UNCONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE MODERN WARFARE: WEAPONS, CONCEALMENT/CAMOUFLAGE SYSTEMS, MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION

Abstract

Over the past decades certain aspects which have become known in the literature by syntagmas such as the "Revolution in Military Affairs" or the "multidimensional modern confrontation", etc. were revealed all over the world. These aspects, which have a strong influence on the military phenomenon in all its sides, highlighted some major changes which are virtually unprecedented in terms of military thinking, ways of confrontation, the extending of the environment where the confrontation took place, and not at least, the diversification of technologies used during the confrontation. More and more obvious become the tendency to use the unconventional technologies, which also are soon adapted asymmetric or hybrid confrontation and less the classical. An increasingly obvious trend is the use of unconventional technologies, which are also adapted rather to the asymmetric or hybrid confrontation and less to the classical military confrontation. In this tendency are also included some technologies which tend to be applied in areas such as modern means of transportation, concealment and camouflage systems, new types of armaments.

Headnote

Over the past decades were revealed all over the world certain aspects which have become known in the literature by syntagmas such as the "Revolution in Military Affairs" or the "multidimensional modern confrontation" etc. These aspects, which have a strong influence on the military phenomenon in all its sides, highlighted some major changes which are virtually unprecedented in terms of military thinking, ways of confrontation, the extending of the environment where the confrontation took place, and not at least, the diversification of technologies used during the confrontation. More and more obvious become the tendency to use the unconventional technologies (non-NBC), which also are soon adapted asymmetric or hybrid confrontation and less the classical. An increasingly obvious trend is the use of unconventional (non-NBC) technologies, which are also adapted rather to the asymmetric or hybrid confrontation and less to the classical military confrontation. In this tendency are also included some technologies which tend to be applied in areas such as modern means of transportation, concealment and camouflage systems, new types of armaments.

Keywords: unconventional technologies, transport, armaments.

Introduction

In recent decades, in the context of general aggravation of the conflicts generated by the access to fossil energy resources and the complete repositioning of the global balance of power, there is an avalanche of new technologies, seeking to use microelectronics and cybernetics, but also the use of some new physical principles which can allow the compaction, the reduction of costs and the increasing performances important in terms of increase of the volume of material/information which is conveyed and also the speed at which transportation is made. Of course, the military technique was the first beneficiary of all these improvements.

1. Modern means of transportation

In this area, there have been achieved a lot of developments, even if only some of them were disclosed. Of these improvements, we will present in this paper a series of technologies which, although invented long ago, only in the contemporary period (and perhaps in the future) they find the most important applications.

1.1. The air-depression lifting force and the vacuum-propulsion

This is a technology based on the good use of the environmental factors potential energy which act in the lower layers of the atmosphere. Importantly, the potential energy of the dense atmosphere has the ability to be converted (under certain conditions) into kinetic energy, and this form of energy can be used to ensure the lifting force and/or propulsion of aerospace vehicles.

Almost a century ago, there were invented and experimented installations for blowing the boundary layer on the upper surface of wings, such as the devices invented by Henri Coanda1. These should be able to make a strong blow of the boundary layer and thus, to improve the conditions for the buoyancy forces, by means of a controlled movement of a fluid in a fluid environment, this principle being established by H. Coanda since 19322 and known as the Coanda effect.

Moreover, in certain conditions, there can be achieved even the vacuum in the region of the boundary layer, in which case the pressure difference is maximized between the extrados and the intrados of the wing, which results in making a large tensile force or lifting. In this area (the technology of air-depression for lifting force and propulsion) we can see that, at present, there are already used the so-called (internal and external) Coanda-type ejectors and also other applications3 of some physical phenomena, using the principle that has been enshrined in the patent4 which officially established what we call today the Coanda effect.

As regards the technique of vacuum-propulsion5, important works have been performed by the inventors Rudolf Liciar and Viktor Schauberger. The applied technology is based on aerodynamics of porous surfaces, but also the technology of boundary layer absorption through porous surfaces6. Such technologies open the path to grow the performances not only of the classic aircrafts, but also to achieve vehicles able to travel by air and water, including in immersion.

Even since the period of the last World War, the Romanian inventor Nicolae Vaideanu designed the hybrid device which he called Udovil and thereafter, the inventor Henri Coanda designed7 a propulsion system for hybrid vehicles which used the absorption and discharge of water, but without using any classical external swing elements - such as the propeller - that cause shockwaves in the fluid, and therefore the signals that can be easily intercepted by the enemy sonar. Such hydro-propulsion system (according to Coanda) is composed of a water intake, an internal propeller with centrifugal action of the water, an annular chamber in which was accumulated the centrifuged water, an annular gap through which the water is ejected and an exterior wall profile compatible for the application of Coanda effect, so that the water jets which were blown through the annular gap to adhere to the wall external surface of the submarine vehicle, moving on this surface such as a wall flow, and due to the depression formed around the immersed body, the surrounding water was led to the body profile and therefore amplified the thrust. Such a hydro-propulsion system brings a number of major advantages:

* it is perfectly silent and undetectable by the sonar;

* the immersed body has a minimal drag because around it, there is created a depression in the region of boundary layer;

* thus, there can be obtained higher speeds and also a consumption reduction;

* the water of the environment, instead of acting as an impediment by resisting the movement of the vehicle, will actively participate in its propulsion.

