This video from Dark 5 counts down five experimental and futuristic military technologies using high-contrast text captions, an ominous electronic synth soundtrack, and archival test footage. It opens at 0:05 with DARPA's EXACTO program, showcasing self-guided .50-caliber sniper bullets that adjust their flight trajectory in mid-air using optical tip sensors. From there, it transitions at 1:16 to energy-pulse technology like the US Army's rifle-mounted Pulser and the Air Force's CHAMP missile project designed to fry electronics. The middle segment around 2:27 highlights the US Navy's electromagnetic railgun firing 40-pound tungsten slugs at hypersonic speeds up to Mach 10 under the motto Velocitas Eradico. The video finishes by detailing DARPA's PCAS real-time air support targeting system at 3:37 and anti-satellite orbital maneuvering systems like Russia's Kosmos 2499 at 4:37. Without any voiceover narration, all information is delivered visually over the synth track.
While the presentation style can feel a bit like a polished slideshow, the actual military test footage makes it worth a watch. Seeing the kinetic impact tests from the railgun project and the infrared flight tracking of smart bullets mid-course gives a fascinating look at where modern ordnance development is heading.