Science, Technology and America’s Military

Science, Technology and America’s Military

When it comes to the latest and fastest computers there is one place that all that technology can be found, the United States Military. There is no doubt that the U.S. Military is one of, if not the most technologically advanced armed forces in the world.

“Over our countries development we have changed from a “grind it out” fighting machine, to a more advanced, rapid tactical corps to meet the different battle situations found in today’s world.”[1]

This transformation has taken place largely in the last century with the advancement of computer technology helping to reshape the battle field to our advantage. Our nation is constantly looking for the advantage during conflict, and for good reason, the fewer casualties on both sides usually means a shorter, less bloody fight. We are always using the latest in weapons and technology, or are we? Simply because we have technology does not mean we have to develop new implements, updating old ones is usually quicker, cheaper, and requires less new training for the soldiers using them.1 There are many innovations that we have taken toward building a better military, these include, but are not limited to, simulators for training before battle, guided, or “smart” weapons, and other hardware that is technologically superior to what the opposition has.

“Simulators have been in use by the military since the Second World War, when they were first developed to train pilots for combat.”[2]

A simulator is a device used to mimic real world situations in order to better train and prepare people, for things that they might encounter. The most commonly heard of simulator is for flight training, but nowadays, the military ...

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... to associate with Americans at all and could not be reached for comment at print time.

Computers have changed the way America goes to war, from the G.I. grunts of Vietnam to the special forces of today using James Bond like gadgets where intelligence and how it is gathered is really what determines how a battle is fought, and most importantly….how it is won. The technological advances in all branches of the military have made America the military superpower of today, with our smart weapons, computer controlled planes, with and with out pilots, who may never have to leave a base in the states to fly a mission in Iraq, and the training that they receive are all because of computers implemented during the last century.

[1] Rumsfeld, Donald “Science, Technology and America’s military in the 21st century”

[2] Eng, Paul “A Play for Better Soldiers”