The MMX mission aims to collect a 15-gram sample from Phobos. It is on the way to Mars.

“This artist's concept of JAXA's Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission shows the deployed spacecraft, Mars, and Mars's largest moon, Phobos, all together. MMX will orbit and survey Phobos from up close before deploying a rover to scout out the surface, and then land on it to collect samples and return them to Earth: the most ambitious sample return mission yet to be conducted in space exploration history.” (BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

JAXA's mission to Mars is to bring 15 grams of Martian moon dust to Earth. This mission is the next step in Japanese space innovation. The last mission brought samples from asteroids. The new mission is more difficult. The 25 kg IDEFIX rover collects samples from Phobos. The new mission is called Mars Moons eXploration (MMX). The spacecraft uses multiple sensors. Researchers hope. That. They can solve the secrets of the carbon asteroid called Phobos. The thing. That makes Phobos and Deimos very interesting is this. They are carbon asteroids. Maybe. Mars captured those asteroids. Or, in some other models, a cosmic catastrophe separated them from Mars. In some models, Phobos is like a pile of gravel. In some other models, it’s like some diamond. A third model suggests that Phobos is sand. That ice binds together. 

The MMX can answer that question. If Phobos is dense material, it could have formed when a cosmic catastrophe threw it away from Mars. The gravity could destroy the pile of gravel. MMX can also answer the question. Do those moons, Phobos and Deimos, have the same origin? 

Their surface is covered by dust. That makes it hard to get data from their surface. That. Dark. Or brown dust is the reason. For. Why those moons are classified as “carbon asteroids”. The dust is similar to that that covers our Moon. But the main part of those moons' surface It is hidden under that dust. 

“The relative sizes of the asteroid-like moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. Phobos is the innermost moon of Mars, while the smaller Deimos is more than twice as far away. Despite their appearances as looking similar to asteroids, it’s thought that Phobos and Deimos were once joined by a larger, third, inner moon, which has since decayed and fallen back to Mars. All are thought to originate from a giant, ancient impact.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.” (BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

“This artist’s concept shows Japan’s Mars Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft, carrying a NASA instrument to study the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos. The mission will contain a sample return component, and after collecting material from Phobos in 2027, it should return that component to Earth in the year 2031. We could know if Mars possessed ancient life, and if Phobos is made out of Martian material, just 5 years after the successful launch of MMX.”(BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

The probe itself carries multiple very high-accuracy sensors. The list of those sensors is from the BigThink web magazine. 

TENGOO is a high-resolution camera, resolving features as small as 40 centimetres (16 inches) on the surface, and can scout out a safe landing site.

OROCHI is a multiwavelength and wide-angle imager, perfect for identifying organic matter and water-rich material.

LIDAR is a laser altimeter that will measure altitude and reflectivity everywhere on the surface.

MIRS is an infrared spectrometer that will map out the distribution of any water-related substance over the entire surface.

MEGANE is a gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer that can map out the chemical elements composing the Martian moons.

CMDM is a dust monitor that can detect any dust rings around Mars, down to a minimum size of as little as 10 microns.

MSA is a mass spectrometer that will measure ions released by the moon itself, revealing the presence and cycles of ices.

(BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

“Rather than only the two Martian moons we see today, Phobos and Deimos, a collision followed by a circumplanetary disk may have given rise to three moons of Mars, where only two survive today. The idea is that Mars’s once-innermost moon was destroyed and fell back onto Mars long ago. This hypothetical transient moon of Mars, proposed in a 2016 paper, is now the leading idea in the formation of Mars’s moons, and helps explain the enormous differences in topography between Mars’s northern and southern hemispheres. Credit: LabEx UnivEarthS | Université de Paris Diderot.”(BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

“This cute little guy is a model of the IDEFIX rover: a small rover designed to be landed on Phobos in advance of the main sample collection and return lander. The IDEFIX rover is 23 kilograms in mass, which would have the equivalent weight on Phobos of just 15 grams. By characterizing. the moon’s soil in advance and testing the ability to operate a wheeled vehicle on an ultra-low-density body, it will pave the way for the success of the sample return portion of the MMX mission. Credit: Artvill/Wikimedia Commons. “(BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

“The Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument, part of Mars Global Surveyor, collected over 200 million laser altimeter measurements in constructing this topographic map of Mars. The Tharsis region (centre-left) is the highest elevation region on the planet, while the lowlands appear in blue. Note the much lower elevation of the northern hemisphere compared to the southern, with a mean difference in elevation of around ~5 km, thought to arise from the fallback of a third, large, former Martian moon.

Credit: Mars Global Surveyor MOLA Team.” (BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

“This close-up image of asteroid Itokawa was taken by the Hayabusa spacecraft in 2005 near its closest approach to the asteroid. Different parts of the asteroid have different densities, indicating that it formed as a contact binary from two predecessor “dirty snowball” asteroids. Itokawa likely has a history where several different smaller objects merged together to form what we see today: a common story among asteroid belt and Kuiper belt objects in our Solar System. Itokawa was the first object beyond Earth’s orbit to be successfully landed on, sampled, and to have its material returned to Earth.

Credit: JAXA “ (BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

The mission's purpose is to find out: 

Was Mars ever home to life?

Was Phobos the result of a Martian impact or an asteroid capture event?

When will deposited Martian material display signs of being hydrated versus anhydrous?

(BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

The problem is that the sensors must dig through the dust. Before. They can see Phobos’s surface. The probe uses a small rover to collect those samples. The probe drops that rover on Phobos. Before. It lands. The IDEFIX is the first rover to travel so far in the solar system. 

The Big Think magazine describes IDEFIX like this: 

And, in addition to all of those, IDEFIX is the small, mobile rover that will land on and explore the surface of Phobos before the main spacecraft lands to collect data and samples fit for the sample return component. There are three main drilling, sampling, collection, and return instruments:

CSMP, which will excavate the surface of Phobos to a depth of 2 cm (just under 1 inch), filling a core soil tube for the sample return capsule.

P-SMP, which will collect surface material pneumatically by injecting nitrogen gas on sub-second timescales.

And SRC, which is the sample return capsule that will store the samples collected by CSMP and P-SMP and return them to Earth’s surface.

(BigThink, MMX mission to reveal the origins of the Martian moons)

This kind of system requires highly advanced artificial intelligence and advanced mission planning. This sample-collecting system can collect data for new missions. Its purpose could be to return samples from Mars. Those samples can tell us whether Mars was once alive. And they can also answer questions.  Why is Mars dry? Maybe. There was liquid water. Only for a short time. There is a possibility. That. Prokaryotic bacteria formed on that planet. 

https://www.astronomy.com/space-exploration/japan-prepares-to-launch-sample-return-mission-to-phobos/

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/mmx-mission-origins-martian-moons/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deimos_(moon)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)

Laser weapons. Are more dangerous than nobody expects.

The new ground-based laser weapons are more dangerous than we thought. They would be. Those, maybe carbon dioxide- or carbon crystal-based systems. Can reach very high energy levels. Those laser beams are invisible to the human eye. And they can cut very strong steel plates. This means that those weapons can destroy drone swarms. They can also destroy other vehicles. But what makes them dangerous is that they are invisible to the human eye. IR lasers don’t create sound. 

And all they need is a light source. The acetylene light can be turned into a lightning tube. That pumps energy into the laser element. Or. If the laser uses electric light. That system requires electricity. The images that we see introduce regular military lasers. 

In regular military vehicles. Lasers can be mounted on small ground drones. Or in lightweight armored vehicles. High-energy industrial lasers with the 20 kW power class and less than 2 m long. The same lasers can also be mounted on UGVs. 

But laser weapons are an excellent tool for sabotage operations. Those weapons can be mounted on a lorry or van. The laser can shoot its beam through a small hole. This means. That. The weapon can be hidden in civilian vehicles. 

The UGVs on drill. 

Things. Like walls cannot protect targets. The system can shoot the laser beam through the mirror. That mirror can be installed in the drone. It can hover near the target. Mirrors can also aim laser beams around corners. Drones that aim the beam can make complicated formations. They can aim the beam into the target from a small hole. Or a laser can drill a hole through the wall. 

This means that the victims don’t see anything like drones around the target. The drone can send a position mark to the laser. Then the system aims the beam at the drone. When that tracking beam points at the target. That laser raises its power. The system can damage the stealth structure or detonate ammunition. The drone can carry a special astronomical mirror with extremely good reflection. If. The reflection is about 100%. That means it reflects almost all energy to the target. 

That allows. Ground-based lasers. To shoot beams behind the barriers. This makes it possible to use non-direct fire. With. Lasers. Laser systems can cut the electric wires. They can harm communication links. Those laser weapons can also cause big damage to the stealth aircraft. Laser beams can make small scratches. To. An aircraft’s wings. Or they can drill holes into the fuel tanks.

This means. That. Lasers can be game-changers in the next-generation military system. The high-power lasers can cause structural damage to aircraft. They can even make holes in ships. High-energy lasers. They can make cuts. The. Ship's keel. The laser system is a multi-purpose tool. The same laser. That cuts steel in a factory. It can. Be used to damage critical infrastructure. 

https://defense-update.com/20140813_laser-gbad.html

https://www.twz.com/news-features/army-wants-high-energy-laser-weapons-it-can-put-on-any-vehicle-in-the-motorpool

https://interestingengineering.com/ai-robotics/us-tank-hunting-robots

Tesla’s flying roadster is an interesting concept.

Image: Tesla/Interesting engineering. 

A flying car is a term for an aerial vehicle. It can fly. It can also travel on the road like a car. These systems are low-cost machines.  Those vehicles are not new concepts. During history. There have been more. Or less successful concept vehicles that tested things like blowers to lift those vehicles into the air. There are stories. That. Somebody. Even tried to transform the Ford Nucleon.  The nuclear-powered concept vehicle into a “flying car”. The flying cars. That use blowers or something like water jets to fly. They can be low-noise vehicles. In some concepts, the system used large wheels that turned into quadcopter propellers. 

Civil and military operators. Could use those tools. Of course. For Fun. But. There can. Be another use for those tools. In the Tesla concept, the car used “SpaceX-derived cold-gas thrusters: 10 nozzles fed by about 600 liters of compressed air.“ (Explainx.Ai). The system can give 80 kN of thrust. They put rocket technology in the car. And that is one of the most interesting concepts. That. Is one of the most interesting concepts we see in modern automotive technology. 

Long-term flight is not shown. But the roadster is an interesting concept. But anyway. That system is an interesting concept. Maybe it's not allowed on public roads. But laws can be changed. 

