Modern Weapons: Possibilities and Limitations

Abstract

In this chapter, we demonstrate that one of the main reasons behind the phenomenon of viruses and Trojans as main components of cyberweapons are the significant limitations and disadvantages of the absolute majority of modern weapons, including both classical types (chemical, nuclear, biological and space weapons) as well as all the types of exotic weapons (atmospheric, seismic, non-lethal, microwave, etc.). In a popular science form, with a minimum of mathematical expressions and formulas, we will show here all the main limitations and disadvantages of these classic and promising exotic weapons, and the reader will be able to make sure that the presence of these disadvantages and limitations can ultimately reduce all their theoretically high combat effectiveness to zero. Mass use of nuclear and space weapons is equivalent to suicide of the initiating party. The military themselves are well aware of all these disadvantages and limitations, as well as the fact that the use of such relatively new weapons as Trojans in modern local conflicts and network-centric wars can basically provide the same results as classic weapons while requiring incomparably less material, financial, and human resources with the risk of receiving a retaliatory strike from the enemy. We will also show that the only theoretical competitors to cyberweapons in the near future are neural weapons, to which a separate section is dedicated. In future wars, these two types of super weapons will act in solidarity, helping and protecting each other. The first section here contains a brief history of development of weapons. Using the example of analyzing the process of historical evolution of a knife, the authors show how the development of this simplest weapon stimulated the development of new technologies, new materials, and design ideas—this is how metallurgy, material processing technologies, new professions, etc. appeared. The second section is dedicated to the analysis of possibilities and technical limitations of modern space weapons. In this section, the authors review technical capabilities and limitations of all possible means of destruction of ballistic missiles (laser, beam, kinetic and electromagnetic weapons), as wells as problematic issues of ensuring technical and operational reliability of function of the space layer of missile defense, which have not been discussed in open press earlier. The paradox of limitedness of the unlimited near-Earth space is also considered in detail for the first time in open press. The third section is dedicated to the analysis of possibilities and limitations of using ground microwave weapons (microwave units as well as regular and nuclear microwave ammunitions), including the main types of non-lethal weapons. The fourth section examines various types of microwave weapons for atmospheric and space applications (radio frequency, kinetic and energy, plasma, laser, beam, etc.); it also contains the results of the authors’ analysis of microwave complexes of countering modern high-frequency weapons, including technical complexes of jamming high-frequency weapons, which significantly reduce the effectiveness of these weapons in practice. The fifth section is dedicated to analysis of the problem of high-frequency active HAARP studies from the point of view of the possibility of using it as an atmospheric weapon, as well as comparison of suggested functions of the same systems created in the USA, Europe, and the USSR/Russia. The possibilities and limitations of using so-called chemoacoustic waves as a seismic weapon are considered separately. The sixth section contains an overview of possibilities and limitations of a new promising type of weapons—neural weapons. The section contains a detailed examination of such components as military neuroscience, military neuropharmacology, artificial brain stimulation, brain–computer interfaces, biochemical neural weapons, information-based (software-based) neuroweapons, as well as an analysis of potential threats of neuroweapons. The concluding section includes an overview of specifics and advantages of the USA, China, and Russia in the race of neural weapons. The seventh section is dedicated to final results of authors’ retrospective analysis of the information about software and hardware Trojans as a technological platform for cyberweapons. The eighth section considers the main provisions of the modern technology of security control in microelectronics, as well as the necessary regulatory and methodological base of ensuring security of supply channels of microcircuits for critical information system. The concluding ninth section is dedicated to the main principles of development of a state strategy for ensuring cybersecurity.