The Pros and Cons of Military Technology
Koa Ahgeak
University of Alaska Anchorage
The Pros and Cons of Military Technology
The growth of military technology and its effects have been a blessing and a curse for the world and it’s wars. A pro for the growth of military technology is that since it keeps growing better and better, researchers won’t stop developing it because “the pluses of technology are too great” (Barnes, 2011). Since the pluses are too great to stop developing it, military technology and technology in general are only going to get better day after day. Whenever there is a pro, there has to be cons. Just as the technology rapidly grows each day, “its capabilities also give you an Achilles Heel” (Shachtman, 2003). That being said, with every strong side to the technology growth, there will always be a weak spot for like everything else in the world. Another thing is that the life of innocent civilians would be at risk if there were any types of “information overload” that occurred while militaries are deployed at different parts of the world. The brisk advancement of military technology in today’s world is both affecting and assisting the military and wars.
Although there are many flaws in the advancement of military technology, researchers aren’t going to stop developing it because “the pluses of technology are too great” (Barnes, 2011). That being said, because of all the upside to the advancement of military technology and regular technology in
Over the course of history, the strategic environment has changed rapidly and is now more complex than ever before – it is currently characterized by unpredictability and disorder, and may yet manifest itself in the collapse of nuclear armed nations, destabilizing conflict in geo-politically vital regions, and humanitarian crises. A world of disparate actors – not all nation states – now exists. Unpredictable events will continue to cause strategic surprise. The widespread effects of past conflicts such as World War II, Vietnam and the Iraq war are still being felt and have created significant strategic repercussions. The failures of these conflicts are the result of our military and political leaders’ failure to quickly adapt to wartime conditions. This occurs because of a general refusal to commit to a military culture of learning that encourages serious debate, critical assessments of our military operations, and challenges to our doctrine in the face of emerging change. Additionally, leaders have struggled with the critical responsibility of forecasting and providing for a ready force, one that is well-resourced and prepared to conduct future operations. It is the responsibility of our military and political leaders to send our military to war with a ready force, and a strategy that will ultimately result in victory. But understanding war and warriors is critical if societies and governments are to make sound judgments concerning military policy.
Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century written by Peter Warren Singer. In his book, Mr. Singer explores and supports his theory of how technology is quickly and decisively changing the way the U.S. fights wars. This book was written in 2009 and the author provides historical data up to 2009 on how the military relies on technology in the battlefield. Mr. Singer’s credentials include a Ph.D. in Government from Harvard and a BA from the Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton2. He has worked with numerous U.S. government agencies as advisor and continues to provide his services in that capacity. He has published books which relate to the military such as Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the
Military deployments are hard on everyone involved: family, friends, and even the person enrolled. While the time they are away may be tough, their homecoming is a fantastic time of reunion. Oftentimes, families and friends will throw their military loved one a homecoming reunion party. If you are thinking about doing this, keep these four tips in mind to ensure it is a smashing success:
In the 1940’s during World War II, technology had presented an importance to ensure success on the front. There were a wide range of scientists outside the military who could make things like this possible. When the war was ending, it had been discussed that lasting peace may not be guaranteed for the future. People in the war department of the Military and in other sections discussed the need for “private organization to connect military planning with research and development decisions” (cite
In a 2015 article, “Is U.S. military becoming outdated?” written by Stuart Bradin, Keenan Yoho, and Meaghan Keeler-Pettigrew, the authors argued that despite the U.S. military maintaining a position of global dominance “without peer” during conventional operations, it is not the ideal force against current and future threats. The authors claim that there are several negative factors arising due to the past sixteen years of war against several state and non-state elements, inferior cultural differences of government bureaucracy compared to commercial firms, and a misallocation of defense spending that leaves the US military waging war inefficiently while simultaneously losing technological dominance against current and future threats.