The flying car concept can help users avoid traffic jams. This can be interesting. It could help ambulances. And anybody who wants to avoid traffic jams. One problem with the flying car concept is the laws. The system might need a pilot’s licence. And traffic laws don’t know flying cars. But those concepts can have a bright future. What would you think about the flying jeeps that can transport men behind enemy lines without needing parachutes? 

https://www.explainx.ai/blog/tesla-flying-roadster-cold-gas-thrusters-how-it-works-what-was-shown-2026

Press Insider

Those vehicles can start to move. Just. After they land. So. The crew. must not spend time collecting parachutes after the drop. And the parachutes will not reveal that vehicles are on the ground. This is one thing. That can make these kinds of systems tools for next-generation reconnaissance and rescue missions. Without parachutes, the vehicle will not jam to the trees. 

But those systems can also travel over barriers. And. They can also be dropped out of cargo planes without parachutes. They can land safely and then continue their journey. They can also fly, or jump to cargo doors of hovering VTOL vehicles. The “flying car concept can also be useful for unmanned ground vehicles. The airplane can fly those “flying fire ants” to the operational area. Those systems can travel on the ground. And make kamikaze attacks. 

Or use weapons like machine guns or rocket launchers. They can land without parachutes. They can fly over minefields. And drive into houses like cars. Those systems can patrol behind enemy lines. They can make attacks. And deliver reconnaissance information. And of course, “flying car” concepts can operate on planets like Venus and Titan. They could collect samples from the remote areas. And then fly to the cargo bays of heavy helicopters and VTOL planes. Like the V-22 “Osprey”. 

https://www.armyrecognition.com/archives/archives-land-defense/defense-news-army-2025/u-s-army-tests-fireant-anti-tank-ground-robot-to-detect-track-and-neutralize-armored-vehicles

https://www.explainx.ai/blog/tesla-flying-roadster-cold-gas-thrusters-how-it-works-what-was-shown-2026

https://interestingengineering.com/transportation/elon-musk-flying-car-tesla-roadster

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/general/tesla-s-flying-car-dreams-get-a-rival-as-delorean-enters-electric-air-racing/ar-AA2ehTev?ocid=BingNewsSerp

https://pressinsider.com/technology/tesla-straps-rocket-tech-onto-roadster-to-make-it-fly/

https://tech-insider.org/tesla-roadster-flight-tech-80kn-thrust-explained-2026/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon

The new missile systems can change the game. Into. A direction that nobody expected.

 

"Blackbeard Hypersonic Missile Shown Being Fired From Ground Launcher" (TWZ)

Russia and China both have hypersonic weapons. They are years ahead of the U.S. That is one of the biggest problems for Western defense. If. A ground-launched hypersonic anti-ship missile is launched from 300-500 kilometers away from the target. The defense against those missiles is very difficult. The same goes for drone swarms. They are hard things. 

High-speed drone. That can reach speeds of 700-1500km/h. Can be transported into enemy territory. And then it can be launched near a radar station. Hypersonic missiles can also operate in multiple roles. They can have anti-ship capability. And. It can attack enemy ground installations. Those missiles can also operate against aircraft. They can provide long-distance strike capacity against all targets. Hypersonic missiles can hunt aircraft, buildings, and ships. 

The lack of ground- and sea-launched hypersonic missiles is a big hole in NATO's defense. Sea- and ground-launched systems offer something else.

That aircraft cannot provide. Aircraft are very advanced tools. They need lots of service. When. We think about things like ground-launched hypersonic missiles. There is a possibility.  That somebody drives those missiles on board some ferry. And then make a surprise attack from that ferry. 

Just like the drones. Those systems are platform-free. They can be launched from trucks on the decks. Or they can be on the ground. 

Aircraft still cannot fill artillery duties. Same way. Ship- and ground-launched missiles. They can threaten even the largest. And. Best-protected warships like aircraft carriers. 

And ground-launched versions of cruise missiles can turn warfare. Into. An unknown direction. Any cruise missile can use rocket takeoff. The Russian low-cost drones are a warning. The development cycle is very fast. High-flying balloons and airships can drop those drones to the operational area. The next-generation versions of those drones can use AI-based flight control. That kind of tool can be more devastating than anyone expected. The problem with military systems is that. 

High-altitude balloons or airships can carry drones. 

The microwave weapon. 

The ultra-high-cost F-35-style stealth aircraft play a vital role.  On. Battlefields. Those systems play a big role in attacks on Iran. But the big threat is also low-cost drones. Those drones can be remotely controlled. But quite soon. Those systems. They can also be AI-controlled. The new Su-57D two-seat version of the Su-57 can have better integration with drone swarms. Drones themselves can be shot from different platforms. Or the Su-57D can drop them. The backseater can operate those drones. 

The XQ-57A's U740 variant is launched using RATO. Similar RATO systems can also raise the cruise missile. Or a kamikaze drone. Into the air. 

The new cruise missiles can carry sub-missiles. That means the kamikaze missile can make a double attack. By. Using high-speed anti-radiation missiles. Or they can act as launching platforms. For. Hypersonic missiles. The networked operation system. It can use high-power jamming transmitters to cover the launch of the “Banderol”-type missiles. Those missiles or drones can be transported near their targets. And. They can be launched near the target. That means the defense system has very little time to react.  

Even if a drone is created for civilian purposes. Defending targets. Against. That weapon is not easy. The jammer system can deny communication.  But. That is possible. Only. When the jammer system is connected. The defensive system sees that the drone is coming. If. The drone is not detected. That can cause a horrible situation. 

The new SAAB/Kraken K3 SCOUT unmanned surface scout vehicle. 

