One of the Air Force’s latest futuristic inventions, the Pain Ray (also known as the Active Denial System), has been designed for effective crowd control measures, acting similar to tear gas. The “Pain Ray” emits a powerful radiation beam that causes victims to feel a burning sensation and will send people running for cover. The potent beam is strong enough to penetrate clothes and lighter defenses, but it is not quite strong enough to pierce through walls.

Not surprisingly, the “Pain Ray” has stirred up some controversy about whether or not such a weapon is humane enough to use in combat. There have been no long-term studies to determine potential consequences of being zapped by such a device, so it may be awhile before the US military actually begins using it for warfare. Currently, the Air Force has plans to put this future technology to use by testing it on birds and possibly using it in air technology such as planes, to reduce costly damage caused by crashing birds, such as was the case with the Hudson River accident (when the seagull flew into one of the engines and caused the plane to perform a crash landing).

With all the trending smart phones and smart cars, the military decided that they wanted in on the smart technology and began designing this future weapon with state-of-the-art capabilities. The XM25 rifle, equipped with smart bullets, can do a wide array of tasks without the assistance of other high-tech weapons. Check out the list of different bullets that come equipped with this advanced rifle:

• High explosive burst round
• Armor-piercing round
• Door breaching round
• Anti-personnel round
• Non-lethal (blunt) round
• Non-lethal (burst) round

So now (or at least in the near future) soldiers will be able to better handle tactical situations with a wider array of options. For example, if snipers or marines need to take some prisoners alive, they can easily switch to a non-lethal round to neutralize targets. Or if troops need to take out an enemy sniper that is well protected in a building or behind a hillside, a smart bullet can be fired near the location of the enemy sniper and have it set to explode, removing any nearby threats.

Such future weaponry does not come cheap as initial estimates for the XM25 rifle are set at $25,000. The bullets are quite expensive as well, costing on average $25 each (depending on the type of bullet), which is over 25 times the normal price of typical rifle rounds. As long as this future rifle proves to be effective, I don’ think the military will have too big of a problem with such prices.

Since this picture is super-cool, I decided to make it extra large. This bad boy is called the MP7A1 and is an upgraded version of the MP5. What’s the upgrade you might ask? First of all, consider this: the MP5 only can use bullets with the same strength of a 9 mm pistol, not quite enough to stop an enemy wearing a helmet or body armor. So instead of having to haul around a larger assault rifle, the MP7 allows its mobility for close combat, and packs the same amount of heat as an assault rifle, which can easily penetrate body armor. This modern upgrade of a machine gun will allow for enhanced protection, especially those protecting people such as government officials and such. To learn more about this new and unique weapon, watch a short video from the Discovery channel, which goes more in depth on the specs and capabilities. Click ‘Here‘.

Developed in the United Kingdom, the Wasp knife packs a punch greater than any other knife on the planet. This innovative little knife basically explodes inside the victim, destroying vital organs and causing a deadly blow. This knife was developed for self-defense against predators of greater size, such as sharks and bears. Yes, this knife can be used in both environments, and was originally intended to serve as protection for divers.

How does it work? Quite simply, to be honest. Attached to the handle of the knife lies a CO2 cartridge, which can be released by pressing a small button on the knife. All you have to do is thrust the knife into something and press the little button and KABOOMY. To see the Wasp knife in action, click here. This deadly toy will run you about $3-400, so it’s really only for people who tangle with mother nature.

Note: Don’t use this knife at the dinner table.

As technological advances excel by the minute, we get a deeper look into what may used in future wars regarding weaponry. This electromagnetic gun is an example of what may be used in a few years time. Currently, the U.S. Navy has been testing an electromagnetic railgun that can project a 7 pound object at up to 7 times the speed of sound (faster than olympian Usain Bolt!). With such an invention, it would be possible to shoot up heavily armored tanks and planes from miles away. Although no one really knows when such weaponry will be ready for use, one can only assume such a thing will be ready in a matter of years.