Technology and War
European military power in the 19th and
early 20th centuries (Curtin)
Factors contributing to European militarization:
• Mastery of production techniques to mass produce firearms.
• Large numbers of officers ready to battle: Napoleonic and Crimean
Wars (1853-1856). Wars were testing grounds for new technologies.
• The railroad and the telegraph enabled the British to survive an
uprising in India in 1857.
• Advances in medical science meant that Europeans felt safer going
abroad to tropical places
• Firearms developments, such as repeating rifle, machine gun and
lightweight artillery, gave Europeans an advantage, as they could defeat
opponents with small military units
• The machine gun was fully realized in World War I, where it eliminated
the need for cavalry units and redefined infantry units
• Improvements in the steam engines allowed for more space on steam
ships to transport troops.
• The newfound military strength was used to colonize Africa and Asia.
European Military Advantage
• Many countries were slow to
adopt European innovations in
arms technology, military
organization, and naval warfare,
• Reasons included lack of
budgets, an industrial
infrastructure, a logistical
support system. Some lacked a
socio-political system capable of
supporting such endeavors.
• Access to technology still is a
factor in military advantage today
– ie. access to nuclear weapons
Technology and War
(Martin Van Creveld)
• Military technology has changed the conduct the war, but
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does not affect the causes of armed conflict.
The Military Industrial Complex has a vested interest in a
bellicose atmosphere to sell it wares. The presence of
those wares helps create such an atmosphere.
Technology helps war, though people design, produce,
and use technology for the realization of their ends.
Over last 40 years, wars taking place below the nuclear
threshold have two forms: 1) among countries without
nuclear weapons or were not too tightly coupled to others
that do and 2)sub-conventional type (insurgency,
terrorism, guerilla warfare)
Guerillas and terrorists are usually weak in numbers,
organization , and technology at their disposal – prefer
continuous harassment to direct clashes. They make do
without heavy weapons and without a large, permanent
logistical infrastructure.
Weapons used by guerillas – not designed for that purpose
initially. Only since the rise of the precision-built, factorymanufactured, crew-operated weapons in the 19th century
– that one can speak of separate guerilla armory – which
was lighter, smaller, and weaker versions of weapons used
by regular forces.
Guerilla Warfare
 Guerillas create a base area – where
regulars are afraid to enter – and then
they try to disrupt main arteries of
communication through erection of
physical barriers and ambushes.
 Outstanding problem –has been the
inability of regular forces to operate and
exist in economically underdeveloped
areas. So regular forces were forced to
split up into smaller units, leaving them
tactically vulnerable and they had to do
without heavy equipment (their
principle advantage).
• Victory by anti-guerilla forces depended on their ability to isolate the guerillas
and pin them down. This could be done by erect a human or physical barrier
around the affected region -> deny guerillas logistic support by destroying
anything that could be of use to them ->carve the guerilla areas into smaller
section -> use commandos to hunt guerillas.
Guerilla Warfare
 Railways and telegraphs gave governments ability to send troops to previously
inaccessible regions. Guerilla warfare shifted to more remote, technologically lessdeveloped areas (i.e. forests of Poland – attacked German-used roads, railroads,
and communications)
 End of WWII, successful guerilla warfare stopped in Europe, but persisted in Asia,
Africa, and parts of Central and South America. It was employed by national
liberation movements. The USSR supplied hundreds of revolutionary movements.
 Challenge fighting guerillas in 3rd world: Major modern weapons are meant to
fight machines not people. The weapons are dependent on electronic means for
surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, range finding, etc.. Can’t
distinguish between friend or foe.
 Terrorism resembles guerilla warfare, concealment and anonymity counts for
everything. One difference is that terrorists operate in crowded demographic
centers.
 Terrorism’s goal: disrupt normal functioning by a prolonged series of operations
and creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.
 Terrorist’s weapons are limited, must be small, light, and easily hidden. Only in
20th century were high-powered, small devices available to terrorists – such as
radio-controlled bombs and anti-tank missiles. Terrorists also take advantage of
modern day communications technologies. Media helps them appear stronger than
they might be..
War, Technology, and
Innovation (Friedel)
 Late 18th century war-makers came to their
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Steam-Powered Warships
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capabilities, strengths and fates linked to
novel weapons
19th century agents of change
institutionalized: schools, arsenals, and
shipyards became innovators,
experimenters, and testers ->
development of “military industrial
complex”
Warfare enlarged with mass production of
weapons. The application of industrial
technology increased the killing power of
the military, accelerated the typical
incremental improvements in weapons.
Primary problem of military in 2nd half of
19th century was controlling the costs.
1812: 1st steam warship. British relied on it
during the Crimean War – gave a big
advantage over wind power.
