Military technology refers to a wide range of weaponry, equipment, structures, and vehicles designed expressly for combat. It covers the skills needed to build such technology, use it in combat, and maintain and refill it.
There are five different types of warfare technology aside from these fun facts about technology. Aggressive weapons are used to attack the enemy, while defensive weapons are used to defend against offensive attacks. Transportation technology transports soldiers and weapons; communications organize military movements; and sensors detect and guide weaponry.
Military technology, the tactics of its use, and the psychological aspects that bond its users into units have had a symbiotic relationship since the dawn of time. The ability of the combatant group to coordinate the actions of its members in a tactically successful manner is the sine qua non of military organizations and the ultimate goal of military technology. This cooperation is a result of the strength of the forces that bind the unit together, encouraging its members to put their personal interests—even their lives—aside for the good of the whole. Tactics and technology, in turn, have a direct impact on these forces.
Technology can have either a beneficial or harmful impact. One example of good influence is the ancient Greek hoplite infantrymen’s experience. Their weapons and armor were most efficient when they fought in tight formation, which led to marching in step, which increased cohesiveness and made the phalanx a strategically dangerous formation.
The late medieval knight is an example of technology’s harmful impact. He and his horse required a lot of room to use their sword and lance properly, but his tight helmet made it difficult to communicate with his companions. It’s no surprise, then, that late-medieval knights fought as individuals and were frequently destroyed by coherent units of less well-equipped foes.
From prehistory through the eighteenth century, this article traces the evolution of military technology by historical time.
