New Weapons & Equipment of the US Military 🪖

[Leopard23]

The US military is undergoing the biggest rebuild since the 1980s with most cold war era designs and equipment being replaced, completely overhauled or given away to US Allies like Ukraine.

1. M5 and M250

This is the new weapon system of the US Army. Esentially the same weapon but in two different sizes to meet different needs on the battlefield. Both weapons will be chambered for the newly developed 6.8mm cartridge. They are replacing the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Assault Weapon (SAW). This will be the first substantial change to U.S. military small arms since the adoption of the M16 in 1964. It may also replace designated marksman rifles. This rifle had some pretty good competitors so yiu can possibly see them in the hands of NATO

allies https://youtu.be/GEf3ZlUkOCg

2. 6.8mm rounds.

In the Vietnam war the 5.56mm round replaced the 7.62mm because it was found that in various studies most gun battles took place at 300 yards or less and most soldiers espicially draftees weren't going to be shooting accurately past this anyway, the Germans had realised this kn WW2 with the STG44 and the soviets post ww2 with the ak47 but the US military was slow to realise this. So along with the lightweight M16 the 5.56mm cartridge was smaller, lighter, had less recoil and had decent stopping power. Because the 5.56mm and m16 is lighter than the 7.62mm and M14 more ammunition could be carried equating to more induvidual firepower.

During the War on terror in Afghanistan the Army's M4 armed troops were struggling to engage enemy troops at ranges past 300 yards and though the Marines faired better with the M16A4 old M14s had to be brought out of storage and mounted with scopes for designated marksmen in units resulting in the MK 12. In Iraq what we were finding in the insurgency and later with ISIS was foreign fighters wearing kevlar body armor and helmets that could stop a 5.56mm. It's not surprising, the US military personel wear body armor why would our enemies, if a US citizen can easily buy kevlar why couldn't a Saudi or Iranian insurgent. The 6.8mm is to address the lack of range and armor penetration of the 5.56mm round. The round is heavier which means less ammunition can be carried but there is a plastic cased 6.8mm ammunition in development which could mean that the standard issue 6.8mm is 3 times lighter than 5.56mm which means 3 times the ammo to be carried and 3 times the fire power.

3. IAR 27

The US MARINES are trading their M16/M4s, SAWs and designated marksman rifles to give every marine an IAR 27 which combines all three into one. It's based of the HK 416 but isn't just another M4 carbine. The US Marines sticking to their every Marine US a rifleman doctrine intends to give every marine one of these. It will still fire the 5.56mm though it's possible it will be rechambered in future for the 6.8mm cartridge or the M5 and M250 adopted by the Marines. Many Marines were not happy with giving up their M16A4 for them M4 die to the decreased range in Afganistan. The Marines like to go their own way and like to make clear they are not the Army. They are changing weapons and tactics for their future role.https://youtu.be/EgsW0GfGuvM

4. The F35

The F35 A/B/C variants are currently replacing the f15, f16, f18, Harrier, A10 fighters. The F35 is probably the most advanced fighter on the planet. A jack of all trades but the crucial factor is stealth. As Ukraine shows aircraft can't exist on a modern battlefield without Stealth, even if you detect the presence of the F35 you will struggle to target it and if you do manage to target it chances are tou are already dead. Maybe not the air to air monster the F22 is but has many technologies not applied to the F22. The F22 is not being replaced anytime soon though it's certain a newer Fighter that's superior in stealth and capability to both the F22 and F35 is on the way in the next 5-10 years. The F35 has opened up whole new tactics, strategies and possibilities in air power for the US military.https://youtu.be/y-7zj4G3yhM

4. M1 Abrahams X

The M1 Abrahams is either being replaced or completely gutted with a new hybrid fuel efficient engine, better armor, better main gun, better targeting systems, AI etc.https://youtu.be/LKOEdX4VU-I

5. JLTV

Humvees to be replaced by the JLTV. The JLTV is superior in virtually every aspect of the Humvee with hard learned lessons on Iraq and Afghanistan but while still performing the orginial mission of the Humvee. Existing Humvees are also starting to show their age.

