So I’ll be the one to ask: What will Space Force’s individual weapon be?

rickyrick · December 25, 2019, 01:35 PM

I’m sure the need for a weapon will be non-existent initially. I don’t foresee combat in which people are directly involved...But, mainly for fun, what will space soldiers need.

NoSecondBest · December 25, 2019, 02:02 PM

I find the entire concept ridiculous. Trump gets in front of the cameras and talks about the US leading the world in space. Who's he kidding besides himself? We've been paying the Russians to take us up to the International Space Station for years now. We can't send our people up by ourselves, we need the Russians to take us there. I think the US would be a lot further ahead just getting a vehicle platform to get our astronauts into space. Right now it's "Space Farce".

TimRB · December 25, 2019, 02:03 PM

Personally, I wouldn't settle for anything less than a light saber.

Tim

JERRYS. · December 25, 2019, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoSecondBest

I find the entire concept ridiculous. Trump gets in front of the cameras and talks about the US leading the world in space. Who's he kidding besides himself? We've been paying the Russians to take us up to the International Space Station for years now. We can't send our people up by ourselves, we need the Russians to take us there. I think the US would be a lot further ahead just getting a vehicle platform to get our astronauts into space. Right now it's "Space Farce".

that situation is thanks to the prior establishment administrations, not this one. oh, and 5 to 1 it'll be the mighty 10mm.

NoSecondBest · December 25, 2019, 02:44 PM

Quote:

that situation is thanks to the prior establishment administrations, not this one.

Do you have a CLUE how many administrations have been in place since we quit flying our people up there. Blaming it on any political party is nonsense and you show no evidence or proof to support your knee jerk reaction. We failed on design, build quality, and lack of due diligence. Nothing political about it. Fact is, we can't put an astronaut in space without using someone else's launch vehicles.

JERRYS. · December 25, 2019, 03:00 PM

reading is fundamental. emphasis on mental. nowhere did I blame one political party.

Pahoo · December 25, 2019, 03:13 PM

Quote:

I’m sure the need for a weapon will be non-existent initially. I don’t foresee combat in which people are directly involved...But, mainly for fun, what will space soldiers need.

I'm trying to stay on point and assuredly they be issued what the AirForce is currently issuing and to whom. I'm a Blue-Water veteran and the "rare" times that we came into contact with any weapons, they were hand me downs from the Marines. …..

Quote:

I find the entire concept ridiculous.

Getting off-point, I don't see the need but I have to acknowledge that this idea is in it's infancy and who knows, while the future brings. ….

Be Safe !!!

**44 AMP** · December 25, 2019, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Right now it's "Space Farce".

So? Right now, its a concept. Not even really born yet. If it's a farce because a fully formed, staffed and equipped service branch did not spring fully formed from the forehead of Zeus then its a farce.

But I see it as a baby step, creating something other than NASA with a vested interest in space. Yes, we've been paying other people to put our guys in space for some time now, BECAUSE earlier administrations simply decided not to spend the money needed to keep our own space "industry" going.

Much of what Verne wrote as science fiction, today we have. What today's sci-fi writers have written, someday we might have, but only if we keep going for it.

Certainly however it is handled, some people will think its wrong. Probably some mistakes will be made. But the point is, we're doing something, where before, we weren't.

What will the weapons be? Micro-gravity means the usefulness of conventional firearms will be limited. Perhaps a reviving of the Gyro-Jet rocket gun might be something with utility. Certainly it adds a new dimension to "handling recoil".

rickyrick · December 25, 2019, 04:31 PM

Well, meant as a just-for-fun post, Space Force as it stands now is simply the renaming of Space Command which has been in existence my entire adult life. It will eventually be a separate service. Kinda like how the Air Force got started, suppose.
May not be really needed now, but it has to start sometime and somewhere. Interestingly, China already has the ability to capture critical satellites, rendering them useless and even holding them hostage.
At some point, I figure there would be a standard issue weapon, or at least some item unique to the service... something with more lethality than a p38 can opener lol.
Merry Christmas

Sharkbite · December 25, 2019, 04:42 PM

A weapon for “space force” doesn't need to do anything but punch through a space suit.

Explosive decompression would SUCK.

FrankenMauser · December 25, 2019, 04:43 PM

Keyboards

P-man · December 25, 2019, 04:58 PM

Everybody should know!!!
It’ll be a “phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range!”

2damnold4this · December 25, 2019, 06:49 PM

Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator

rickyrick · December 25, 2019, 07:10 PM

Quote:

A weapon for “space force” doesn't need to do anything but punch through a space suit.

