Introduction

With the announcement that Elbit Systems Bristol has partnered with the UK Military of Defence, there were a lot of details released about military equipment. The most interesting was the new artificial intelligence (AI)-supported assault rifles that will be a part of the military’s arsenal in the near future. This made us wonder what other near-futuristic tech advancements will be hitting the battlefield soon. With this in mind, we have chosen our favourites that we are likely to see in 2022. Read on for all the details of the best military gadgets in 2022.

Virtual Reality Headsets

Virtual reality (VR) has a lot of applications, including communication, gaming, tourism, etc. So, it was only a matter of time before the military turned their heads to embrace this technology. VR is particularly helpful in training, where it provides a safe space to gain hands on experience in disciplines like military medicine and engineering, for example.

The concept of the flight simulator has become mainstream even to civilians, so you can imagine the many different ways the military can use VR. The Norwegian Army is already using VR helmets to see the battlefield through a tank’s armour, and military services around the world have been using VR to train recruits in combat. It is a good way of gaining experience and learning from mistakes without dealing with the consequences of those mistakes.

Injectable Sponges

Blood loss can be a killer, but it is particular problem in the military, where blunt force trauma and embedded shrapnel and other injuries is often a possibility. And unfortunately, the best way to treat blood loss until you can get your patient to a hospital is pressure. Keeping pressure on the wound will help to keep as much of the blood inside the body where it should be circulating. However, it is not always a possibility. This requires a pair of hands to not lift from the patient at any point, and, in an environment where there are likely to be multiple patients around, you will need some help.

Enter, the injectable sponges. Once injected into the cavity of a wound, the haemostatic sponges will swell and compresses the wound, closing any leaking and promoting clotting. They are particularly useful in areas that tourniquets have trouble working, such as the groin and armpits.

ARCAS, an AI-Powered Augmented Reality System

VR’s place in the military is well-trodden, and an easy point of conversation for everyday civilians. However, augmented reality (AR) has as much potential. Building off AR technology and referring back to Elbit Systems, ARCAS (Assault Rifle Combat Application System) will transform how dismounted soldiers assess their target area. Looking through a helmet-mounted eyepiece or the scope of a rifle, the soldier will have access to a range of AI-powered information that enables them to improve, importantly, their lethality and survivability. Ballistic correction, motion detection, navigation guidance, communication with superiors, and friend-or-foe identification are among the various data points soldiers will be able to make use of. Additionally, integration with third-party application is also possible.

It will work on a customer-by-customer basis, but, nonetheless, this potential to merge technologies across company-lines adds additional power to the already significant ARCAS.