Illustration by Dogo

(Illustrations by Dogo)

The Army's RQ-5A Hunter, a 23-foot-long unmanned aerial vehicle, is too small to carry the 100-pound, antitank Hellfire missiles used by larger aircraft. Instead, it is armed with the Viper Strike air-to-ground missile (above). This laser-guided weapon glides for 6 miles, weighs a third as much as the Hellfire and causes less collateral damage. How small can air-to-ground weapons get? Air Force officials are publicly suggesting the development of 1-pound munitions that could kill an individual in a crowded area without harming innocents standing nearby.

Common Smart Submunition

Developed by Textron Defense Systems, the 8.6-pound CSS is a little smaller than a coffee can but can destroy tanks. CSS spins like a maple seed as it descends, scanning the area for its targets using laser and infrared sensors. Spiraling at 300 feet, the system can observe 2 acres of ground. Once it identifies a target, the CSS fires armor-piercing metal slugs. If no target appears, the CSS deactivates in the air or self-destructs on the ground.





Pincher

Produced by Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Pincher is a ground robot armed with the world's smallest rockets. The warheads are loaded with an incendiary mixture that destroys IEDs by quickly burning explosives without detonating them. Each miniature rocket is 8 inches long and effective at more than 20 yards; a pod of four rockets weighs just 10 ounces and creates little recoil. Currently a prototype, Pincher could be operational next year.





Common Very Lightweight Torpedo

At about 200 pounds, the CVLWT is less than half the weight of the smallest existing torpedo in the U.S. Navy's inventory. An advanced shaped-charge warhead gives it the striking power of a much larger weapon. The 9-foot torpedo, petite enough to be carried by unmanned submarines and drone helicopters, is currently under development at Penn State University, in association with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center.

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