America's New "Secret Weapon" That Vietnam Had Half a Century Ago
The National Interest reported that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has just proposed using tactical tunnels on the battlefield.
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The National Interest tells about the new secret weapon of the United States that Vietnam possessed half a century ago. |
According to the National Interest, tunnels have long been a "headache" for the US military: during World War II, in the battles for Iwo Jima, in Vietnam and even in the war with IS militants.
According to DAPRA staff, American soldiers could use this experience to gain an advantage on the battlefield. However, the US military does not have the necessary skills.
"There is no military specialty that trains in the construction of tactical tunnels, and there is no technology or equipment that allows the construction and use of tunnels," the article said.
The first phase of the program proposed by DAPRA includes spending $ 11 million to evaluate the effectiveness of methods of drilling and constructing tunnels from the point of view of technical characteristics. At the same time, the authors of the project propose to use the tunnels only for the supply of food and ammunition, as well as for evacuation missions. The technology itself is recognized by the authors as financially expensive and not necessarily safe.