Hypersonic nukes and lasers that make you vomit, hallucinate and go blind – terrifying weapons that could be unleashed in World War 3
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this July 4, 2017, file photo distributed by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from right, inspects the preparation of the launch of a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP, File)
With killer tech getting more advanced by the day, it can be tough to keep up with who's building the next game-changing deadly weapon.
The world's biggest militaries have built some weird stuff along the way, including autonomous drone swarms and even a laser that makes you puke.
Here are five of the most terrifying weapons being developed today.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}1) Drone armies
Swarms of tiny drones driven by blood-thirsty AI could one day dominate the battlefield.
They'll survey the sky and pick out targets for bigger weapons, but may carry small firearms or explosives of their own.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Russian military research group recently released clips of deadly drone swarms bombing targets information.
The robots are designed to assist Russian infantry, and are currently controlled by a human remotely.
However, in future the tech will be fully autonomous, meaning it can target and kill enemies without needing help from a human.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The United States military is designing similar tech. In 2017, officials unleashed a swarm of robotic flying machines in the skies over California as part of military tests.
2) "Vomit lasers"
The Russian Navy is testing a sinister new weapon that makes enemies hallucinate and throw up by dazzling them.
The 5P-42 Filin, a futuristic dazzler-type device, can cause troops to miss their targets by blinding them.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It can even trigger delirious conditions that make them want to be sick, according to reports.
The Filin – meaning Eagle Owl – equipment can fire a strobe-like beam that disrupts an opponent’s eyesight, hindering their ability to aim a weapon at night.
It is also capable of “effectively suppressing” night vision technology, laser distance sensors and range-finding systems for anti-tank missiles from as far as three miles (5km), according to manufacturer Ruselectronics.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Described as a non-lethal weapon, the equipment has been fitted to two warships, the Admiral Gorshkov and Admiral Kasatonov, part of Russia’s Northern Sea fleet.
The reports come from state-owned Russian media outlets though – so do take them with a pinch of salt.
3) Space guns
As space travel becomes cheaper and easier, it's almost inevitable that battlefields will spread into space.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This will likely first take the form of missiles that breach our atmosphere before crashing back down to Earth – making them trickier to detect and shoot down.
Spaceplanes that can soar beyond orbit and carry out missile strikes or deliveries are almost certain to follow.
Donald Trump has already set out his plans for a military presence in space with the creation of a "Space Force".
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Michael Griffin, the Pentagon’s defense undersecretary for research and engineering, said the U.S. may create a satellite capable of firing lasers in future.
4) Hypersonic nukes
Hypersonic missiles can travel at five times the speed of sound and are almost impossible to defend against.
That's because they're so quick that missile defence systems simply can't keep up.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It's feared they will make these systems totally redundant.
They can be loaded with nuclear warheads, which has led to calls to ban the weapons from concerned campaigners.
A think tank called the RAND Corporation recently issued an urgent briefing about "hypersonic missiles".
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Analysts fear they will make war more likely by putting rival nations on "hair-trigger states of readiness".
China, Russia and the US are all working at lightning speed to be the first to develop a hypersonic missile.
Each have prototypes in the works, but none has a working one as far as we can tell – though at this point it's only a matter of time.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}5) Killer robots
Killer robots come in many shapes and sizes, but however they line up against you, we suggest running away sharpish.
Autonomous tanks are being developed by several nations, including America, Russia and China.
They can pick out targets on the battlefield and lay down fire without the need of any human help.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It's got tech boffins worried that AI will one day spell the end for the human race.
Last month, billionaire Bill Gates warned that the threat AI poses to humanity is similar to that of nuclear weapons.
He said intelligent machines have the potential to both save and destroy the human race.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This story originally appeared in The Sun.