May 27, 2024

Francesco Simeoni

12th Grade

Liceo Giorgione 

In recent history, many civilian tools have evolved from innovations meant for military use. For example, GPS which was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense is now a common feature of most cars and phones. Had it not been for the Cold War, we would probably not have all the everyday technology we are used to today.  

When you think of technology in today's wars, drones are probably the first thing that comes to mind. Not just remote-controlled robots, they can patrol areas too dangerous for traditional aircraft, fly over no-fly zones, and sometimes be used as precision bombers without risking the life of a potential pilot.

As for missiles, China and Russia have some in their arsenals that can reach five times the speed of sound (1715 m/s) and can be armed with traditional or nuclear weapons. China itself carried out a test of a hypersonic missile in 2021 that reached the extraordinary speed of 24,1402 km/h, which would allow it to reach any point on the planet in less than an hour. 

This brings us to the chapter on artificial intelligence, which has been increasingly used in military applications in recent years. Let us first look at its applications: intelligence gathering and analysis, cybersecurity, operational planning, self-driving vehicles, etc. The US military has been working on this technology since 2000, but it is only in the last five or six years that we have seen the first uses and applications.

In the future, wars will be fought less and less traditionally on the battlefield between advancing and retreating armies, but AI will make it possible to reduce the loss of life by making operations more efficient by assessing the best strategies through data analysis. 

AI optimizes resource management, plans missions, and distributes supplies efficiently, and its resource planning systems improve military logistics. It analyzes large amounts of data to identify patterns and trends, helping commanders make informed tactical decisions. 

Then there are wearable devices such as night vision goggles and VR glasses that provide enemy location, maps, and health data in your field of view. In cyber warfare, armies are increasingly developing offensive and defensive capabilities, using malware, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and other tactics to compromise enemy networks and protect their own.

We know that wars are going to change in the near future and are likely to have less of an impact on civilians as technology becomes more precise, reduces mistakes, and helps the military hit their targets. And, as the years go by, this innovation will only continue.