Explosive decompression would SUCK.

If we examine this realistically, the above quote represents the fragility of humans in space.

There won’t be human combatants in space; the energy required to get a human and its life support systems into orbit and potentially far away places would be excessive. And just to be ended with a tiny injury.
The closest thing we will have to a combatant in space will be some type of drone. What will the drone be armed with?

JERRYS. · December 25, 2019, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickyrick

If we examine this realistically, the above quote represents the fragility of humans in space.

There won’t be human combatants in space; the energy required to get a human and its life support systems into orbit and potentially far away places would be excessive. And just to be ended with a tiny injury.
The closest thing we will have to a combatant in space will be some type of drone. What will the drone be armed with?

kamikaze drones. since it takes so little to disable space anything, a group of basic drones to be sacrificed is the surest and cheapest bet to stop an enemy's space station et al.

rickyrick · December 25, 2019, 09:19 PM

So yeah guided missiles, laying in wait then launched at a target. Or programmed to guard an area. Seems like a simple but good concept to me.

sparkyv · December 25, 2019, 10:17 PM

The Navy has a laser weapon used to shoot down incoming missiles in development. Not small arms in size, but this could possibly be adapted as a mounted device.

mehavey · December 25, 2019, 10:22 PM

He who loses control of the high ground in any coming war, loses... getting slaughtered in the process.
The inability to control, deny, ... and destroy the enemy's space-borne/space-based communications, surveillance, intelligence, and yes... weapons... will get us killed.

If "Space Force" is finally code for the West's recognition that true space warfare is going to happen, must happen -- and we get serious -- you are going to see mass political hysteria as people try to pretend that it isn't already on-going.

.... by both of our biggest military-industrial opponents

rickyrick · December 25, 2019, 11:17 PM

Some point in the future China will need our land and resources more than they need our cash.
A technology attack would probably come first. Some type of satellite defense should be the first priority.

WyMark · December 25, 2019, 11:39 PM

Individual weapons are way down the list of priorities right now, they've got patches and songs to figure out first.

Quote:

“It’s going to be really important that we get this right. A uniform, a patch, a song ― it gets to the culture of a service,” said Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond, the head of Air Force Space Command and U.S. Space Command, who will lead Space Force until a chief of space operations is confirmed by the Senate. “There’s a lot of work going on toward that end. It’s going to take a long time to get to that point, but that’s not something we’re going to roll out on day one.”

If they talk to Lucas Films they might be able to pick up some cool, slightly used, white uniforms for cheap.

Mainah · December 26, 2019, 06:02 AM

Lasers. We'll be protecting our satellites or attacking others. China and Russia have their own forms of this approach, we need to stay ahead of them.

USNRet93 · December 26, 2019, 08:14 AM

A computer...

Quote:

I find the entire concept ridiculous. Trump gets in front of the cameras and talks about the US leading the world in space. Who's he kidding besides himself? We've been paying the Russians to take us up to the International Space Station for years now. We can't send our people up by ourselves, we need the Russians to take us there. I think the US would be a lot further ahead just getting a vehicle platform to get our astronauts into space. Right now it's "Space Farce".

It's electioneering..the USAF, along with other service members in their staff, already has a 'Space Force'..'Space Command'..the 'new service' gig is just an expensive, election driven, exercise.

https://www.space.com/41452-space-fo...e-command.html

BUT, a "Space Command" or 'Space Force" does a whole lot more than send astronauts to the ISS or even the moon.

TomNJVA · December 26, 2019, 10:22 AM

Pure speculation at this point, but I imagine orbiting nukes that can be landed anywhere on the planet within 90 minutes. Plus satellite hunting orbiting weapons that could destroy the enemy's communication and GPS satellites. I'm sure we know where they all are.

Armed_Chicagoan · December 26, 2019, 10:28 AM

The weapons will be satellites that protect our satellites from enemy satellite killers as well as satellites that destroy enemy satellites.

And it's about time, other countries have been testing satellite killers for decades now. Getting GPS and communication satellites blasted out of orbit in a war would be no joke.

Ben Dover · December 26, 2019, 10:31 AM

It will be an M-4 carbine and a SIG P320.

December 25, 2019, 01:35 PM	#1
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	So I’ll be the one to ask: What will Space Force’s individual weapon be? I’m sure the need for a weapon will be non-existent initially. I don’t foresee combat in which people are directly involved...But, mainly for fun, what will space soldiers need.