The new sea drones can cause problems. The surface drones, equipped with microwave weapons and Hellfire or Spike missiles, can be dangerous for all other vehicles. Those. Small-sized unmanned automated drones. They can paralyze defenses. And they can cause very bad damage. 

That kind of USV can even carry nuclear weapons. The 12-kiloton nuclear explosives in the drones can turn the small drone into a nuclear weapon. Or a nuclear version of the HMS Chambeltown. The HMS Chambeltown made the successful St. Nazaire raid.  There, it collided with the gate of the shipyard’s pool. It detonated depth charges in the St. Nazaire shipyard. 28 March 1942. The big question is. What if Chambeltown used a nuclear weapon? The idea was stolen from “Operation Chariot”. 

And a little bit changed in some dark versions. The idea was that. The speedboat. Or some other thing. Like a yacht. Can sail into the harbour. And then detonate a nuclear weapon inside them. That can cause very large-scale destruction. USVs can also carry drones into strike distance of targets. The drone is the tool. That can also give guerrillas a new type of firepower. Those systems have shown their ability in the hands of Houthi rebels. Those rebels are a threat even to Israel. 

https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2026/kraken-and-saab-uk-pair-k3-scout-uncrewed-vessel-with-giraffe-1x-radar-to-detect-drones-at-sea#google_vignette

https://defencesecurityasia.com/en/russia-su57d-two-seat-stealth-fighter-drone-command-india-china-airpower/

https://interestingengineering.com/military/bae-microwave-weapon-counter-drone-swarms

https://www.twz.com/land/blackbeard-hypersonic-missile-shown-being-fired-from-ground-launcher

https://www.twz.com/air/high-altitude-balloons-are-a-game-changing-capability-army-space-command-boss

https://www.twz.com/land/blackbeard-hypersonic-missile-shown-being-fired-from-ground-launcher

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nazaire_Raid

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-57

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_surface_vehicle

Robots and dolls.

Ukraine looks to humanoid robots for reconnaissance, logistics, and combat. (Interesting engineering) 

Could the character in the famous “Alien Autopsy” film be a robot? 

The history of robot warriors. It is not very short. Even Leonardo da Vinci planned to create a robot knight. Mechanical robots were created a long time before computers. The mechanical robots were built a long time before the word “robot " was invented. There is a theory. That. The character in the famous “Alien Autopsy” film is actually a robot. There is a possibility. That somebody planned to create a walking doll. That carried weapons. Or a radio transmitter and camera.  That allows. The operators to use that doll as a research tool. This means the remote operator can use those robot dolls to research the papers in homes. There is also the possibility that those robots can carry subliminal command systems. Those loudspeakers can deliver messages to people in the same place as the doll. 

Why I suspect the “alien character” in the alien autopsy film is a robot is this. The character looks like a child. The robot body also explains things like polymeric structures. And that means it could be made so that somebody orders it. Or finds it in some garbage. And then the child carries it into the home. There, that robot doll. Starts to investigate the house. Or makes something worse. 

A researcher named Jacques Vaucanson created the first robot. A “digesting duck” was a mechanical duck from 1764 (or 1759). We can think of that. This mechanical duck could pull a gunpowder line after it. There is a possibility. That. This kind of system is in use. A modern version could fly. It could be used in scientific and military missions. A modern version can also pull plastic explosives behind it. 

Can we make a terminator? If we think about the movie model, we might be closer than we expected. The system can use an RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) as a power supply. The polymeric skin makes it seem and feel like a real human. At least. From a distance. We might not yet. Use real skin and living tissues. But if we want to make a metallic android that uses network-based computers, we can do that model. This means we can create walking skeletons that can do almost everything we can do. And then we can make robots with very innovative designs. Researchers created robot hands that look like the hand from The Addams Family. The robot can have that hand, and it can separate from its arm. This allows. The bigger humanoid robot can operate in tight places. This kind of hand was also in Donald Duck cartoons.

Robot hand. 

Tesla Optimus Generation 2

Detail in the Alien Autopsy film. Could that character be a robot? 

Digesting Duck. 

Gyro Gearloose. 

Little Helper

Another interesting character that can inspire real-life robots is the “Little Helper” that “Gyro Gearloose” uses as an assistant. Maybe fictional “Gyro Gearloose” uses a BCI (Brain-Computer Interface). To control that little helper. These kinds of miniature robots can be useful tools when drone data links are set up in an area. The WLAN station can be in the drone. But the helper robot can install wires into the wired internet and power source. Those support station drones. They can be harder to track than we even imagine. The attack drone can use interactive technology. That means it activates that data station. This means. Those stations are quiet until they are activated. They can act as a chain. That allows. To control drones over long distances. 

The combat robots are coming. Those WLAN station drones can also offer network assistance to those humanoid robots. Pentagon is planning to create a robot army for high-risk military operations. Those robots should operate alongside human operators. The problem with those robots is that. They need lots of computer power. And any ship can act as a computer center. That assists those operations. The system can contain containers. There are supercomputers. So any container cargo ship can provide computer assistance.

For robots. That operate in the area. The thing that makes this scenario scary is that. Any platform can operate drones. And the R&D cycle in drones is very fast. Humanoid robots can use blower technology. That allows them to fly. Humanoid robots can operate more versatilely than regular drones. But regular drones can carry them to operational areas. They can be connected to the drones. Drones can drop them off at the area. 

https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-ally-plans-army-of-robots

https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/disembodied-walking-robot-hand-addams-family

https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/robot-soldiers-getting-terrifying

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain%E2%80%93computer_interface

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digesting_Duck

Rockets can also deliver naval mines and torpedoes.

