How many years do you think it will take?

To create the next advancement in military tech here in the USA?

42

That's a vague question for a big topic. I'm sure they've made many advancements in recent times. And who knows what they're currently working on.

<1

advancement happens constantly.

Maybe one day robots will be fighting in the front lines instead of humans

If China bans the export of rare earths, then it will be slower.

Lime what?

they already probably have. We won't know.

When they can make everything out of sand.

Advancements happen all the time without public knowledge.

US will create something like Metal Gear.

@tohot240: We already did it with drones. They will quickly get better until they replace cockpit piloted aircraft.

Personally I think we could develop it faster if we just let go of the old school way of warfare. Stop building tanks, destroyers, and developing the “next generation” of air to air fighter that we will never use. So much wasted money.

Build better drones.

The problem with drones is they seem to be good at area tasks, like patrolling so many square miles of territory, finding people, launching Hellfires and so forth, but as of right now they can't really occupy and do house-to-house type of stuff that your average soldier can do.

I guess what I am saying is that we need Chappie to really have a well-rounded drone army*.

I don't really like the idea of a mostly-drone army, takes away the war weariness factor; if all your doing is spending money and not human lives, and you're a wealthy nation, people won't make such a big deal out of it like they should. Even minor conflicts would become routine and easily overlooked instead of substantial and something we need to reconsider.

Instead of "Hey, I'm going to reassess the situation before I send a few thousand of my soldiers in to that area" it will become "Meh, whatever. Send some drones in".

*of course I am no authority on the subject

A cardboard box?