War, Technology, and Innovation (Friedel)
Improvements in guns and armor
 Naval guns range and size grew with the addition of steel. The use of
steel shells by the French led to the demise of wood and sail ships. In
1859, the French developed the first iron-clad warship, Britain followed
suit.
 The spiral continued with gun powder and armor, and warships. U.S.
and Japan joined the arms race.
 Late 1800s, submarines became more prominent . They were used
extensively in World War I.
 Other technological improvements focused on the motors: diesel
engines, high speed radial piston engines, aircraft engines, heavy duty
truck and vehicular engines.
 Another technology, which was eventually banned, was poison gas.
This was used in WWI, but banned thereafter. The ban stuck even
through WWII.
Technology and War
Post-WWII (Boot)
• The U.S. has become the
undisputed master of the
commons (sea, air, and space) that
allows the U.S. to project its power
anywhere in the world at short
notice
• IT is central to U.S. military
dominance, as other factors
remain the same (i.e. speed of U.S.
navy destroyer has not changed in
the past 100 years). Since the 1970s
communications, targeting,
surveillance, and ordnance
technologies have become more
potent and have given the U.S. the
advantage in the commons.
• On the other side, modern
technology still leaves troops
vulnerable to gangs/terrorists who
employ car bombs, or portable
WMDs.
Infantry (Boot)
• Armies still center around light infantry troops that are transported by vehicles,
trucks, and aircrafts.
• All modern tanks have the same military technologies: stabilized turrets,
night-vision capabilities, laser range-finders, and targeting computers and
most can be destroyed by other tanks, massive mines, aerial bombs, or artillery
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shells.
Advances in anti-armor technology will be key to the infantry, i.e. attacks
against Israeli tanks in Lebanon in 2006 by anti-tank rockets – the wave of the
future.
U.S. developing the Future Combat System:
• lighter vehicles, manned and unmanned
• stealth designs to make them harder to detect,
• composite armor
• hybrid-electric engines to lessen fuel needs.
Still not good against guerillas and counter-insurgency missions.
Infantry tools remain the same. Only body armor (kevlar) has improved. The
proliferation of small arms equalized infantry worldwide.
Night-vision devices, Global Positioning Systems, and shoulder-fired missiles –
only real technology advances for infantry.
However now, infantrymen can use wireless communications devices to
support firing on specific coordinates.
Warfare on the Seas (Boot)
• Navy: no one tries to challenge the
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US navy. Few countries even have
aircraft carriers, Russia and France
each have one – a fraction of the size
of the U.S. carriers. Britain has 3,
but only helicopters can land on
them.
Many countries have anti-ballistic
missiles to attack warships.
Transport ships and fuel tankers
have no defenses and are needed for
refueling.
Diesel submarines, which have
ultra-quiet electric engines, are the
new wave. Many countries have
them: China, India, Iran, and
Algeria (among others). They are
very hard to track.
Mines are another threat to ships.
Aerial:
• Modern surface-to-air missiles pose an immediate danger to the US
• jammers, radar-seeking missiles, and decoys and stealth technology
making planes virtually invisible – can neutralize air threats.
• hand-carried missiles still a threat- which is why the U.S. relies heavily
on drones and US. Fighter planes must stay 15,000 -20,000 feet high in
high risk zones
Space Warfare:
• surveillance, communications, and intelligence done by unmanned
aircrafts and satellites.
• GPS though is now wide-spread.40 countries have their own satellites.
• Satellites no longer needed as Google, DigitalGlobe, and Space Imaging
sell or give away high-resolution satellite photos via the Internet.
• Targets identified from space can be used by guerilla/terrorists groups
or be hit by missile attacks.
• Hence the U.S. is employing missile defense technology
Aerial and Space Warfare (Boot)
Robotic Warfare (Boot)
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (employed by U.S.
and Israelis) – were used in Iraq War in 2003.
• Drones built especially for combat are the
future. They will be invisible to radar and will
have highly dangerous missions, such as
suppressing enemy air defenses.
• Nuclear-powered UAV are even further into the
future
• The Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) is researching really small
UAVs, the size of an insect
• Unmanned ground vehicles were used in
Afghanistan and Iraq – mainly for
reconnaissance.
• What are the moral implications of the use
of robots in military? Should we develop
robots that are autonomous, machine can
decide when/if to shoot?
Limits of Technology Supremacy
(Boot)
• Simple countermeasures like camouflage, smoke, and decoys, by
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bad weather, or by terrain – limits surveillance systems.
Urban areas still present many challenges: more people and
things to track and more obstacles (buildings, vehicles, signs,
etc)
Determining if someone is a civilian or combatant still
challenging despite all the new technologies.
Smart munitions is outstripping the protection afforded by
speed or armor
US ports, airfields, and bases are vulnerable. Safe, assured access
to overseas bases are crucial for the US.
Modern transportation and communications infrastructure
allows fighters anywhere access to the US and to U.S. troops
combat zones around the world.