garages.

Gibbs QuadSki

XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement (CDTE) System

There is no place to hide when the XM25 CDTE System comes to the party. This attachment for most modern assault rifles will lob airburst grenades, which, as the name suggests, will burst mid-air to devastate enemies behind cover or out of sight. The laser rangefinder feature will locate targets that are trying their best to hide. Terrorists will need to become all the cleverer if they want to engage soldiers with this ingenious grenade launcher.

XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement

The Wheel Track

The Wheel Track replaces most light to medium-sized military vehicle’s wheels, and can morph between your standard round wheel into a triangular shape in two seconds. The Carnegie Mellon University developed Wheel Track was launched by the institution’s National Robotics Engineering Center thanks to backing from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The pioneering wheel won the 2018 Popular Science “Best of What’s New” Award. As you can imagine, the Wheel Track allows military vehicles to navigate almost any environment.

The Wheel Track

Corner Shot

Do you remember in old cartoons like Looney Tunes where characters would bend their guns around corners? Well, the Corner Shot is exactly that. The IDF-developed trick shot allows infantry to shoot around corners. The 90º rifle has a camera mounted on the second, bent half, with a screen on the first, allowing soldiers to see exactly what is happening around the corner to acquire targets to begin firing. While obviously, this is nowhere near as accurate as a standard shot, it is safe suppressing fire.

Corner Shot

Crusher UGCV

Here we have a truly terrifying autonomous ground combat vehicle, the Crusher UGCV, that is equipped with indomitable titanium and aluminum shell. Its engine is a hybrid of turbo-diesel and electricity, with an independent suspension, capable of defending infantry as well as it can take them out. It has proven to be most valuable in a supply delivery role, however, with its cutting-edge AI system and sensor that can reinforce forces at any time, anywhere.

Crusher UGCV

Urban Aeronautics AirMule

The IDF have somehow managed to get a flying car up and running with the AirMule! This Blade Runner inspired masterpiece is the ideal way to navigate urban warzones with a carriage capacity of more than a singleton for around 60 minutes. Why would the AirMule need to be a part of such an advanced helicopter fleet? Well, the AirMule can enter cramped areas that helicopters would instantly explode attempting. This would allow people trapped in destroyed or flaming buildings to hop onto the AirMule quickly and safely.

Urban Aeronautics AirMule

FLYPMode Patrol Vehicle

While you will not see the FLYPMode out and about for some time yet, as it has yet to complete its operational testing process, it will hopefully further the efforts of rapid deployment forces. This gives infantry a safety similar to that of the MRAP, but with a much faster and more agile engine and overall design. There is also a supremely improved visibility in the FLYPMode. Thanks to crowdsourcing efforts, DARPA is perfecting this model speedily. It has an affordable, dynamic, and modular design, and will probably become employed at a widespread level in a couple of years.

FLYPMode Patrol Vehicle

Fed Alpha Armored Car

The Fed Alpha came into the competition during the HUMVEE replacement program years ago, but now serves as a prototype for up and coming fighting layouts. The hybrid engine puts the Fed Alpha in one of the most economical armored military vehicles on Earth. It guzzles 30% less gas than a heavyweight Humvee while maintaining an identical cargo capacity, acceleration, and armored defense. It is a standout creation in the military vehicle world, with its powerful lithium-ion batteries being charged by installed solar panels.

Fed Alpha Armored Car

Chenowth Advanced Light Strike Military Vehicles

The legendary Desert Storm favorite, the Light Strike Vehicle, just got an incredible upgrade. It is now speedier and more economical, with the Advanced Light Strike Military Vehicle enjoying a greater range than its parent. The 160hp diesel engine can handle a heavier armor load without sacrificing its capacity to conquer 50% side slopes and 75% gradients without losing acceleration. The zippy scout machine has plenty of space for mounted hardpoints and batteries for Warlock electronic jammers, as well as surveillance sensors.

Chenowth Advanced Light Strike Military Vehicles

KRASUKHA – 2/4 Electronic Warfare System

Do you need to disable an entire army’s hardware? The Krasukha-2 can take most military equipment out of commission, including the guidance systems of cruise missiles, AWACS radars, and UAV systems. It can also blast stealth fighter control sensors to a maximum 250 kilometers range. This roving party-stopping machine can even blind low-earth-orbiting spy satellites! With such an all-purpose and far-reaching capacity, the Krashuka-2 will make any invasion a nightmare.

KRASUKHA

Storm Search and Rescue Tactical Vehicle

This will be a dune buggy ride that you will never forget, as it can conquer a wide range of dangerous environments while safely delivering a maximum of three heavily injured patients in a single ride. The Storm is lightweight and dense to the point where it can be easily carried and dropped by the majority of transport helicopters. Need to make a quick 180º turn on a steep incline or bouncy stretch? No problem! This is the most capable and reactive military vehicle on wheels in service today.

Storm Search And Rescue Tactical Vehicle

TOS-1 Buratino Heavy Flamethrower System

Will you look at the size and ferocity of the TOS-1! You can also tell that this behemoth will not be going anywhere quickly in a pinch, so deploy it wisely. As you might have guessed, only the Russians would make something this terrifying, as this T-72 MBT has had its standard turret replaced with a comically oversized multi-rocket launcher. The term ‘rain hell’ has never been more apt, as this monster can douse a position with around 24 to 32 thermobaric or incendiary rockets in moments. Its range goes up to 6 kilometers, where around 2 square kilometers will be wiped off the face of the Earth.

TOS 1 Buratino Heavy Flamethrower System

Ultra Heavy-Lift Amphibious Connector

This tugboat on tracks is called the “combat paddleboat,” but do not let the endearing term deceive you, as its range is double and load capacity triple of the largest hovercraft. To better understand how incredible that is, just one UHAC can carry a pair of titanic M1 Abrams tanks safely onto land. This is a job that it can carry out even if loaded with equipped armor. As you can tell, this leviathan can withstand all manner of heavy arms.

