1. Historical Development of Military Technology:
– Stone tools dating back to 3.3 million years ago in Turkana.
– Evidence of warfare between groups 10,000 years ago in Kenya.
– Introduction of iron weapons in Asia Minor around the 14th century BCE.
– Assyrians’ advancements in military technology including horse cavalry and iron-tipped arrows by 1100 BCE.
2. Ancient and Post-Classical Military Technology:
– Evolution of stone tools during the Pleistocene Period.
– Transition from the Neolithic period to the Bronze Age.
– Chinese advancements in military technology during the Song dynasty.
– Development of fire lances, gunpowder-propelled weaponry, and cannons.
3. Military Technological Advancements:
– Development of firearms, cannon, and small arms by Islamic gunpowder empires.
– Introduction of machine guns in Europe in the 1860s.
– Emergence of modern military technology in the 1940s focusing on nuclear weapons, radar, and jet engines.
– Continued high-priority research in the 21st century on missiles, radar, and electronics.
4. Space and Mobilization in Military Technology:
– Cold War superpowers’ significant investments in military technologies.
– Development of spy satellites, anti-satellite weapons, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
– Importance of transportation in moving troops and weaponry.
– Utilization of land vehicles, airlift, and sealift for effective mobilization of military resources.
5. Specialized Military Equipment and Defense:
– Military vehicles designed for land combat or transportation.
– Military aircraft including bombers, fighters, and surveillance planes.
– Warships for combat and transportation on seas and oceans.
– Defense mechanisms like fortifications, sensors, and communication systems.
Military technology is the application of technology for use in warfare. It comprises the kinds of technology that are distinctly military in nature and not civilian in application, usually because they lack useful or legal civilian applications, or are dangerous to use without appropriate military training.
The line is porous; military inventions have been brought into civilian use throughout history, with sometimes minor modification if any, and civilian innovations have similarly been put to military use.
Military technology is usually researched and developed by scientists and engineers specifically for use in battle by the armed forces. Many new technologies came as a result of the military funding of science.
Armament engineering is the design, development, testing and lifecycle management of military weapons and systems. It draws on the knowledge of several traditional engineering disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, electro-optics, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, and chemical engineering.
