Deadliest Tech

By Douglas MacMillan

U.S. military leaders describe Iraq and Afghanistan as "asymmetrical" battle fronts, where enemy insurgents lurk in crowded city streets, nondescript buildings, and caves. This new type of warfare has fueled development on new military technologies, from sophisticated electronic jamming devices to a growing fleet of robotic, unmanned planes, helicopters, and ground vehicles.

As the Obama Administration prepares to draw down from Iraq, the U.S. military is expected to spend less on heavy artillery such as tanks and fighter jets, and to maintain or increase spending on research, development, and deployment of high-tech weapons and devices to be used in Afghanistan and future wars. Consider the current crop of military tech the "equivalents of the Model T Ford, the early generations," says P.W. Singer, author of Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and 21st Century Conflict (Penguin, 2009).

This BusinessWeek slide show surveys some of the most important tech breakthroughs the U.S. military has implemented over the past two decades, and looks ahead to weaponry likely to be used in future wars.

Business Exchange related topics:
Defense Industry
US Economy
High-Tech Electronics