6. CROWS

AN RCWS system which allows to be soldier to man a turret in the vechile without being needlessly exposed to enemy fire, it wasn't uncommon for a gunner of a humvee to get hit in urban areas. These turrets can mount any type of machine gun from 50cal to below, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, mortars. The system has motion sensors, night vision, thermal optics and can spot enemies at extreme range and fire on them more accurately than a sniper. Nowhere for enemy infantry to hide. This system has existed for a long time but now it's going to be mass produced and mounted on various US military vechiles. https://youtu.be/r5d7-SdpaB8

7. Bell 280 Valour

Army Blackhawk helicopters are getting replaced by the tilt rotar Bell 280 valour which is 100 miles an hour faster and has nearly 3 times the range carry more. Its rival the SB-1 Defiant a compound helicopter with coaxial rotars may also be build in small numbers too possibly for the navy or airforce. The Marines have long been replacing their helicopters with the tilt rotar v22 osprey.

8.Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier

This is the biggest aircraft carrier in the world putting all the latest technologies into one package. Stuff like Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), new nuclear reactor design (the A1B reactor) for greater power generation, AN/SPY-3 X Band multifunction radar and an AN/SPY-4 S Band volume search radar, advanced air defenses etc.https://youtu.be/sJdHh5zn8Zw

9. Smart Scope

US Marines and Army Infantry are getting smart scopes that can give magnification, calculate distance and adjust targeting for it, thermal and nightvision and adjustable long range optics with motion detection. Was little over 20 years that the US military started pilutting acog and holographic sights on every m4 and m16 among the first nations to do it but now this is a real game changer. https://youtu.be/f5YWXrZdNpA

10. The Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DE M-SHORAD, prototype is basically a laser gun that can knock drones out of the sky from the top of a Stryker combat vehicle.

11. Dark Eagle

A Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, a high-altitude missile built to skim the top of Earth’s atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound, beyond the reach of enemy air- and missile-defense systems. The hypersonic missiles, nicknamed Dark Eagle, will be able to strike targets 1,725 miles away, roughly the distance from Washington, DC, to Salt Lake City, Utah. The missile system can reach 10 times farther than any previous Army missile, thanks to the 2019 expiration of a 1987 treaty between the US and Russia. The now-lapsed Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, or INF, put a 310-mile cap on missiles that armies of both countries could develop. With that treaty now void and no serious prospect of its return, systems like Dark Eagle are now legal.

12. Digital Battlefield

The Digital Battlefield will be basically every infantryman, aircraft, ship, radar, artillery postion, tank, ship etc bring linked together and as soon as an enemy is detected and postion confirmed whatever unit has the capability of striking and destroying the enemy will do so. Command & Control is taking a massive leap forward not seen since the invention of the radio.

13. Drones

We all see the possibility of drones in Ukraine. Where to start with drones. The US military has been using drones for decades but now drones are getting cheaper and are being armed and are very effectiveand deadly. Even hand launched mortar drones. Terminator coming to life on the battlefield.https://youtu.be/4BQs5o6ND0k

There is certainly more to come as technology advances its unclear how future wars will be fought.

[21Cowboy21]

The new guns that are being deployed to the US troops and the marines is really good and at an excellent price point. Should be a big upgrade from the standards M4' or M16's I believe it was they had before.

The guns seems very versatile you for most different battle areas or combat types the variety of army departments or teams may find themselves in depending on the objective they are working on.

[Leopard23]

The US Army was going to get the HK416 which is the M4 perfected by the Germans. The French army are going to replace all their FAMAS rifles with it.
The US military has been looking for a replacement for the m16/m4 for maybe 20 years with multiple competitions and the winners never get adopted. Great weapons like the bushmaster ACR, SCAR, HK416, XCR, CM901, Beretta ARX160, ADCOR A-556 but none were not good enough.

[21Cowboy21]

While this new one be the standard now?