With respect to previous technologies presented in this paper, in the early 80s, there were a number of experimental models8 in the USA that have attracted the attention by the atypical technologies which they applied. For example, there was proposed a model of supersonic aircraft fighter of VTOL type which had a wing with double-vertical stabilizer/ winglets, and a canard empennage endowed with deflector-flaps fitted with shutters and internal flow surfaces with the capacity to direct air jets toward the desired directions, the engine exhaust gases and also the air absorbed from the outside. During take-off, the pivoting empennages (which have in their structure the ducts for the gases taken from the jet engine exhaust and the steerable nozzles) were positioned vertically and the deflector-flaps directed the exhaust gases and the absorbed air, downward, towards the ground; but after the take-off, the empennages were designed so as they gradually pivoted horizontally, and the vehicle can thus accelerate horizontally to supersonic flight regime. This device with horizontal take-off and landing was designed by Rockwell International for US Navy aircraft carriers, thus trying to replace the dangerous launching systems and deck-arrestors which use the catapult with steel sandows devices, and the other systems used today by the aircraft carriers. This experimental aircraft had a hybrid system of deflector-flaps (for the air jets) placed on the entire wingspan and mixed with deflector-flaps for exhaust gases, at the wing tips being also devices type winglet which have each of them, a vertical stabilizer with a ventral extension, as a large ventral fin. This experimental apparatus had also tail assemblies of canard type. The application of these technologies opens the possibility to achieve the aircraft from VTOL9 category, but also the achieving of some outstanding flight performances, such as speed, low consumption, autonomy etc. On the over part, the military applications are obvious, both in the matter of common aircrafts but especially for aircrafts UAV type10.

1.2. The magnetohydrodinamic propulsion (MHD)

The MHD propulsion is a modern technology based on the creation and acceleration of a plasma jet or a jet of hot gas which is intensely ionized, using externally applied magnetic field or using phenomena of self-generated magnetic fields inside plasma/ionized gas, possibly by the mixed action of an electric and a magnetic field. One of the most interesting technological solutions proposed was the ionization of the gas using the self-confinement (pinch phenomenon11) and accelerated the beam under the action of crossed electric and magnetic fields. It was also considered the use of Compton effect for gas ionization or the use of magnetic coils (made from quartz pipes filled with mercury) which are also strong emissive in the ultraviolet spectrum (UV-C12).

Such methods would provide a good plasma confinement, but also the complete ionization of the gases. By applying these technologies can be obtained aerospace propulsion systems for vehicles designed to work in the upper atmosphere and space, which are very important regions in terms of military applications.

1.3. The electrodynamic propulsion (electrokinetic)

This is a technology based mostly on using the environmental properties of the lower or upper atmosphere. It is envisaged that the working agent of the electrokinetic propulsion system is made up of electrons, ions and other particles that have electric charge. It is possible that the speed of the charged particles beam to reach relativistic levels and, in order to achieve such performances, there have been already proposed a variety of methods such as the use electrokinetic propulsion systems incorporated into the wall structure of the vehicle and acting on the atmosphere by creating a boundary layer which consists of ions and electrons that are accelerated using en electromagnetic field. It was also proposed the application of the so-called electric wind and the emergence of a directional force between the armatures of asymmetric capacitors13.

1.4. Active surfaces and the simplified thrust vector control

These represent technologies designed to provide a better manual or automatic control of aerospace vehicles. The research started from the observation that gas deflector-flaps and the steerable nozzles (thrust vectoring technique in the modern aviation)14 are solutions that raise a multitude of impediments. It was, therefore, proposed the use of flight control surfaces equipped with deflector-flaps and internal pipes for the air flowing through the interior of the fuselage structure or wings, including the use of devices for electrification and acceleration of the ionized fluid. Other considered solutions would be those relating to the use of plants containing fixed and steerable miniatural nozzels etc. Currently, it is known the case of the most modern US military aircraft15 that uses the thrust vectoring technique. But this technology is still far from having exhausted its resources, especially in the field of military applications.

1.5. The rocket engines using onboard Laser

This technology has emerged concurrently with the increasing power performances registered by the new types of lasers in the last decade. To a large extent, by creating and developing the so-called free-electrons laser16, the power performance increased so much that one day become possible for the aerospace vehicle to embark the laser used for propulsion. Older projects for laser propulsion did not concern than propulsion systems with lasers situated on the ground or carried by different space or aerial vehicle than the vehicle which had the propulsion system powered by laser. At present, efforts are made to increase the degree of compaction of lasers and also to increase their power. Military applications include both the propulsion and weapons systems.

