LASER EOD WAGON

The US Army may be planning on trimming about 12,000 soldiers off of it's next rotation to Iraq, but that doesn't mean there isn't still a lot of emphasis. The most recent high-tech gadget to be earmarked for deployment is the ZUES.

The ZUES is a humvee with a powerful dual laser system. Combat engineers use it to do away with unexploed ordinance via thermal combustion. According to Defense Tech,

The system uses diesel fuel to create the laser beam, which focuses energy on the outer casing of the target, which heats up until it detonates, [triggering] a less violent explosion than if the explosive was activated, causing less damage to the surrounding area...

“Its power level and utility is new and is not for aerial targets, it’s for unexploded ordnance,” Dodgen said. “It is a system that works, and we certainly would like to use it whenever possible.”

So there you have it, less collateral damage and a more rapid disposal of unexploded bombs through technology. Onwards and upwards for new military technology.