New rocket abilities make them more dangerous. Iran uses rockets to deliver sea mines. That is the new threat to navies. The rocket-delivered sea mines are as dangerous as other sea mines. And that concerns the military. The mines that rockets deliver are regular horn and antenna mines. The rocket delivers the mine into the sea. There. An anchor turns it into the right position. That type of system can close sea routes from long distances. 

Iran lacks long-range missiles. But. It’s possible to deliver sea mines using intercontinental ballistic missiles. The sea mines that use thermonuclear bombs are as dangerous as the Russian Poseidon torpedo. In the 1980s, military experts introduced a scenario in which hostile forces could hide nuclear mines near the coastline. And if there were some conflict. Those mines could be detonated. By using sonar signals. There was suspicion. That. The Soviet Spetsnaz troops practiced this kind of operation. 

RUR-5 ASROC

When the Soviet Whiskey-class submarine S-363 (U137) ran aground near a major Swedish naval base in 1981. Researchers. They were suspicious. About whether the Whiskey-class submarine carried a miniature submarine. A miniature submarine. Could have a shelf below its nose. The flat, saucer-shaped nuclear detonator could be carried on that shelf. And robot arms could push it away. 

That means that the Whiskey could get a similar ability with an India-class submarine. That submarine carried two midget submarines. So the Soviets could plan a similar ability to Whiskey, or a “Juliett”-class diesel-electric cruise missile submarine. In that case, the missile boxes of the Juliets are removed. And the midget submarine would be docked. 

Russian midget submarine

S-363 (U137) on rocks. 

Tracks on the bottom of the sea. Told Sedish intelligence that Soviet miniature submarines operated in the Baltic Sea. But did they operate from Paldiski naval base? 

But. Could the soviets have nuclear bombs that those miniature subs could deliver? Today, those systems. They are more advanced. And more dangerous. 

Soviet-era retired “India”-class rescue submarine. Even if those DSRV subs are officially rescue subs. They can carry nuclear detonators. 

Modern nuclear-powered versions. Like “Kashalot” (NATO: "Uniform")-class submarines. They are more sophisticated.  

The detonator would be quite similar to “Greenhouse George” from the 1950s. If. Those nuclear mines detonated near the Swedish coast. They could raise tsunamis. But it is also possible that larger 50 mt. nuclear sea mines could be delivered using the SS-18 missiles. Those mines. Could wait at the bottom of the ocean. And detonate when they get orders. 

Another threat is torpedoes that can also be delivered using rockets or missiles. Regular RUR-5 ASROC systems carry conventional or nuclear torpedoes or depth charges. But it’s possible to create ground-based long-range missiles. These can carry anti-submarine (ASW) torpedoes. 

The carrier system. It can be the SCUD. Or some more advanced missiles. This kind of torpedo. It can be dangerous. To submarines over 1500 kilometers from the coastline. 

If. The anti-submarine torpedo is mounted on the Iranian MRBM missiles. But Russians certainly have missiles with this kind of capacity. Long-range missiles. That carry ASW torpedoes.  Or drones can be the next step in maritime missions. The only problem with those weapons is: how to find targeted submarines. 

https://www.twz.com/sea/iranian-launchers-struck-by-u-s-held-exotic-and-highly-concerning-rocket-delivered-sea-mines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_missile_program_of_Iran

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_George

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliett-class_submarine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashalot-class_submarine

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon_(unmanned_underwater_vehicle)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RUR-5_ASROC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_S-363

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_submarine_incidents

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey-class_submarine

The Zircon missile could be more conventional than researchers thought.

The 3M22 Zircon missile could be an atmospheric hypersonic missile. But it will not be a hypersonic cruise missile. 

Russian 3M22 Zircon missile can be impressive, but it’s less impressive than Russia claimed. Rumors say that the Russian Zircon missile uses an air-breathing ramjet engine. That two-stage missile has speed. 

It will be about Mach 9. The speed of this missile is impressive. But there is no visible sign of an air intake on that missile body. That suggests. The Zircon is probably regular. A two-stage missile that uses two solid-fuel rocket engines. This gives it a higher altitude than a regular cruise missile. The Zircon’s flight altitude is about 30- 50 kilometers. This makes that system a so-called quasi-missile. That missile has a hypersonic speed. But the other technology is more conventional. There is a possibility. 

An improved version of the Iskander missile could be the Zircon. 

Zircon could be a horizontally flying missile. This means the missile follows a horizontal trajectory in the atmosphere. The difference is that the Zircon uses a rocket engine. A cruise missile uses a jet engine. So. We could call the Zircon an atmospheric missile. Or a hypersonic missile that uses a conventional rocket engine. 

“A Kh-47M2 Kinzhal being carried by a Mikoyan MiG-31K interceptor” (Wikipedia, Kh-47M2 Kinzhal)

9K720 Iskander. 

The codename of that missile is 9M723-2 or “Iskander 1000”. The missile is a so-called quasi-ballistic missile. 

Another possibility is that. Russians put new hope in the land-launched, ground-attack version of the Zircon missile. 

Russian media said. An improved version of the 9K720 Iskander missile will enter service. This winter.  And that will give more strike capacity. For. Russian troops. Could that new missile concept be Zircon? Or rather, saying. Ground-launched version of the Zircon missile. When we compare Zircon with the Iskander and Kinzhal.

