Misguided Fool
New Member
Recently i've been reading a lot about many technical innovations in weapons. The US with their lasers (not yet a proven technology, but this topic is purely conjecture! 
, and their amazing hypersonic "gauss" cannons, the Indians with their future mach 6/7 missiles ... not much on the Chinese front - perhaps they are seeking to proceed in isolation and thus not progressing as fast as perhaps the US or India? And Russia's defense industry seems to be geared more towards maintaining the current equipment than making any new stuff, but there are exceptions, such as the Novatur Alfa Klub, that performs defensive manouevres as it closes in on the target, and their similar innovation in ballistic missiles which means that "no interception system" can handle it...
As i see it, the US will proceed towards high tech options, a bit like the "allies" in a very old game "red alert 2", with eventually gauss cannons being minituarized onto tanks (although a currently unfeasible idea, who knows how far things will go in 20-50 years?), lasers being used to destroy missiles and aircraft and UAVs being used to patrol the skies. I think Russia will proceed on a more conventional route, modifying existing technology (such as the ramjet) to produce more capable and destructive platforms. I think India will proceed with definitely it's high speed missiles - but as it's so far behind the "curve" (of Russia, the EU and the US), i think it's hard to predict where it will go.
I think strategy will once more focus on the US and the EU holding the qualitative edge, although arguably Russia and the USSR have always been on par with the west qualitatively. But once again, in the future, who knows? While historical trends have pointed towards this, with so much revolutionary game changing technology being rapidly introduced and researched, i think a role reversal is certainly possible. What if it turns out that lasers are actually much cheaper to mass produce than missiles or SAMs, but aren't nearly as effective? Or that "gauss" cannons are much cheaper to operate, but much less accurate and possibly easier to intercept with hyperfast SAMs? Could we see a day where Russia's strategy shifts to exploiting its qualitative edge instead of its quantitative one?
What do you guys think? I'm certainly looking forward to some professional opinions about my hypothetical wishful thinking:.
, and their amazing hypersonic "gauss" cannons, the Indians with their future mach 6/7 missiles ... not much on the Chinese front - perhaps they are seeking to proceed in isolation and thus not progressing as fast as perhaps the US or India? And Russia's defense industry seems to be geared more towards maintaining the current equipment than making any new stuff, but there are exceptions, such as the Novatur Alfa Klub, that performs defensive manouevres as it closes in on the target, and their similar innovation in ballistic missiles which means that "no interception system" can handle it...As i see it, the US will proceed towards high tech options, a bit like the "allies" in a very old game "red alert 2", with eventually gauss cannons being minituarized onto tanks (although a currently unfeasible idea, who knows how far things will go in 20-50 years?), lasers being used to destroy missiles and aircraft and UAVs being used to patrol the skies. I think Russia will proceed on a more conventional route, modifying existing technology (such as the ramjet) to produce more capable and destructive platforms. I think India will proceed with definitely it's high speed missiles - but as it's so far behind the "curve" (of Russia, the EU and the US), i think it's hard to predict where it will go.
I think strategy will once more focus on the US and the EU holding the qualitative edge, although arguably Russia and the USSR have always been on par with the west qualitatively. But once again, in the future, who knows? While historical trends have pointed towards this, with so much revolutionary game changing technology being rapidly introduced and researched, i think a role reversal is certainly possible. What if it turns out that lasers are actually much cheaper to mass produce than missiles or SAMs, but aren't nearly as effective? Or that "gauss" cannons are much cheaper to operate, but much less accurate and possibly easier to intercept with hyperfast SAMs? Could we see a day where Russia's strategy shifts to exploiting its qualitative edge instead of its quantitative one?
What do you guys think? I'm certainly looking forward to some professional opinions about my hypothetical wishful thinking
:.