1.6. The rocket engines with atomic radicals

Expected by some authors17 since the 50s, these types of rocket engines were later considered by other authors18 as propulsion systems of the near future. These systems are based on use of the atomic radicals as a working agent. For example, the atomic radical of hydrogen (used in proportion of 100%) should afford an effective speed of 20600 m/s and if the atomic percentage of radicals should be less than 15% (the remaining 85% being normal molecular hydrogen) still could be obtained 7300 m/s, while the atomic liquid hydrogen-oxygen mixture would allow the achieving of the effective speed of 4600 m/s (469 s. specific impulse). The aircraft engineer Robert L. Forward (1983) calculated that, in the case of use of hydrogen in the solid state (cryogenic), but containing atomic radicals at a rate of only 15% could be obtained an effective speed (in vacuum) of 39240 m/s, a thrust of 73900 Newtons (approx. 7536 kgf), in the case where the specific energy of hydrogen radicals (218 MJ/kg) produces, in theory, a specific impulse of 2130 sec. A big obstacle is that the state of atomic radical is very unstable, the radicals tend almost instantly to make the atomic reassociation. Another technological solution proposed was to obtain the atomic oxygen or ozone and the use of the fuel mixture consisting of atomic hydrogen and ozone. The military applications have regard to aerospace vehicles and intercontinental missiles, including the military satellites and the orbital launchers.

1.7. The optimization of the chemical rocket engine

The military research and development works have sought to considerably improve the performances of the chemical rocket engine, in this regard being proposed a series of possible technological solutions:

* simplifying the supply system by using a single working agent which have to be as inexpensive as possible, well preservable, non-inflammable, non-toxic, non-corrosive or hazardous to handle;

* the use for combustion of metal hydrides and multicomponent fuel mixtures19 containing suspended nanopowders (aluminum, beryllium, magnesium) and metal hydrides;

* the use of air-depression Coanda ejectors and of the injection installations also based on the Coanda effect, operating in the scheme of the adjustable nozzle to achieve the controllable detente of the gases and even their complete combustion etc.

1.8. The optimization of the hot air baloon

In the last decade, there were done researches in this area where the improvement of the balloon could open a series of exciting prospects for military applications:

* the achieving of an economic aircraft, simple, light (can be easily packed and transported), difficult to detect by the radar, capable of flying at high altitudes, where it can maintain for long journeys;

* the manufacture of automatic machines able to fly at different regimes of speed and altitude, but without requiring the fitting with heavy and expensive propulsion systems;

* the development of some aerospace vehicles easily to be camouflaged by using nanofibres with special properties.

Such devices could be improved for special missions: to infiltrate in the upper atmosphere wearing a lightweight payload, but having the ability to remain in the layers of the upper atmosphere for a long time and having also the ability to constantly replenish its power plants with energy captured from external sources (especially from the Sun); to launch microsatellites on the low Earth orbit. Some quasi-classical space launch systems (with conventional balloons) were proposed and even experienced, for instance, by the Japanese space agency JAXA20 and the American company JP Aerospace21.

1.9. The sonic engine and other applications of sonicity

The applications of the Sonicity in the matter of propulsion and combat technique are for more than a century, undeniable22. The principles of Sonicity allow the rapid heating of an fluid with low energy costs and also the achieving of high performance transmission mechanisms.

Regarding the direct applications in the field of armaments, noteworthy is the conducted sonic cannon made and tested by G. Constantinescu during the First World War period: the explosion of the gun powder contained by an ordinary pistol cartridge was used by the sonic cannon that can throw perfectly silent a 500 kg projectile at a distance of 1500 meters. Moreover, since the 90s, the american company Brunswick Corporation23 realized the ROW24 grenade launcher, of 140 mm caliber, which is able to launch a projectile of 4.5 kg (1.26 kg load) at a distance of 2000 m, recoilless, using a single normal cartridge of 5.56 x 45 mm, from the M-16 assault rifle.

1.10. The electrothermal air-jet engines

The electrothermal air-jets are propulsion systems based, most often, on the use of microwaves and the air as working agent. They are considered as propulsion systems designed to be used inside the dense Earth atmosphere, and they are characterized by the relatively low thermal mark and a completely clean (ecological) functioning, without requiring the transportation (embarking and storage) of any kind of fuel25. Also, the electrothermal jet-engines are very silent. Such propulsion systems were invented since the second half of last Century26, but significant results were communicated more recently by some authors27 all relatively recent, being obtained some patents28 in this area. The military applications are obvious, the military technique being directly concerned by these improvements.

1.11. Aerospace vehicles equipped with orientation/ stabilizer systems (using high-pressure steams or flue gases) and special aerodynamic cells equipped with internal flow systems (through the fuselage and wings) with deflector systems, blowing slots or devices for boundary layer absorption

Such of military aerospace vehicles are designed to work primarily within dense atmosphere, being capable of slow take-off/ vertical landing in very economical conditions without causing a thermal or radar mark etc.

1.12. The MHD rocket engine with Z-Pinch coaxial detonator and transient wave accelerator

This is a propulsion system for military aerospace vehicles which fly in the upper atmosphere at very high speeds, enabling them to cross very fast long distances at speeds in hypersonic regime, where operating speed of the engine can be between 1500 and 75000 Km/ sec, depending on the accelerator type which is used. In recent years, there were reported29 more notable achievements, also recently being developed an interesting scientific report30 in this area. It is expected that this technology shall gain important applications in the military field, along with the tendency of the war theater to be placed much more in space than on the ground, also the tendency to use more and more the vehicles designed for high speed and altitude.