Technology played a key role in determining the outcome of World War II. The high military demand for more advanced technology acted as a catalyst for the development of technology in the interwar years of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Scientists and Engineers alike poured massive amounts of research and development time into supporting the war effort, and more advanced technology was developed at an alarmingly rapid rate. One notable fact about technology in World War II is that World War II is the first war in which many military attacks were designed
As rivals such as China catch up or steal our weapons technology, America must advance even further in order to remain at the top. With warfare being redefined concluding the war in Afghanistan it is evident that America must improve its ground warfare technology in order to better combat the guerrillas found in the war on terror. Further developing weapons such as the airburst grenade launching system, the XM25, would help minimize American casualties and would create another advantage over the enemy. Other weapons such as the LRAD laser system or the THAAD could stop threats miles before the American coastline, as well as create threats to enemy vessels. New aircraft carriers could launch stealth planes or drones behind enemy lines, completely silently in the dark of night. The advantages to further research and development are endless in number. The main contributor to America’s current status as world's strongest military, our technology gives us an advantage and should Trump want to pursue a more robust military, an upgrade in weapons technology should be at the top of the list.
The views expressed in this student academic research paper are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the United States
From the progression of the machine gun to the development of the atomic bomb and further still to today and stealth aircraft technology, the United States has consistently pushed the envelope on innovation in order to say one step ahead as a military superpower. With this being an online course, one would be remiss to not note the great American accomplishment of creating a computer communication network through the collaboration between the Department of Defense, engineers and scientists during the Cold War.
The increase in technology and intelligence will play a crucial role in the development of the Army. Gen. Milley hit on some important notes in regards to unit effectiveness with these changes. The most difficult question discussed revolves around the how to ease armed conflict. The delivery methods of conflict are evolving and have the potential to completely transform warfare. Also discussed within the same context was the standards of national interest. Furthermore, the implementation of robotics creates a potential for warfare to completely be redefined.
Through tracing its development over the last few decades, this explores the modern day significance of the military industrial-complex. One such decade is the one following the end of the Cold War and the 1990-91 Persian Gulf War. It is during this time, 1997-2002 that U.S. plans requested $1.6 trillion dollars in military spending, despite having no major military rivals. Moreover, although US military spending has decreased in recent years, this is mainly the result of reduced fewer weapons purchased as opposed to the cancellation of weapons which further speaks to the impact of the military industrial-conflict. It is through the analysis of this and times and events like the war on terrorism, that the article comes to results such as, powerful MIC’s greater the risk of war, in addition to increasing the number of countries that hold access to technologically advanced
One can make a few objective observations about this industry. Many technologies spurned from their original purposes provide a standard of living never achieved before. The high stakes of the defense industry drive innovation higher and faster than anything else in human history. These great achievements come at a great cost though. The introduction of new technology into the wars of the early 20th century caused loss of life on a scale never before seen. On the contrary, new technology has also transformed how we fight wars and steadily decreased casualties.
There are no universal theories to explain the true nature and character of war, and any war theories are not a fact or absolute truth. All strategic principles are dynamic and contextual, so “every age had its own kind of war, its own limiting conditions, and its own peculiar preconceptions.” The battlefield environment of the 21st century will be the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, and nature of war will be completely different because of the Revolution in Military Affairs. Highly advance communication and information technologies, a dramatic increase in computing capabilities, developed of precision munitions, dominant air and space power ‘war could be waged by the projection of
American army officer Omar Bradley once said,“If we continue to develop our technology without wisdom or prudence, our servant may prove to be our executioner.” The meaning of this quote lies in the destruction and devastation of humanity and geography during war. If we do not stop advancing in ways of killing and causing suffering, we will soon face the consequences of these technologies. Throughout World War I and World War II, there was a ginormous technological boom in which countries were competing to invent new weapons or vehicles used in warfare. Specifically, World War I could be blamed for the start of the creating of new technologies used in warfare even today. These technologies were often invented or created during World War I,
“History does not teach that better technology necessarily leads to victory. Rather victory goes to the commander who uses technology better, or who can deny the enemy his technology.”