[lightbulb27]

Amazing technology, the gun sight alone is huge.

Question is... how much of this have we given away or the other side has by now.

Humans... this is all about security, we just don't evolve fast enough.

[Leopard23]

Older apaches are getting replaced with the FARA, and apache longbows are being kept

[lightbulb27]

I was wondering if Sikorsky was going to have work. Are they maintaining Apache longbow or getting new ones?

[Leopard23]

Seems there's two prototypes in the running boeing raider X and Belle 360 inviticus. They've just received deliveries of new longbows so I'm guessing they will be around for 20 more years, I think all apache's that aren't longbow are going which makes sense as the airframes could nearly 30-40 years old. But it's all linked to to the FLV programme in which they are trying to do what they did with the f35 one airfame with common parts and aviationics to replace multiple helicopters.

[Jay3344]

I get that if you have a military it shouldn’t be 40 years old. But I also think the US feeds its military industrial complex too much. We have borders surrounded by Allie’s and two major oceans. I mean, we’re good. So to go Rambo sitting at home is crazy. I would support maybe half or a quarter of what we spend on the military during peace time. Maybe then we could invest more in our own country instead of corporations like LockHeed and Boeing etc. General Smedley Butler had a good pamphlet/book about it.

[Leopard23]

The US military protects our untrests abroad which our economy depends on.

[Jay3344]

Confessions of an economic hitman is a great book on that topic. Bases of Empire I mean I know why but it’s not necessary

[Leopard23]

Is it not? What happen to Britain and France's status as world power's when they lost their Empire's?

[abc3643]

As someone who has worked on some of these systems (and others not included in this question) for over 30 years, the hubris we have is frightening because we have an undying belief in our abilities, yet do not realize our failings including our ignorance. overconfidence, and that very hubris.

There's no technological improvement for human nature and the past 60 years have taught me that. "Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it." is a very true adage no matter what weapons you have.

I'd recommend seeing the 7-part 1983 series "War with Gwynne Dyer".

https://www.youtube.com/embed/tPnppCelvk0

[abc3643]

Here's a good example about hubris over fabulous weaponry but not thinking things through regarding our fabulous weaponry: the replacement rate of these fabulous weapons when they are taken out during war...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpsQIu8urzU

[Wade12345]

What have you heard about attempts by the Navy to finish scaling up the Rail Gun technology? We've been stuck at half-scale for so long I think China has gotten ahead of us on this type of weapon. Supposedly, our spy craft spotted a full-scale Chinese rail gun mounted on one of their naval vessels.

[Leopard23]

I know it's on the way but the question being is how to deploy it, it's range and whether it carries a warhead. A lot of possibilities with it including building a new type of heavy warship that makes the aircraft carrier obsolete.

[Sevenpointfive]

i would not want to be in the navy at a time like this

[Leopard23]

Too much seamen on the poop deck?

[Sevenpointfive]

and too much blood in my seamen

[Rangers]

So fun spending trillions of dollars of other people's money, isn't it?

[Leopard23]

The US military and arms industry employees millions of Americans that all pay tax.

[Lliam]

It's too bad that all this technology is used to conquer other countries and maintain/expand our empire rather than merely defend our own against possible aggression.

[Leopard23]

Wait until they come for us?

[Lliam]

That's the excuse we are given. What a crock.
Like Dubya saying "They hate us for our freedom." LOL

[Telekinetic-Potato]

Our military is so ridiculously over powered. Love it.

[DarkLegacy]

The USA will always make sure it has the most powerful and technological advanced military. Because it thinks it gives it power over other nations and in many cases it does.

[Pterodon]

No we’re not. It’s Biden propaganda. We’re not keeping up with China at all

[Leopard23]

Yes we are. Nothing to do with china. Its well over do.

[Pterodon]

Brainwashed. They lead us is hypersonic missle technology. They have a larger Navy, Air Force and army. We are not keeping up

[Leopard23]

They've a larger army which they reduced because it was too big and their equipment is not even to 2000 us afmh standards. Their airforce has some good fighters but the majority are antiques based in Russian tech. Their navy is more numerical in terms of ships but they are small low quality ships.