1.13. The economical orbital launcher

Having regard on the growing importance of the space component in the confrontation of the modern warfare, to improve the means for access to near outer space is one of the major directions of development. Thus, there were sought technological solutions more simple and more economical to achieve the orbital launchers. In this respect, it drew attention to three types of technological solutions: the hybrid launchers that do not require the classic heavy and expensive launch infrastructure; the airborne launchers, which take-off from the aircraft carriers in the stratosphere; the complex launch systems based on the ground and designed to ensure a good acceleration (e.g. electromagnetic rail accelerators) of the vehicle before it leaves the launch pad.

In the category of hybrid launchers, we can remember an older but still interesting project: that of Neptune pyramid rocket designed by the German experts under the leadership of Heinz Hermann Koelle31. It was a very unusual rocket, pyramidal, that could be launched from a simple framework (thus, eliminating the expensive classic launch pad) and, optimally, this framework was floating, so the launch was made on the water.

This consisted of a self-propelled navigable platform able to move virtually anywhere on the Planetary Ocean. Such a platform can be equipped, according to a first embodiment, with a high voltage generator which may be powered by a nuclear battery (with radioisotopes). The high voltage thus obtained could be used to supply directly some types of electrostatic motors. Such kinetic force may act on homopolar generators capable to make available very strong currents, which supply the electrolysers where the electrolyte is the sea water and, thus, they produce hydrogen and oxygen. These gases are firstly liquefied using a Joule-Thomson plant and the liquefied gases are stored on board of maritime platform. In another embodiment, it was preferably used the environmental energy to drive the homopolar generators. The project of Neptune hybrid orbital launcher was proposed by a group of researchers from the Technical University of Berlin (FRG), but in their presentation gave no information about the launching platform, stating instead that the rocket was 69 meters high with a side of the base approx. 65 meters, the shape of a hexagonal pyramid, with two stages32. Such orbital launcher was fully recoverable, having a resistance structure much simpler and light than any other classical rocket. At its base were arranged the fuel tanks for both stages of the rocket. It was provided the use of multiple rocket engines of small size, with an ingenious supply and cooling installation, eliminating the classic scheme of turbopumps.

Another interesting technology has been proposed since the middle of the '80s by a number of American engineers33. They proposed the creation of an inclined metal ramp, 2000 meters high, bearing the magnetic rails of a catapult with magnetic levitation (Maglev34), being able to accelerate the orbital vehicle up to approx. 630 km/h before it leaves the launch pad. The magnetic ramp was designed to have a total length of 5500 meters, of which 3000 meters were constituted by a ramp with a small degree of tilt, followed by another ramp inclined at 720 with a length of 2500 meters, climbing up to 2100 meters high. This platform with the accelerating magnetic trampoline was designed to consume almost nothing, the supply being made by solar energy, in a situation where the solar collector was integrated in the infrastructure of the trampoline and it had a size of 60 x 80 meters. Basically, within a period of 15 days, the supply system accumulated the necessary energy of 26000 Kw/h. The acceleration on the ramp was achieved using linear motors (the magnetic trains already used that technique), the orbital launcher accelerating until reaching the height of 1600 meters at a speed of 630 Km/h, at which point it finally ignited the rocket engines, but at a reduced thrust regime. Worthy to note that the method of using a trampoline as a launch pad, however has its origins in the German technology used to launch the aircraft-missiles V-1. Thus, catapulting the (aero)space vehicle is, ultimately, a method of acceleration, so that when leaving the launch pad the vehicle must already have an important initial speed, but without using its own means of propulsion. More recent projects35 relate to the use of vacuum tunnels for catapulting the space launcher. Such a launch system is composed of a vacuum tube, equipped inside with a magnetic rail, which may be built inside the mountain massifs, vertically, or at a very steep angle. Unfortunately, to be truly effective, it would require the length of at least 5-6 km, which means a big investment in infrastructure. A very good magnetic catapult using a vacuum tunnel should have the length of approx. 200 km (!) and, out of the accelerator, the launched vehicle would have a speed of 5000 m/sec, i.e. 0.6258 from the first cosmic speed. At a such speed, the friction with the atmosphere leads to a very high release of energy as heat, which requires the adoption of an appropriate anti-thermal protection, possibly by using of high intensity (electro)magnetic fields.

2. Electromagnetic means for anti-radar concealment

While the developing of propulsion systems used in military technique, special efforts were made for the achievement of concealment (masking) means of own fighting equipment against the research and identification systems used by the enemy. From the tendencies of modern technological evolution, we consider relevant the quantum rocket engine used also as a mean of masking anti-radar. It is a system based mainly on electron emissions, but also accelerated beams of electrons, the use of the Compton effect etc. Typically, this propulsion and masking system is integrated even in the structure (wall) of the aerospace vehicle, producing an electromagnetic field in the region of boundary layer and thus accelerating the charged particles which are all around the aircraft.