Could the Zircon missile be the ground-launched version of the Kinzhal? 

The Kinzhal is a hypersonic atmospheric missile. Kinzhal missile reaches only hypersonic speed. It is launched from a MiG-31 aircraft. Maybe the Russians replaced the MiG-31 interceptors with a solid-fuel rocket stage. And that could raise the speed of that missile to Mach 9. If the Russians just replaced the launching aircraft with a solid-fuel rocket. That makes it possible to launch those missiles from ships, trains, and road-mobile platforms. That makes it harder. 

To find those missiles. The system can increase the strike capacity of the Russian systems. 

https://defencesecurityasia.com/en/russia-iskander-1000-9m723-2-missile-combat-debut-ukraine-nato/

https://luftlage.substack.com/p/not-quite-a-diamond

https://www.twz.com/sea/russias-zircon-may-not-be-a-hypersonic-cruise-missile-after-all

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9K720_Iskander

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M22_Zircon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kh-47M2_Kinzhal

New tool: networked operational area.

"Patria demonstrates remote operation of Patria AMV armoured vehicle from Tokyo to Finland" (Edr online Magazine)

Researchers controlled the Patria AMV vehicle in Finland. From Japan, over a 5G network. This is a new step for network-based robotics that can operate in both civil and military applications. This technology uses the regular internet as a platform for robot control. This makes the system more flexible than satellite-based systems. The system can use regular internet tools. Like satellite modems. Or regular modem network application tools. The system can use wireless modems and WiFi range-extension systems to extend range and improve coverage. The wireless modem can be connected to a regular internet socket. 

The WiFi extender transmitters. Mesh modems can be installed in the drones. That makes them atmospheric communication satellites. Networked applications. Can tell HQ. About the use of ammunition. And intelligence data about the enemy. If the ammunition is equipped with RFID, HQ can know precisely what type of ammunition is used. How many anti-tank and armour-piercing bullets those troops have. And how many of those bullets are used. The system can tell. Which bullets the operator shoots right now. 

They can be on the ground. This system can improve range. And integrity on the battlefield. This kind of network can interconnect different types of systems. The ability to use regular networks. It is something. That makes drones flexible. Drones that use ground stations can benefit from roaming and mesh architectures. This allows. Drones to be controlled. Without satellites. Another thing that makes these applications interesting is this. Drones can operate as atmospheric satellites. They act like orbital satellites. Stealth drones can carry internet tools to observe and interconnect battlefields. 

Those drones can communicate with kamikaze and other drones. They can use radio- or laser-based communication tools. Lasers can operate under heavy jamming signals. High-flying drones. Can follow and locate lower-flying attack drones. Their high-resolution cameras can locate those smaller drones by following their laser LEDs. The laser LEDs can operate in visible light, Infrared.. And. UV areas. The UV laser pointers are invisible to IR cameras. So those systems can be used as communication and target markers. 

This thing is a new tool for the battlefield. Modern AI makes it possible. That laser marks a target in less than a second. The drone, missile, or bomb takes an image of the target. And then it travels to it. This kind of system. It can make intelligent ammunition possible to attack fast-moving targets. The ability to control robots over the internet is a fascinating idea. The humanoid robots can carry internal mesh modems. So. They can scale their data over the network. This kind of application changes everything that we know about warfare, logistics, and robotics. 

https://www.edrmagazine.eu/patria-demonstrates-remote-operation-of-patria-amv-armoured-vehicle-from-tokyo-to-finland

The new drones and solutions are shaping the next trends in the military.

"Ukraine Tests World's First Purpose-Built Robot Aircraft Carrier for Drones" (Kyiv Post, Ukraine Tests World's First Purpose-Built Robot Aircraft Carrier for Drones)

The next trend in the military is networking. All actors share information about their ammunition capacity. Recognized vehicles. Enemies and their movements. Knowledge of the enemy is a key element. 

The new systems are integrated as part of the whole. Entire battle units and their support systems form a network that shares information immediately. The winner is not the fastest. It's the sharpest. It's the thing that can detect, follow, and shoot the enemy with the highest possible accuracy. The only accepted accuracy is destroying the enemy. This is the element. 

In tactical-scale work. The strategic scale is more complicated than just battlefield operations. 

The strategic scale means the entire system. Its ability to replace losses settles the war. Settling the war is not the same as winning battles. It’s a little bit the same. But if the actor uses all its anti-tank ammunition in one battle. That can mean a loss in the next battle. All ammunition is a single-use tool. That means resupply is the most important thing in the war. The new drones can carry other drones. 

Sea- and land-based solutions. They carry anti-drone, killer drones, and observation drones. Surface and underwater systems can release other drones. That can affect inland objects. They can also use their anti-drone systems as traps. That can affect things. Like aircraft and helicopters. And other ships and tanks. The USVs (unmanned surface vehicles).And UUVs (Unmanned Underwater vehicles). And UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles). They can carry small, lightweight anti-aircraft missiles. Stinger-type missiles can cause damage to large aircraft.

"A photograph of Typhoon uncrewed surface vessel equipped with an Airstrike Pack. Image: Splash Industries" (The Defensepost, Typhoon USV Gains Ability to Launch One-Way Drones With a Single Button)

And if. The system carries an internal warhead. That can improve its ability to cause damage. The large-sized robot can carry other robots.  This means the UUV or USV can be dropped from an airplane.  Or some unmanned sea vehicle can carry a UGV to the operational area. This makes those systems very hard to predict. A drone is completely different from a manned vehicle. 