[Pterodon]

Don’t you remember lessons from WWII? Quantity matters. Biden is pro China

[Leopard23]

France during WW2 had quantity, didn't seem to matter. If you have quality in quantity that matters more. The US military has 1.4 million strong standing military with 500,000 reserves, then as much as 10 million ex military still fit to serve and can be recalled at any time all trained proffessionals. That's not even counting possible conscripts.
In the Gulf War on paper Sadam out number un forces. In ww2 the US mass produced better weapons than their enemies in greater quantity.

[Pterodon]

No we didn’t especially tanks. The Russians and Germans both had superior tanks. What the Germans didn’t have was quantity. The German fighters were the equal and in some cases such as the ME 262 were superior they just didn’t have the quantity. For every Tiger destroyed cost us 4 M4 Sherman’s. The largest loss of life were aircrews. You only had a 25% chance of coming back to base for every mission. The only way we sustained those losses was quantity

[Leopard23]

Russians had the superior tank chasis design in the T34 but had horrible build quality due to mass production, it had a terrible two man turret which meant the commander was also the gunner, no radio, poor targeting optics, bad 360° vision, bad gear box, tracks kept falling off and was unreliable. The 4000 Shermans that went to Russia were well liked due to its reliability, radios, optics, comfort and reliability. When the sherman met the t34 in Korea, it wiped the floor with it. The Tiger and Panther didn't arrive until too late in the war and in too few numbers, the main tanks the Germans used the mark 3,4,5 weren't as good as the Sherman. We also had the Pershing that was more than a match for the tiger and panther, we had 500 in Europe before the end of the war. The Russians had the IL2 heavy tank as well. Both these American and Russian tanks were superior to the tiger and panther.
Again show me a 4 engine heavy bomber in ww2 that was better quality than the B24 or B17 or B29?
The US had the P80 which was a superior jet fighter to the 262, they never met because the Germans had so few jets by the start of 1944, engines were better as was the air frame and had computer assisted targeting.
Something like 5 million m1 garrands were made during WW2, the Germans had 14 million car 98k bolt action rifles. The Germans produced 425,977 STG44s and though it was the better weapon and cheaper than the M1 Garrand they couldn't mass produce it.

[Pterodon]

The bomber situation was one of the Axis greatest failures. Our war planners were superior in planning strategic bombing but it was at great cost. The Germans always had and still do have a habit of over engineering which slows production and increases cost. The P80 262 matchup didn’t happen because the P80 was too late for the war. Not one was flown in combat in WWII. We one some battles and campaigns just through sheer sacrifice. Damn near kamikaze type tactics. It was our quantity that allowed us to do that

[Leopard23]

The bomber situation was fine for the Germans because the luftwaffe was built to support blitzkrieg with medium and light bombers. The luftwaffe was largely a 1930s airforce. US and British fighters by 41&42 could be outfitted to carry loads similar to their light and medium bombers. The luftwaffe did a pretty good job of keeping us bombers out of German airspace up until 1944. The P80 saw no service because it arrived too late but the RAF had the glocustor Meteor which was a match for the 262 though they never met. The 262 was deployed before it was ready, the P80 could have been deployed early if needed but they continued with the mustang because of its extreme range.
Our planners were definitely superior.
The Germans didn't over engineer things anymore than the US or British did but there big problem was an outdated industry which made mass production difficult and a lack of resources. For instance they milliled everything and riviting whereas the US, Russians and British started metal stamping and welding everything everything.

[Guy13]

This is how we stimulate the economy.

[Drewtate]

@Trackboy take a look at the future

[Trackboy]

@Drewtate Good from Them, India gets what it wants, Russian S-400, Sukhoi Fighter Jet, American Predator drone MQ-1, American Howitzer M-777, Apache, Chinook, French Rafale fighter jets, Israeli Spike missile, Korean K-9 Howitzer,... and many more these are already in the India's arsenal !