Theoretically, it is possible that such a device to achieve high flight speeds without the outer surface of the vehicle to come into contact with the particles (gases) of the environment (atmosphere). Such aircraft has already been experienced by the US in the so-called HIMAT36 research Project, although the military research was much more ample including, among others, objectives such as:

* designing of aircrafts which could have not a rigid, but a flexible structure;

* the use of special materials and structures such that the aircraft can operate under magnetohydrodynamic and electrodynamic regime, including the using of special envelopes capable of emitting the kinetic (high speed) electrons37 (radiation β -). In fact, the electroemisive envelopes for aircraft were first proposed since 1910 by the Romanian inventor Vasile Dimitrescu38;

* the development of aircrafts with thrust vectoring technique capable of directing in any direction the jets exhausted from the propulsion system;

* to create aircrafts capable of slow vertical take-off/landing without requiring an aerodrome or otherwise landscaped spaces, ground installations etc.;

* producing integrated system within the aerodynamic cell structure, in order to achieve the radar invisibility and even optical invisibility (eg holographic techniques) so that the aircraft can not be seen even if it is daytime and it is in a low altitude flight.

Last but not least, in the scientific community, there is discussed the possibility of shielding the gravitational field39, but also to achieve the artificial gravitational fields with optional direction of application, so that the aircraft can execute any flight maneuvers, even those impossible in the normal gravity field, such as when the aircraft takes a corner at full speed, the sudden accelerations and decelerations etc. The flying apparatuses from HIMAT40 Project were provided, inter alia, with electronized instrument panel fitted with video equipment which display the images from outside and digital controls, eventually including the neural commands (sensor systems mounted on the skin, especially on the head, to take the electrical signals from the brain), which decrypts the commands sent by the brain of the pilot. These orders are then executed directly by equipment onboard, without the pilot to be forced to use his hands or feet; canard tail assemblies designed to amplify41 the airflow which reach the wings and thus improves the flight controls. Besides this electronized instrument panel, this type of experimental flying apparatus was equipped with the following: a) variable geometry wings which have segments able to change automatically the sweep angle, the dihedral angle and the angle of attack; b) variable geometry wings capable to have a very pronounced negative sweep angle, but also with the ability to self-regulate this operation and therefore its aerodynamic parameters; c) fins (ailerons, spoilers, slats, winglets, ventral fins etc.) designed to increase the flight stability, to decrease the drag and increase the lifting force; d) double-vertical stabilizers intended to provide a good stability and a good directional maneuverability of the aircraft; e) steerable nozzle type slot, with the possibility of achieving thrust vectoring, capable of being positioned at least at an angle of 20° up and down; f) gasodynamic deflector flaps mainly used during the aerial combat, to achieve sudden changes of direction and braking during flight evolutions etc.

Also, since the mid '80s of last century there were made public a number of other technologies that have been tested, such as, for example, the LRIPP42, which was an aircraft for infiltration, characterized by a very low radar and infrared mark. Basically, it represented since the '70s a model of transition from the conventional technology of aircrafts type delta flying wing (made by the German during the interwar period and also improved by Germans, between 1943 and 1945 for military applications) and the modern magnetohydrodynamic/ electrodynamic technologies.

Currently, the MHD43 aircrafts could be able44 to fly at hypersonic speed even in relatively dense atmosphere (between 20 and 35 kilometers) because they do not have direct contact with the air, but they could move surrounded by a boundary layer of vacuum which is formed around them by the action of ionizing electromagnetic field on the particles of air. Such aircraft could create around it a bright halo (because the ionized particles and the plasma cloud formed all around the fuselage), having the ability to fly absolutely silent even at high speed. According the existing knowledge to date, a flying machine, which is in subsonic flight regime, forms around it turbulent airstreams and when it reaches the speed of sound, around and behind the flying vehicle a shock wave arises. After exceeding the speed of sound, the shock wave is detached from the vehicle, and the so-called sonic bang occurs. As the aircraft approaches the speed of sound, the shock waves become compressed before it giving the impression of an invisible wall that seems to hit the aircraft: the sonic wall. But the aircrafts based on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and electrokinetic technologies do not form such shock waves45 around or behind them, the ionized airstreams having a sheet flowing around the MHD vehicle. Therefore, its flight is perfectly silent, even if it flies with supersonic or hypersonic speed. However, the boundary layer of ionized gas around it protects the aircraft against radar emissions too. Unfortunately, at present, the information released by the states which experiment such technologies are very few. Therefore, solely based on some theoretical analysis (fundamental physics, but also technique), we can only estimate the achieved level of that technology.

3. Special weaponry

As expected, the modern vehicles with military purposes, equipped with non-conventional propulsion systems are not likely to be equipped with the conventional onboard weaponry. That is why one of the special directions of research has been directed towards the establishment and the development of the appropriate technologies for the onboard special weapon systems. According to our analysis to date, between the results of this research were some applicable technologies, which might materialize as the following types of aircraft onboard weapons systems: a) weapons designed to use the smart ammunition (self-guided and self-propelled projectiles capable of acting under conditions of increased autonomy, also UAV having onboard weapons and capable of completely autonomous action during the fight); b) electromagnetic pulse cannon (weapons capable of generating guided electromagnetic impulses, in order to destroy the targets, particularly, the electrical and electronic equipment); c) compression effect gun or plasma cannon (weapons capable of use the self-confinement phenomena within the plasma, generated by high-intensity discharge and/or compression phenomena generated by the high intensity magnetic fields that are formed around hot plasmas; the shock wave formed as a secondary effect can be used, for example, for launching a projectile); d) the electromagnetic cannon with traveling magnetic field (also called coil-gun or rail-gun in the scientific literature46,47 and based on shooting of special projectiles with extremely high speeds when those are subjected to a magnetic field rapidly variable); e) cannon with mechanical waves using infrasonic or ultrasonic48 waves (weapon using mechanical waves of very low or very high frequency beyond the audible range and which can develop high energy, primarily intended to destroy the fortified buildings when the targets are located within a short distance from it); f) cannon using shock wave (weapon designed to produce an use the mechanical shock wave which is guided to produce the target destruction); g) high power pulsed laser sources (laser sources considered capable of emitting beams of high power, i.e. those able to deliver high energy pulses of nano- or picoseconds; also, it is of interest the improvement of high power laser sources with continuous operation such as the free electron laser); h) cannons which use focused and guided beams of charged particles (weapons that emit beams of charged particles which interact directly with the target) etc.

