FutureWeapons on Discovery

Well the Discovery Channel has redeemed itself. They have an ex-Navy Seal host the show where we talks about new weapons.

This Sunday they covered a device which allows one to shoot around corners. You slide a pistol into the front-end of the contraption. Attached to the front end is a camera. The back end holds like a rifle and has a flip-screen just like on a digital camera. A joint holds to front and back together, and can be turned to point the camera and gun around corners.

They also talked about the new German Panzer-Howtizer (I think it was called this) that can shoot 25 miles away and 4 times as fast as the leading artillery. It was funny to hear the German commander say "shoot and scoot" with a thick accent. I love to hear foreigners use English idioms - it always surprises me.

They also covered the Javelin personal rocket launcher. Holy crap that this is wicked. Fire and forget.

Of course they covered the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and all of its bad-assedness. I guess that one's not coming out into 2008. My questions: why did they develop and manufacture the F-22 Raptor first? The F-22 and F-35 were supposed to be cousins. Yes, the F-22 is the air-superiority fighter, but the F-35 is much more versatile as a tactical bomber, and costs 1/10th of the price.

Our F-15's can hold their own for another 5 years as air superiority fighters. Our current stealths, the F-117 and B-2, are completely defenseless aside from their stealthiness. However, this is not enough... remember our B-2 that got shot down in Serbia? We need a tactical bomber that can hide as well as defend itself when necessary.

But I digress. FutureWeapons was a great show - check it out. You get a good nontechnical explanation without the antics of Mail Call. Don't get me wrong - I love Gunny and Mail Call - but you do have to laugh at it once in a while.

I like the show and hope it stays around for a while.

Anyone watch the episode last night where he shot the Barret, went on that super silent hydrogen powered German sub, and tried to outrun the predator UAV?

I noticed a few goofs he made, and was very suprised a former SEAL would make them, but I assume he reads a script and doesnt write it.

When he was showing the .50 ammo for the barret he started by showing a .223, then a .308 which he said is the standard round for the AK47 I alwatys thought a winchester .308 was basically the same thing as a 7.62x51 NATO, not the 7.62x39 the AK takes?

He then said the barret is semi auto and can put 10 rounds down range in less than 10 seconds, which is a huge improvement over bolt actions which take 10-15 seconds to chamber a new round in!! Bolt actions take more like 2-3 seconds to operate not 10-15 IIRC there was some JFK show where a myth was that oswald could never get 3 rounds off with that bolt action in 7-8 seconds or whatver it was, but the show had some guy use the same rifle and prove it can be done.


please dont think im nitpicking the show or the host, because I do enjoy the show, and I really couldnt care less about a few goofs (we all do it) but I just thought it was interesting someone who is supposedly a former SEAL would say such things?

sadly I don't get to watch it (not bird friendly..) but I saw the trailers. Looks good but I can't help suspecting it will do what all other Discovery military programs do; overstate the weapons it shows. For example, whilst the Barrett is indeed awesome, it is far from unique, far from the most awesome and not the first in its catagory.

Examples of "anti-material" guns that outawesome the Barrett:
Steyr AMR, Austria. Fires a 15.2mm fleschette round (armored piercing fin stablized discrading sabot, lol) which makes the 50cal look like a pellet gun:


RT-20, Croatia. A 20mm sniping rifle:


Another example of a 20mm weapon is the NTW-20 from South Africa:


So yes the Barrett is awesome, but hardly cutting edge.

Mind you, he's going to look at electrically accelerated weapons which really are awesome. Australian as well.

Originally posted by Ralph_The_Wonder_Llama

remember our B-2 that got shot down in Serbia? We need a tactical bomber that can hide as well as defend itself when necessary.

I don't belive we've ever lost a B-2. It was an F-117 that was shot down in Serbia I believe. Also, you have to remember that these were some of the first stealth fighters and bombers. They will get better as technology advances.

Originally posted by supergeo
Also, you have to remember that these were some of the first stealth fighters and bombers. They will get better as technology advances.

As will anti-stealth tactics and techniques.

The barrett is a good rifle,but i tend to like the l96a better myself,seems more accurate.The barrett has the long range goin for it.

Originally posted by warpboost
When he was showing the .50 ammo for the barret he started by showing a .223, then a .308 which he said is the standard round for the AK47

I alwatys thought a winchester .308 was basically the same thing as a 7.62x51 NATO, not the 7.62x39 the AK takes?

I think it may have been a generalization seeing as the rounds are similar. A .30 calibre round is the same(I think) as the 7.62 mm round, just like .223 and 5.56mm are the same round. I'm no expert but I think aside from the length of the bullet itself, .308 is technically about the same as the Soviet round, other than the fact that .308 will go all the way through a car from what Ive heard, dont know about the AK round.

I really don't like the show... other than the submarine, I think the show was gravelly misnamed when they called it future weapons.

The Barrett? Let's see maybe if he'd have coverred the new 25mm one it woulda been vaguelly new

The Predator? THis is documentary segment what 30 maybe 40 with something about it on it.

For a show about future weapons it sure shows alot of weapons that have been in service for a few years.

Originally posted by astral_ice
The Predator? THis is documentary segment what 30 maybe 40 with something about it on it.

Actually if you had been paying attention you would know that they showed the Predator B which is a new and larger version of the RQ-1. They also had a piece about the Dominator, a UAV which promises to be revolutionary.