[Drewtate]

@Trackboy S-400 is no good against stealth fighters. India doesn't want Russian fighter jets no more. The Rafale fighter was obsolete before it entered services. Chinook is approaching 70 years of age. Apache is being replaced after 40 years. Predator drones are being replaced after 30 years. India's arsenal is antiquated. Are you still using Lee Enfields too?

[Trackboy]

Boy, Apart from F-35 All US 's arsenal are Junk ! You already admitted it and S-400 can shoot down F-35 easily

[Drewtate]

@Trackboy it can shoot the F35 or F22 down but here's the thing Before it's able to the f35 or F22 has destroyed the S-400. Stealth doesn't mean yiu are invisible or can't be detected, it means you can sneak up and strike Before you are seen. That's why India is developing its own stealth fighter or is looking to aquire one. In air combat whoever spots the enemy first generally wins and the S400 put out radar waves is easy prey.

[Trackboy]

@Drewtate Right, but do you know how far S-400 can detect enemy aircraft? Its 600 KM... So S-400 can see F-35 when its 600 KM away and Can shoot down F-35 when its 400 KM away... US don't have any long range AIR to AIR missile which can hit beyond 200 KM !

India have Meteor Missile ( Rafale is fitted with it ) its World's best AIR to AIR Missiles which can hit targets up to 250 KM

[Drewtate]

@Trackboy the S400 could maybe detect the f35 at 30km. The AGM-88 HARM which is from the 80s has a maximum range of 300km. Its designed to home in on radar stations. The AGM-158 JASSM has a range of nearly 1000km. These are air to ground missles. So as soon as the S-400 turns it's radar on the f35 can locate and fire on it before ever being spotted. This is why India is developing a stealth fighter of their own.
The F35 can carry the Metoer missile. You will see British and Italian f35s carrying it as they own a large percentage of the company that makes them. The AIM-260 JATM is coming into service this year which is superior to the Meteor.
I would also mention that the French sold Dassault mirages to Argentinians and exocet anti ship missiles. During the Falklands war the French let the British know everything there was to know about the mirage and gave them codes to jamm the exocet missiles.

[Trackboy]

Abe chuitye Main air to air missile ki baat kar raha tha ( stupid i was talking about air to air missile that can fire by a figter jet, US don't have more than 200 KM )

[Drewtate]

@Trackboy the f35 carries the AIM-260 JATM which has a range of 200km and flies at mach 5. The AIM-120 AMRAAM has a range of 100km at mach 4. An SU35 would have to be within 30km to detect an f35, using its radar would light it up for the f35 to fire the AIM-120 AMRAAM which is designed to home in on radar. Basically you can hit what you can't see, if you don't know its there you dead b4 you ever know.

[Trackboy]

OKAYYYYY !! Is not Meteor is better beyond visual range missile? it can have a range of 250 KM India have over 1000 + Meteor Air to Air Missiles which can be fired from Rafale or Mirage 2000, Apart from this India have Astra Mark-1 which has a Range of over 110 Km !

[Trackboy]

@Drewtate Also I was talking about S-400 VS F-35, S-400 Radar can detect and track F-35 from the distance of 400 KM... and can fire and hit F-35 from 400 KM distance

[Drewtate]

@Trackboy BAE Systems Inc is largely owned by US companies, we vould have the Meteor if we wanted it. We want the superior AIM-260 JATM missile for the F35. The Rafale or Mirage 2000 would be good planes for the 80s up there with the f16& f15 but as soon as the F22 was flying in the 90s they became obsolete. Stealth gives a fighter first strike capability, in air combat whomever sees the enemy first and attacks usually wins.
S-400 range is only 400km and could only detect an F35 at 30km. As soon as they turn it on they would get hit by a missle. The US has been going up against Russian made anti-air missile systems since Vietnam and has developed weapons and tactics to defeat them everytime. From the wild weasel missions right up to stealth aircraft.