According the purposes and usability, there may be many more lines of development for the special weapons technology, than those listed here only as an example. The development of these weapon systems raises technological problems not simple, like for example: establishing and obtaining the necessary special materials, designing power plants (including the new working agent and cooling medium), to use new physical principles (eg, the electrostatic cooling), to ensure the power supply for the which require special parameters (for example, the magnetic accelerators), special design concept for the projectiles intended to act at very high speed etc.

Conclusions

Due to the very accelerated development of technologies in recent years, the results of research and development in the military are more and more unexpected and they have an increasingly rapid evolution. The emergence of new technologies is a far more serious challenge that rises to the military researchers all other the World, while the physiognomy, content and dynamics of warfare are changing at a rapid pace, forcing the adaptation of theoretical component of military art, a continuous review of strategic visions and a more radical content of those. Therefore, the military researchers have the duty, through their analysis, to try permanently to maintain this pace of strategic adaptation and completion of military science in relation with the increasingly rapid and surprising developments of the modern world. One of these is technological development.

Strictly from this perspective, in our opinion, it is noted that there is a need to forecast correctly the results of the technological development, thus trying to find its possible results before they are made public. Therefore, we consider that among the possible research directions with military relevance are the following: the capture and controlled discharge of atmospheric electricity; the air depression transport system of Coanda type (in tubes); propeller and turbine equipment without mechanical contact, using magnetic levitation; the aerodynamics of pyramid and discoidal flying structures; special applications in military technique of the magnetic fluids (liquid magnets); the achieving of improved electrochemical sources (compacted but with high capacity); power plants based on the magnetic energy conversion etc. It seems therefore that it is necessary, under the influence of the so-called Revolution in Military Affairs49 (process started just because of the increasingly rapid and unpredictable technological developments) the military research must provide periodically general or special analysis on recent technological developments, therefore introducing the results into the strategic studies and comparing them to the theoretical component of military science, to be finally able to adapt correctly and in a timely manner the components of military art and the strategic visions.

Therefore, in our opinion, it is necessary that among the tasks entrusted to military researchers, to be also the mission of making a permanent and correct forecast of the results of technological development and also to anticipate development tendencies. It is also appropriate that the results of these analyzes should be disseminated and used in the decision making processes.

Footnote

1 According to the patent US2052869 granted to Henri Coanda at 01.09.1936 for Device for Deflecting a Stream of Elastic Fluid Projected into an Elastic Fluid.

2 According the patent FR762688 from 1934, requested in 1932, granted by Henri Coanda for Procédé de propulsion dans un fluide.

3 For example, the patent GB431646 granted at 08.07.1935 to Henri Coanda for Improvements in or relating to the propulsion of solid bodies in fluid media.

4 The patent FR792754 from 10.01.1936, granted to H. Coanda for Procédé et dispositif pour faire dévier une veine de fluide pénétrant dans un autre fluideBrevetul, similar to american patent US2052869.

5 Lucian Stefan Cozma, "The technology of vacuum-propulsion - concept and applications", in Buletinul Academiei Fortelor Aeriene, no. 3/2014, pp. 43-52.

6 The author refers to one of the projects proposed by the Henri Coanda regarding the absorption of boundary layer at the leading edge of the wings using porous surfaces. Thus was achieved in the boundary layer a region of low pressure; of course, this does not directly connected with the vacuum-propulsion technology but is part of the technologies known as "air depression techniques".

7 According the patent US2699644 for Hidropropulsor granted to H. Coanda at 18.01.1955.

8 The example in this paper is the experimental apparatus Rockwell International XFV-12A.

9 VTOL is the acronym for vertical take-off landing , re-ferring to the aircraft that have the capability to take-off and land vertically without requiring landscaped areas or taxiway spaces on the ground.

10 UAV is the acronym for unmanned aerial vehicle, refer-ring to the aircrafts (usually small) automatic or/and remo-tely controlled from the ground, therefore not manned.

11 In the terminology of plasma physics, the term pinch refers to the phenomenon of self-confinement of plasma beam or a highly ionized gas, under the influence of its own magnetic field (internal) causing the decrease in dia-meter of the beam.

12 The acronym UV-C designates the electromagnetic radi-ation of far ultraviolet spectrum, the wavelengths between 280-100 nm, with the photon energy of 4.43 to 6.20 eV.

13 It is the so-called Biefeld-Brown effect based on the occurrence of a force of a certain direction and sense when applying high voltage on some capacitors which have asymmetrical armatures.