The AVs. (Autonomous Vehicles) like AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) are replacing remote-controlled vehicles. Those AI-powered systems can operate independently without a remote pilot. This makes them immune to jammers. 

The drone must not care. About. Its crew. And the only problem is its communication. When. We think about small-sized FPV drones. Bigger drones like the MQ-9 Reaper and its successors. They can transport those drones. And. They can act as relay stations. This means that the small FPV drone can also be controlled from another side of the world. That gives small drones new capabilities. Larger drones. They can carry those small drones to operational areas. The fact is that. 

Things like Starlink systems. They can offer drones higher capacities. Than we ever imagined. The modem that uses jumping frequencies is hard to jam. But if jamming is successful. That makes those drones ineffective. Except. If they have AI-based systems. That can make them follow and hit the target even if the controller loses connection. 

When we think about manned submarines, their limit is food. Another thing. That limits their operations. It is psychological effects. Things like toilets can malfunction. And relationships in a closed environment can turn poisonous. This means the next thing that we can see at sea. It could be nuclear-powered drones. Full-scale nuclear submarine. It’s easy to transform into a drone. 

Small nuclear reactors. They can give small vehicles the ability to use things like lasers and microwave weapons. Nuclear power can solve problems with those drones' operational range. Nuclear batteries (RTGs) can give a small drone an unlimited operational capacity. But portable nuclear reactors can give the same ability. For. Larger-scale drones. The nuclear-powered tank Chrysler TV-8. It could be based on the new nuclear submarines. Those submarines can have caterpillar tracks. That allows them to operate. 

On the bottom of the sea. The miniature sub. It can look like the Soviet miniature submarine concept. That was designed for Spetsnaz. The submarine had those caterpillar tracks. That. It can travel along the seabed.

Miniature nuclear technology. That was created. For nuclear-powered cars like the Ford Nucleon and tanks like the Chrysler TV-8 in the 1960s. Those reactors' modernized versions. They can make it possible to create nuclear-powered flying vehicles, ground vehicles, corvettes, frigates, and missile boats. Or the nuclear-powered version of the Orca-class UUV.  Miniature reactors. They can turn many visions true. The ability to create systems with unlimited operational range is interesting. 

https://www.hisutton.com/Russian_Tracked_Submarines_Baltic_1980s.html

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/83090?

https://thedefensepost.com/2026/08/27/typhoon-one-way-drones/

https://www.twz.com/land/bradley-fighting-vehicle-lugging-load-of-swarming-ground-drones-is-a-sign-of-whats-to-come

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_underwater_vehicle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_surface_vehicle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_underwater_vehicle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_TV-8

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Nucleon

New winds for interstellar probes.

“Light sails can propel spacecraft using the energy of the Sun. Credit: NASA/Aero Animation/Ben Schweighart” (ScitechDaily, Humanity May Soon Have the Technology To Reach Other Star Systems)

A large Mylar structure with a metal shell. It can. Make it possible. To create a large radar satellite. That satellite can look like a spinning version of the Solar sail. The system uses Doppler radar. For making highly accurate radar images. The same technology is used in photonic solar sails. It can be used to create orbital mirrors. That turn laser beams in the right direction. 

These kinds of mirrors can be used for systems that turn high-energy laser beams. Into systems. That can destroy satellites and high-flying aircraft. Megawatt-class laser beams can be created by using multiple smaller lasers. Those lasers can be ground-based. Or. Orbital lasers. Large-sized Mylar structures. They can help to keep the thermal level lower. But then, to interplanetary and interstellar solar sails. 

Solar sails are always similar systems. The interplanetary solar sail uses solar wind to push it forward. The interstellar version uses photons. The interplanetary solar sail can also carry massive radar in its structure. That radar can be used to research the internal structures of the planets. 

There is a possibility. To use those solar sails for interstellar travel. The problem is the weak thrust of photons. In an ideal mission, a solar sail uses the plasma flow to travel out of the solar system. And then a massive laser starts to push it into interstellar space. 

Maybe humans will get the technology to travel to other solar systems sooner than we thought. The first probe that we will send to other solar systems. It could be the photonic solar sail. The photonic solar sail can ride on a photonic beam. 

First, that solar sail could use the solar wind. Plasma that the Sun sends into space for acceleration. When the distance to the Sun increases, the system. It can transform to use a photonic drive. The thrust that photons give is so low. The solar sail must use some other systems. To accelerate to a speed high enough for the sail. It can travel out of the solar system. 

“An artist's conception of the Project Orion. "Basic” spacecraft, powered by nuclear pulse propulsion.” (Wikipedia, Nuclear pulse propulsion)

One promising first-stage acceleration system is called Nuclear pulse propulsion. 

In the 1960s, the U.S. Air Force proposed Project Orion. The idea was to use a series of low-yield nuclear explosions. To send a rocket to other planets. Those nuclear bombs were planned to detonate behind the spacecraft. That thrust could carry the Orion spacecraft to Mars and farther. Then some researchers. 

They had an idea. To create a combination of Orion and a solar sail. The system uses nuclear bombs to accelerate the solar sail. The system can use other rockets to transport those bombs into the right positions. When. The solar sail travels past those nukes. The system detonates the explosives. 

The system is called the Medusa drive. Medusa system. It can be used to transport the laser that the interstellar solar sail needs to the edge of the solar system. There, the laser starts to accelerate. This interstellar. Solar sail. In every case, that solar sail. 

