Awesome Military

Formed in 2019, the U.S. Space Force has had its share of detractors, but the idea of having a military branch focused on the safety and security of the space above Earth isn’t a bad idea. Like other military branches, they now have an official theme song, entitled Semper Supra – the latin phrase for “Always Above.”

A rugged and versatile shoulder bag for your everyday loadout. It’s made from waterproof and fade-resistant 1000D nylon fabric. It has a large central compartment that can hold a 14″ laptop, multiple external pockets, MOLLE-compatible webbing, and a hook-and-loop patch panel. Available in coyote brown or basic black.

Featuring a face inspired by military aviation, Citizen’s Avion Weekender watch has a solar-powered drive mechanism so it never needs batteries or winding. It has a handsome black stainless steel case, a matching leather strap, a spherical mineral crystal, and is water resistant to 100 meters.

Military vehicle camouflage typically relies on paint or netting, but that limits safe movement. French defense company Nexter is testing an adaptive camouflage system that uses moving mirrors to reflect and blend into its surroundings. We’re not sure how well it works when viewed from different angles though.

South Korea is developing a weapon-defense system that can protect against long-range missiles. The “kill vehicle” can rapidly adjust its position using thrusters on its sides, making it difficult to avoid. See it in action at the 26-second mark in the video, right after Korea shows off their own long-range surface-to-air missiles.

This military-style zippered pouch is ideal for carrying small tools, accessories, and emergency supplies. It has offset elastic loops for holding tools, and its clamshell design can be opened either flat or into a 90º platform configuration. Made from 1000D Nylon with dual zippers and metal snaps for attaching to MOLLE webbing.

As part of a promotional event, members of the U.S. Air Force Honor Guard strutted their stuff in New York’s Times Square. Among their routines was this impressively choreographed sequence in which a sergeant marches through a line of soldiers spinning and tossing bayonet-tipped rifles.

Guitarist Andre Antunes has unofficially joined the US Navy. He took footage from Communication Specialist Josiah Trombley’s awesome call-and-response Steamroller troop march, and turned it into a heavy metal song. Seriously, they could go into the studio and record this.

Carry your computer and organize your everyday work essentials in this military-style messenger bag from Mercury Tactical Gear. Its main compartment is padded and includes a removable laptop case with its own handle, while its exterior features MOLLE webbing and three detachable accessory pouches.

During Fleet Week New York, singer Gabriel Brown aka Black Gryph0n took to the skies in the passenger seat of a F/A-18F Super Hornet. While riding shotgun, he turned in 34 vocal impressions, including a spot-on version of Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone. Shout out to his cool-as-a-cucumber pilot Amanda “Stalin” Lee.

Members of the U.S. Army Band celebrated this past May the Fourth with a great orchestral version of Ludwig Göransson’s emotive and exotic theme from The Mandalorian. The performance is filled with wonderful woods and big brass sounds, but it’s strange to see musicians playing wind instruments with masks on.

This limited-edition G-SHOCK watch is inspired by the Royal Navy’s color scheme. It’s a full-fledged diver’s watch with 200 m water resistance, dive logging, tide times, and automatic world time adjustment. It features a durable carbon-fiber-reinforced case, a non-reflective sapphire crystal, and high-brightness LED illumination.

The closest we’ll ever get to defusing a bomb is Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. But badass Chris Fuller has gone face-to-face with countless real-world explosives. UNILAD interviewed the former British Army Bomb Disposal Officer, who now does humanitarian work in the Middle East defusing bombs left behind ISIS.

Jared Owen always does a great job explaining how things work by creating 3D animations of their inner workings. This time, he walks us through the caterpillar-tracked M1A2 Abrams tank, which weighs in at an incredible 68 tons, and can cross just about any terrain. We had no idea these things were powered by jet fuel.

Submarines are notorious for their incredibly close quarters, so you might not think it would be a good place to fly a drone. But with a talented pilot behind the controls, it is possible to negotiate the claustrophobic passageways, like in this video from the Royal Netherlands’ Navy’s 2020 Onderzeedienst Live event.

While the term “smokescreen” is used to describe a ruse that conceals the truth, its origins are much more literal – a tactic in which the military conceals operations with smoke. In this 1923 footage, a plane drops a curtain of titanium tetrachloride to hide ships, a technique that would go on to be used during WWII.

This version of Leatherman’s versatile multitool is designed for military use. It has tools for everyday tasks, along with firearm maintenance including pliers, wire cutters, a blade, screwdriver, pry tools, a carbon scraper, and a front sight adjuster. Its has Cerakote handles, and comes with a MOLLE-compatible sheath.

We’ve seen some pretty damned impressive remote-controlled planes over the years, but this Mibo A-10 Thunderbolt II might be the best yet. The insanely detailed model has real jet engines, and even makes machine gun sounds and fires flares.

Drones can capture amazing imagery, but they can wreak havoc in the wrong hands. To eliminate threats from UAVs, Israeli defense tech company Rafael has created Drone Dome, a system that can jam drone communication or pluck them out of the sky using a laser. It can spot objects as small as 0.02 sq. ft. from 2.1 miles away.

General Motors Defense presents a troop transporter based on the rugged Chevy Colorado ZR2 pickup. It’s got an open air design with a roll cage, secure seating for nine, skid plates, and beefy off-road suspension and tires. Its minimal structure and mounting points allow it to be deployed from a helicopter using a sling.

There are probably easier ways to ferry a bunch of people and bicycles across a river, but we can’t think of a cooler way than by driving four M3 amphibious military vehicles into the water and then joining them together to shuttle the riders across the water. HD1080ide shot this video during a bike festival in Großenwieden, Germany.

Best known for their iconic, in-depth auto repair manuals, Haynes also offers a series of books which delve into the design, construction, and operation of famous military planes like the F/A-18 Hornet, Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

For a DARPA tech demo, CMU National Robotics Engineering Center developed wheels which can transform back and forth between round and triangular shapes instantly, with tank-like grip on soft surfaces in track mode, and a more conventional ride in wheel mode.

Wendover Productions made this great overview of how submarines work. The video goes over crew shifts, food, communications technology, and the watercraft’s weaknesses. It’s amazing what man’s thirst for revenge can accomplish.

Aircraft carriers are one of the most imposing forms of military might. Wendover Productions shares some trivia about how these cities at sea work, such as their massive workforce, how they resupply, and the fact that they never travel alone.

An upgraded version of Rezvani’s TANK utility vehicle designed to protect its occupants in an ambush. Its glass and armor can handle high-caliber weapon fire, it packs night vision, bomb protection, electrified door handles, gas masks, magnetic deadbolts and more.