14 The so-called vector controls (thrust vectoring in NATO terminology) are control systems based on vectorial composition of forces with different application points and senses; not to be confused with vector control method of induction asynchronous motors, unrelated with vector controls in aviation.

15 Multirole military aircraft F-35 Lightning II (produced by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics companies, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman) and F-22 Raptor (produced by Lockheed Martin and Boeing- companies Defense, Space & Security), both of which having thrust vectoring systems.

16 Enshrined in the scientific literature as FEL, meaning the free electron laser.

17 K.A. Ghilzin, Motoare racheta, Editura Tehnica, Bucuresti, 1950, pp. 80-83.

18 Robert L. Forward, Alternate Propulsion Energy Sources Final Report, AFRPL TR-83-067, dec. 1983.

19 Gavril Malos, Marius Ovidiu Mândrican, De la superso-nic... spre viteza luminii, Editura Tehnica, Bucuresti, 1991, pp. 103-105.

20 Additional information can be found at the official web page of Japanese Space Agency at http://global.jaxa.jp/ projects/sas/balloon/, accessed on12.05.2015.

21 Additional information can be found at the official web page of the american society JP Aerospace, at http://www. jpaerospace.com/, accesed at 11.05.2015.

22 Nicolae P. Constantinescu, Enciclopedia Inventiunilor Tehnice, Editura Fundatiei Regale Carol al II-lea, Bucuresti, 1939, vol. 1, pp. 253-283.

23 The American society Brunswick Corporation was founded in 1845 and has its headquarters north of Chicago, Illinois.

24 The portable weapon system Rifleman's Arms Assault Weapon (RAW) is a grenade launcher attached to the muzzle of the assault rifle M-16, but without hindering the normal ammunition shooting. The project occurred since 1977, but entered into production and service only in the 90s.

25 The fuel is generally any mixture that can feed a carburetor (Scriban Dictionary, 1939) or more precisely the liquid fuel used in internal combustion engines (Dictionary of Neologisms, 1986) or particularly, a volatile liquid fuel which, when mixed with air, is used to power internal combustion engines (according to the New Explanatory Dictionary of the Romanian Language, NODEX, 2002).

26 For example, the American patent US3083528 at 02.04.1963, granted to W. Brown for Microwave engines.

27 Kevin Parkin, director of Mission Design Center (NASA-Ames), The Microwave Thermal Thruster Concept, in Beamed Energy Propulsion: Second International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion, edited by K. Komurasaki, American Institute of Physics, 2004; David D. Murakami, Kevin L. Parkin, An Overview of the NASA Ames Millimeter-Wave Thermal Launch System, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 2012.

28 For example, the patent US6993898 granted to K. Parkin in 07.02.2006 for Microwave heat exchange thruster.

29 For more details, see the scientific reports published in the online electronic magazine Next Big Future:

- elaborated by a team of researchers from the University of Alabama, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Space in Huntsville, the article NASA working on lightweight Z-pinch and Dense plasma focus Pulsed Nuclear Fusion Propulsion Feasability Tests, URL: http:// nextbigfuture.com/2012/06/nasa-working-on-lightweight-z-pinch-and.html, accessed at 12.05.2015;

-from the same authors, the article Zpinch Nuclear Fusion Pulse Space Propulsion Research, URL: http:// nextbigfuture.com/2012/10/zpinch-nuclear-fusion-pulse-space.html, accesed at 12.05.2015;

- developed by the editorial staff of the electronic magazine Next Big Future, article "Fusion Propulsion Z-Pinch Engine Concept", URL: http://nextbigfuture.com/2012/10/ fusion-propulsion-z-pinch-engine-concept.html, accessed at 10.05.2015;

-Idem, the article "Updating Project Orion: External Pulsed Plasma Propulsion", URL: http://nextbigfuture. com/2007/07/updating-project-orion-external-pulsed. html, accessed on 10.05.2015.

30 J. Miernik, G. Statham, L. Fabisinski, C. D. Maples, R. Adams, T. Polsgrove, S. Fincher, J. Cassibry, R. Cortez, M. Turner, T. Percy, Fusion propulsion z-pinch engine concept, SAIC Advanced Concepts Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, 2013.

31 Heinz-Hermann Koelle (1925-2011) was an aircraft engineer who during the preparation of the Apollo space program has made preliminary design of Saturn rocket. He worked in the team of the German scientist Wernher von Braun and into the Ballistic Missile Army Agency (ABMA), part of the team that made the satellite Explorer 1 (the first US satellite) and later occupied important positions in the Marshall Space Flight Center during the Apollo lunar program. Since 1965, he becomes the holder of Space Technology Department of the Technical University of Berlin (FRG).

32 More details can be found on the website of the German electronic scientific journal Monstermachine, article "Transporting heavy duty to the Moon", URL: https://monstermaschine.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/ transporting-heavy-duty-to-the-moon/, accessed on 30.05.2015.

33 Such as James R. Powell, George Maise, John C. Mankins, Gordon Danby etc.

34 Maglev, means magnetic levitation, referring to the lif-ting and propulsion method based on the interaction of magnetic fields.