December 25, 2019, 04:43 PM	#11
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	Keyboards __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

December 25, 2019, 04:58 PM	#12
P-man Member Join Date: December 29, 2001 Location: Grand Forks, ND, USA Posts: 30	Everybody should know!!! It’ll be a “phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range!” __________________ Plainsman [email protected] http://plainsmanscabin.yuku.com/

December 25, 2019, 10:17 PM	#17
sparkyv Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2015 Location: Deepinnaheartta,Texas Posts: 318	The Navy has a laser weapon used to shoot down incoming missiles in development. Not small arms in size, but this could possibly be adapted as a mounted device. __________________ μολὼν λαβέ NRA Life Member

December 26, 2019, 10:22 AM	#23
TomNJVA Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2014 Location: Floyd, VA Posts: 242	Pure speculation at this point, but I imagine orbiting nukes that can be landed anywhere on the planet within 90 minutes. Plus satellite hunting orbiting weapons that could destroy the enemy's communication and GPS satellites. I'm sure we know where they all are. __________________ In NJ, the bad guys are armed and the households are alarmed. In VA, the households are armed and the bad guys are alarmed.

December 25, 2019, 02:02 PM	#2
NoSecondBest Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2009 Location: Western New York Posts: 2,736	I find the entire concept ridiculous. Trump gets in front of the cameras and talks about the US leading the world in space. Who's he kidding besides himself? We've been paying the Russians to take us up to the International Space Station for years now. We can't send our people up by ourselves, we need the Russians to take us there. I think the US would be a lot further ahead just getting a vehicle platform to get our astronauts into space. Right now it's "Space Farce".

December 25, 2019, 02:03 PM	#3
TimRB Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 1,049	Personally, I wouldn't settle for anything less than a light saber. Tim

December 25, 2019, 03:00 PM	#6
JERRYS. Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2013 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,969	reading is fundamental. emphasis on mental. nowhere did I blame one political party.

December 25, 2019, 04:31 PM	#9
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Well, meant as a just-for-fun post, Space Force as it stands now is simply the renaming of Space Command which has been in existence my entire adult life. It will eventually be a separate service. Kinda like how the Air Force got started, suppose. May not be really needed now, but it has to start sometime and somewhere. Interestingly, China already has the ability to capture critical satellites, rendering them useless and even holding them hostage. At some point, I figure there would be a standard issue weapon, or at least some item unique to the service... something with more lethality than a p38 can opener lol. Merry Christmas

December 25, 2019, 04:42 PM	#10
Sharkbite Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 2013 Location: Western slope of Colorado Posts: 3,679	A weapon for “space force” doesn't need to do anything but punch through a space suit. Explosive decompression would SUCK.

December 25, 2019, 06:49 PM	#13
2damnold4this Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2009 Location: Athens, Georgia Posts: 2,526	Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator

December 25, 2019, 09:19 PM	#16
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	So yeah guided missiles, laying in wait then launched at a target. Or programmed to guard an area. Seems like a simple but good concept to me.

December 25, 2019, 10:22 PM	#18
mehavey Senior Member Join Date: June 17, 2010 Location: Virginia Posts: 6,894	He who loses control of the high ground in any coming war, loses... getting slaughtered in the process. The inability to control, deny, ... and destroy the enemy's space-borne/space-based communications, surveillance, intelligence, and yes... weapons... will get us killed. If "Space Force" is finally code for the West's recognition that true space warfare is going to happen, must happen -- and we get serious -- you are going to see mass political hysteria as people try to pretend that it isn't already on-going. .... by both of our biggest military-industrial opponents

December 25, 2019, 11:17 PM	#19
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Some point in the future China will need our land and resources more than they need our cash. A technology attack would probably come first. Some type of satellite defense should be the first priority.

December 26, 2019, 06:02 AM	#21
Mainah Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2007 Posts: 1,119	Lasers. We'll be protecting our satellites or attacking others. China and Russia have their own forms of this approach, we need to stay ahead of them.

December 26, 2019, 10:28 AM	#24
Armed_Chicagoan Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2013 Location: Albany Park, Chicago Posts: 776	The weapons will be satellites that protect our satellites from enemy satellite killers as well as satellites that destroy enemy satellites. And it's about time, other countries have been testing satellite killers for decades now. Getting GPS and communication satellites blasted out of orbit in a war would be no joke.

December 26, 2019, 10:31 AM	#25
Ben Dover Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2013 Location: High up in the Rocky Moun Posts: 665	It will be an M-4 carbine and a SIG P320. __________________ The soldier's pack is not so heavy a burden as the prisoner's chains. Dwight Eisenhower It is very important what a man stands for. But it is far more important what a man refuses to stand for.