Ultra Heavy Lift Amphibious Connector

Merkava IV Windbreaker MBT

Finally, we move onto a tank that makes most seem like toys. The IDF Merkava IV slings a titanic 120mm cannon and multiple machineguns that are remote-controlled. To top it all off, the installed 60mm mortar is a true force to be reckoned with. The back of the tank has a clamshell-style set of doors that can store and shield an infantry squad of four. An enormous radar-operated shotgun, called a Trophy active protection system, will destroy any missiles that target the tank.

Merkava IV Windbreaker MBT

Black knight UGVC

Despite remaining in the prototype level at the time of this article’s writing, the nearly independent foot soldier stopping machine is on the verge of rewriting the ground combat story. Its 30mm autocannon and numerous remotely controlled machinegun and missile attachments make the Black Knight the biggest and most formidable offensive drone on earth. It is solely reserved for the most volatile battlefields, providing a replaceable support and defense for infantry and military vehicles alike.

Black Knight UGVC

The Honorable Mentions That Did Not Make The Futuristic Cut

Mega M1 Riot Control Vehicle

The totally electronic and automatic monster that is the Mega M1 Riot Control Vehicle weighs more than 17 tons and can effectively stop riots and small armed units in their tracks. Beyond its hulking frame and intense armor, the M1 is a versatile and responsive riot quelling machine that can deal with any form of civil unrest. Its ports contain lights, weapons, heavy-duty bumpers, a water hose and plenty of space for a small army of riot police or soldiers. The climate control system is essential for fierce urban battles and the mounted CCTV system stops any anarchist from getting a jump on the crew.

Mega M1 Riot Control Vehicle

Aggressive Hydraulics

This incredible hydraulics system lays roads down like magic, among many other incredible uses. For example, if a rough terrain or destroyed highway needs a path through or a quick fix. This hydraulic sheeting can also be used to deploy impromptu defenses, providing cover for infantry and defensive positions in general. Then there are its more creative uses, such as binding cargo together for aerial transportation. Build your own battlefield!

Aggressive Hydraulics

SandCat

The SandCat gives the clear sight and movement that soldiers are used to in normal military patrol vehicles with an added STANAG Level 3 armor. You can bet that this beast can dominate any terrain that you throw at it, including bounding over trenches and plowing through streams. It can speed up 25º side slopes and 60º inclines. Ice, mud, sand, and rocks cannot stop the SandCat from speeding at full throttle. It has a nimble 40-foot turning range and is completely dependable on tarmac or countryside.

SandCat

Armored Combat Engineer Robot

Do not be fooled by the picture, the Armored Combat Engineer Robot (ACER) weighs in at 2.25 tons and there is not a single land drone larger than it in service at the moment. You can bet that with that much weight, the ACER will crawl along, but that does not stop it from completing a myriad of risky tasks that stop unnecessary human risk. From rescuing pinned personnel in volatile situations, to safely scooping up landmines, and erecting fortifications while shrugging off enemy munitions, the ACER is a godsend on the battlefield. Tinier UAVs can also be launched from its sizeable platform.

Armored Combat Engineer Robot

Artificial Intelligence Aid

Can you imagine a world where wars are fought between artificial intelligence, rather than human beings? The world is slowly but steadily drifting into the fourth industrial revolution, where AI is the name of the game. Whole national defense branches are largely commanded by AIs as it stands, and more and more military systems are being handed over to machine learning. Still, you can expect to wait many years before AI is handed the reigns of humanity’s protection.

Artificial Intelligence Aid

RT01 Transport Vehicle

The Rover, real name RT Series Group Transport, is a Wayland Corp. designed armored personnel carrier (APC) that happens to be among the corporation’s most successful offerings. The Rover possesses a nano-reinforced hard-composite set of treads that can withstand immense temperatures of a maximum of 2000°F and a shape-memory alloy wheel system. The Rover seems more suited for exploring alien planets, but is certainly the perfect way to safely transport personnel and soldiers about the place.

RT01 Transport Vehicle

Google Glasses

We would like to take a break from military vehicles to talk about another pertinent piece of futuristic military technology. The Google Glass will not just aid citizens in their daily lives, but provide a detailed Heads Up Display (HUD) for soldiers and agents in the field. Do you need to know how long it would take you to reach an instantly measured distance? Would you like a detailed 3D map of a potentially dangerous building that you and your squad need to breach? Or, maybe, you would like to augment your senses with live feed from a drone? Google Glass will evolve your senses.

Google Glasses

Artillery Gun Module (AGM) Self-Propelled Automated Howitzer

The AGM is about to advance the artillery field by several decades. It is entirely automated and can be deployed by medium-sized transport planes. Customizability is a huge plus when you can swap out your modular parts with ease. This allows the AGM complete versatility, with a dynamic implementation that can handle any battlefield and scenario. This versatility also means that spare supply trucks can quickly be upgraded affordably into lethal artillery units, free of any heavy engineering training.

Artillery Gun Module

Guardium Unmanned Ground Military Vehicles

The condensed patrol vehicle carries 1.2 tons of, cargo, and sensors, and sensors, being a titanic IDF force multiplier. Operators can alternate between a combat battery pod that lasts 24-hours or a cruise one at 48-hours. The Guardium enjoys unmatched durability, not seen in any other ground drone design. Whether it is being driven physically, or controlled remotely, the cutting-edge UGCV provides the potential for a tiny border patrol unit to easily maintain extensive stretches of tough terrain.

Guardium Unmanned Ground Military Vehicles