35 Marshall T. Savage, Proiectul Millenium, Editura Elit-Comentator, Ploiesti, 1997, pp. 97-125.

36 HIMAT is the acronym for the syntagma high maneuvrable aircraft technology.

37 The syntagma kinetic electrons means the electronic emission that consists of electrons of relativistic velocity, hence the high energy of the particles; also known as "radiation β -" (minus beta).

38 According the patent RO1789/07.05.1910.

39 We mention that until now there is no scientific evidence or reliable information on the possibility of making such a shielding of gravitational field. However, the hypothesis is still subject to debate for scientists.

40 Research Programe of NASA (SUA) titled Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) held from 1979 to 1983.

41 The author refers in this case at some of the benefits (aerodynamic) of canard type of aircraft controls (placed at the leading edge of the fuselage, before the wings), otherwise, currently used of some types of aircrafts.

42 LRIPP is the acronym for the syntagma Low Radar and Infrared Profile Penetrator.

43 MHD is the acronym for magnetohydrodynamics, a scientific discipline having as object to describe the behavior of electrically conductive fluids (liquids, ionized gases, plasma) when they are located in (or subjected to) electromagnetic fields.

44 The statement is made based on the scientific research results that were released, however, there were not released any evidences obtained from experimental flights.

45 For the aircraft equipped with MHD envelope, the air streams not reach virtually in contact with the aircraft surface, the gases from air composition being ionized (usually by applying an sufficiently intense electric field) and then driven under the influence of a magnetic field created around the aircraft. The laminar flowing of the ionized gas streams comply in this case to the laws of magnetohydrodynamics.

46 H. H. Woodson, M. D. Driga, W. F. Weldon, Recoil in electromagnetic railguns, Third Symposium on Electromagnetic Launch Technology, Austin, 20-24 aprilie 1986, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 22, no. 6, Nov. 1986, pp. 1808-1811.

47 Ian R. McNab, Launch to Space With an Electromagnetic Railgun, IEEE Transactions on magnetics, vol. 39, no. 1, Jan. 2003, p. 295.

48 For further details, Lucian Stefan Cozma, "Some considerations on the use of infrasound/ultrasound generator in infantry weapons", in Military Science Universe Conference Proceedings, vol. 2 - Defense Studies, Geopolitics and Military Strategy, "Carol I" National Defence University, Bucuresti, 14-15 April 2011, pp. 330-357.

49 Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) is an American concept in the theory of military science, which (among others) try to link the military phenomenon closely to that of the technological evolution.

References

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. ADAMS, R.; MIERNIK, J.; STATHAM, G.; FABISINSKI, L.; MAPLES, C. D.; POLSGROVE, T.; FINCHER, S.; CASSIBRY, J.; CORTEZ, R.; TURNER, M.; PERCY, T., Fusion propulsion z-pinch engine concept, SAIC Advanced Concepts Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, 2013.

2. CONSTANTINESCU, Nicolae P., Enciclopedia Inventiunilor Tehnice, Editura Fundatiei Regale Carol al II-lea, Bucuresti, 1939.

3. COZMA, Lucian Stefan, "Tehnologia vacuum-propulsiei - concept si aplicatii", in Buletinul Academiei Fortelor Aeriene, no. 3/2014.

4. COZMA, Lucian Stefan, "Unele consideratii privind utilizarea generatoarelor de infrasunete/ultrasunete în cadrul armamentului de infanterie", in Military Science Universe Conference Proceedings, vol. 2 - Defense Studies, Geopolitics and Military Strategy, "Carol I" National Defence University, Bucharest, 14-15 April 2011.

5. DRIGA, M. D., WOODSON, H. H., WELDON, W. F., Recoil in electromagnetic railguns, Third Symposium on Electromagnetic Launch Technology, Austin, 20-24 aprilie 1986, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, vol. 22, nr. 6, Nov. 1986.

6. FORWARD, Robert L., Alternate Propulsion Energy Sources Final Report, AFRPL TR-83-067, decembrie 1983.

7. GHILZIN, K.A., Motoare racheta, Editura Tehnica, Bucuresti, 1950.

8. MALOS, Gavril; MÂNDRICAN, Marius Ovidiu, De la supersonic... spre viteza luminii, Editura Tehnica, Bucuresti, 1991.

9. McNAB, Ian R., Launch to Space With an Electromagnetic Railgun, IEEE Transactions on magnetics, vol. 39, no. 1, Jan. 2003.

10. MURAKAMI, David D., PARKIN, Kevin L., An Overview of the NASA Ames Millimeter-Wave Thermal Launch System, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 2012.

11. PARKIN, Kevin, "The Microwave Thermal Thruster Concept", in Beamed Energy Propulsion: Second International Symposium on Beamed Energy Propulsion, editata de K. Komurasaki, American Institute of Physics, 2004.

12. SAVAGE, Marshall T., Proiectul Millenium, Editura Elit-Comentator, Ploiesti, 1997.

Acknowledgement:

This work was possible with the financial support of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, under the project number POSDRU/159/1.5/S/138822 with the title "Transnational network of integrated management of intelligent doctoral and postdoctoral research in the fields of Military Science, Security and Intelligence, Public order and National Security - Continuous formation programme for elite researchers - "SmartSPODAS"."