Even though I am not a major fan of the military, I acknowledge it as a necessary evil. That said, even the military is no stranger to the practical application of Moore's Law, as evidenced in this amazing article detailing the technology that will deployed by U.S. troops in the next few years.
Unfortunately, these improvements -- part of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) initiative -- aren't cheap, with recent estimates in the $300 billion range, making it the most expensive military project in U.S. history.
One of the products in development (pictured here) is the unattended ground sensor that looks like one of the many droids you've seen in Star Wars that may be left behind to guard a perimeter, spot a target or detect chemical or radioactive materials.
The Army expects the first FCS devices to be used in the field as soon as 2008 and as many as 32 FCS-armed brigades by 2014. The other fly in the ointment, however, that could slow down these new weapons besides the cost: The FCS program may be too ambitious, as the technology needed to accomplish the tasks doesn't exist yet.
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