The system uses hybrid technology. First, it uses the solar wind. Then it can use nuclear detonations. And finally, the laser beam pushes it forward. The small nuclear detonations can also push the solar sail. Into the journey. To the Alpha Centauri system. Another way is to use electron-positron annihilation. This annihilation can create the particle flow that pushes the solar sail forward. 

https://scitechdaily.com/humanity-may-soon-have-the-technology-to-reach-other-star-systems/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion

https://www.reddit.com/r/Boooks1234/s/1z6sflXoLU

Great filter: Are all civilizations already dead?

The Great filter is the point at which civilization must pass certain tests. That. It can travel to stars. And if the civilization can reach stars. The next step in that model. It is the conflict between colonies and the members of civilization that stayed home. There is a possibility that if some civilization can send colonists to other stars. 

Those colonists who reached their objective never saw the planet. There is their origin. That kind of thing can cause conflict. If. A civilization conquers space and other planets. Sooner or later, there form individuals. Who spend their entire life in a space station. Those individuals might have so weak bones and muscles. 

That they cannot land on any planet. Sooner or later. That causes problems with “regular members of the civilization”. Those conflicts. When both actors think that they are just paying for others’ comfort. 

That can cause war. The planets will face massive meteor bombardment. Those things can be large asteroids that are driven from their trajectory by pushing them with rockets. Those systems can be assembled on the asteroid’s shell. And then the nuclear rocket pushes the asteroid. 

To trajectory. That takes it into impact course with planets. That kind of war can destroy the entire civilization. The biggest problems with Kardashev-scale civilizations would be internal problems. And even moving to stars will not solve those problems. If. Civilization sends fetuses to the other solar system. Those individuals might feel hate because nobody asked them. Do they want to move to another solar system? 

But then we can think for ourselves. We are civilization as those hypothetical civilizations are. In the same way, we face that great filter. Even. If we can step to Kardashev scale III. We can reach the other filter. The same problems repeat in every step. Colonization of other planets. And solar systems. They can solve problems to get raw materials. And overpopulation. But that forms the ultimate need for raw materials. Next scale forms next scale needs. So the hierarchy of needs forms the great filter. 

Kardashev scale: 

“A Type I civilization (planetary) can access all the energy available on its planet and store it for consumption.

A Type II civilization (stellar) can directly consume a star's energy. Such as through the use of a Dyson sphere.

A Type III civilization (galactic) can capture all the energy emitted by its galaxy. And every object within it, such as every star and black hole. etc.

No civilization can live forever. 

If. A species doesn’t get genetic refreshments from somewhere. The genetic disorders accumulate. 

Because of degeneration. The genetic variability. It can be huge. But that is limited. There is a limited number of orders in base pairs. And sooner or later. Genetic disorders. They start to accumulate in entire species. Start to degenerate. This means that evolution continues all the time. And this means that people. Who live on this planet after 100000 years might even look a little bit different. Than, we look today. 

When civilization travels to stars. And. Lands on other planets, there is a possibility. They face another species. Those species might not be intelligent. They might be primitive bacteria or viruses. 

As. Those hypothetical dead civilizations. We think that we are special. But we always follow the same route as other civilizations. The test. That we can handle our overpopulation, waste, and use of raw materials. 

Resources are limited. And sooner or later. Star uses its entire fuel. It turns into a white dwarf or something denser like a neutron star or a black hole. The civilization can wait until that point to leave its home. They might not even reach Karachev scale III. That means interstellar travel capacity. The civilization can leave its solar system using technology. That is created for interplanetary travel. When their technology is not what it should be. 

That can cause a need.  Enter other solar systems without asking permission. If the generation ship with thousands or maybe millions of travelers arrives in the other solar system that is already occupied. That causes conflict. In some visions, those civilizations use ships that were developed for interplanetary travel. And there are freezers for the fetuses. That kind of system might require repairs. And that can cause Star Wars. This kind of war between civilizations can cause. 

The end of both races. Or maybe there is a rebellion in those generation ships. But then we can think about things like the Kardashev scale III. That means interstellar travel. We should determine that ability better. Interstellar travel doesn’t mean that those crews ever see their homes. The Kardashev scale will never save the civilization. It gives temporary time for peace. But the Kardashev scale brings the same problems to the forefront of civilization. 

That. Those creatures. Or we try to solve. Overpopulation and lack of raw materials and energy. They were the reason for the first colonists. The overpopulation was solved in history. By. Making a colony. The same way. The Kardashev scale civilization can create its technology fr dumping overpopulation. Into other planets. And then to other solar systems. That thing doesn’t solve problems. 

That brings the same problems to the forefront for leaders. But their scale is enormous. In history, most civilizations have been destroyed. Because. Of their internal conflicts. The reason for those conflicts was often that somebody thought. That someone got too much. And that caused civil war and destruction. 

This kind of scenario causes interesting thoughts. When a civilization falls, the technology that it created remains. And that means when living creatures fall. The AI rises. When. A highly advanced civilization goes to war. That civilization might use AI-controlled technology for defense and offense. And developing and manufacturing equipment. This AI can continue its work. Even. If those creatures are gone. That kind of AI can turn dangerous. The robot army was created to protect civilization. Sees that it failed. Those robots might follow orders to make the counterstrike. And in that case, innocents can pay the ultimate price. This means that zombie AI can attack other civilizations. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Filter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale