Military Technology Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

The bomber has been a game changer both as an instrument of destruction in war and as a key element for power projection. In WWI it ruled the sky almost uncontested because of the lack of advanced anti-air systems as well as technological methods of detection. The interwar period witnessed the invention of something that would have changed air warfare forever: the radar. The radar immediately demonstrated successfully in the Battle of Britain, when a far superior Luftwaffe did not manage to achieve air supremacy because of Britain’s Chain Home radar system. At the end of the war, the United States began a scramble to find a technology to avoid or deceive radar detection. Stealth, or low observable (LO), technology proved to be a watershed. The existent of two antithetical technologies like the radar and stealth ignited a hider-seeker competition between anti-air systems and aircrafts. The question is whether the currently U.S. stealth bomber fleet, considered the advent of the B-21 Raider, is going to be able to outdo the numerous and whizzy anti-air systems of U.S. enemies. The paper concludes that, to date, radar-guided anti-air systems are not fully developed yet to hinder the penetration of U.S. stealth bombers.

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- International Relations, Aviation, Radar Systems, Military Technology

O presente artigo analisa os impactos das relacoes Brasil-Israel no processo de aquisicao de capacidades para a producao nacional de Aeronaves Remotamente Tripuladas (ARPs) no contexto da Base Industrial de Defesa (BID) brasileira. Desde o lancamento da Estrategia Nacional de Defesa em 2008 a BID se encontra em um processo de revitalizacao orientado para o acesso e desenvolvimento de tecnologias de ponta. A cooperacao internacional se torna um instrumento necessario para o conhecimento e compreensao da tecnologia (know why) e de como desenvolve-la e adapta-la para suas especificidades e necessidades locais (know-how) das Forcas Armadas brasileiras. Neste sentido, o artigo indaga como a cooperacao Brasil-Israel no setor de ARPs insere a BID noutro patamar da escala de producao militar. A estrategia de investigacao adotada no artigo foca nas relacoes no âmbito de cooperacao interempresarial, como a criacao de joint-ventures e o seus spillove...

Implementation of E-government Military Institutions This research has developed a comprehensive literature review for the regarding the research topic. This literature review contained theoretical framework that included the underpinning theories and the related theories, as well as conceptual framework. This research has proposed a model to be tested in the study, the model contained one independent variables (e-readiness rank) and one dependent variable (implementation of e-governance). One hypothesis was developed to analyse the proposed model. The descriptive analytical approach was used in this study; it is one of the most used methods in the study of social and human phenomena, and because it fits the phenomenon under study. It also examines an existing phenomenon or issue from which information can be answered to answer study questions, without the intervention of the researcher. The population of this research was the Yemeni military stakholders. The sample of the research were 367 participants. Smart PLS has been used to conduct statistical analysis from the primary data. Several tests have been conducted for the collected data. The main results found that there is a positive and significant relationship between E-readiness rank and the Implementation of E-Governance in the Yemeni military institutions. It is recommended to face e-readiness barriers to access electronic government platforms, for the Yemeni population, the implementation of cultural programs that promote the use of new technologies through education, several initiatives of virtual classrooms, community talks could also be given, introducing the use of technologies in the customs of the members of the military, at least so that the advantages they bring beyond being used as simple consultation platforms or means of the interaction of social networks.

- by Dr. Aref Abdulrazzaq Ahmed Dahwan
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- Yemen, Military, eGovernment, eGovernment, IT

Steven James Bartlett in his book The Pathology of Man analysed human evil. Considered in a clinical rather than a religious sense, evil refers to human violence, cruelty, enslavement of other species and destruction of the environment. Bartlett's ideas are presented and then applied to technology, in particular the technology of repression. Implications include the need for a normative treatment of technology.

- by Brian Martin
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- Psychology of Evil, Repression, Banality of Evil, Military Technology

El presente documento de investigación tecnológica hace la primera aproximación para la selección de un buque de desembarco anfibio con capacidades estratégicas mediante la implementación de un modelo de optimización aplicando la metodología del Proceso Analítico Jerárquico (AHP), en el cual se estudió un significativo grupo de alternativas con tecnología reciente. Las variables consideradas permitieron agrupar características de diseño y medidas de desempeño, las cuales afectan los costos operacionales y de mantenimiento, obteniendo una medida total de efectividad y una medida total de costo que fueron comparadas entre sí mediante un análisis de Pareto. La modelación fue desarrollada mediante la aplicación del software Expert Choice.

Since the 1980s, it has been possible to identify changes in the military-strategic dimension, which are associated with the concept of the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). The development of new (weapon) technologies (e.g. precision-guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles) represents opportunity (and challenges) especially for states to enhance their military power and change their status in the system of international relations. Nowadays, the U.S. still represent the main actor of this system, however, we can identify several rivals on the global or regional levels. People's Republic of China (PRC) is one of these challengers. From this point of view, the development of autonomous systems (AxS) could strengthen the Chinese military capabilities and enhance the threat for the position of the U.S. and their allies (NATO). However, this presumption depends on the transformation of the Chinese strategic thinking that could address such opportunity. The aim of this paper is to analyse how the Chinese strategic thinking reflects the development of AxS and identify the changes which are connected with this issue. This paper will provide the necessary understanding of the PRC's approach to the AxS, which, from this point of view, represents implications for military planning and strategy development not only of the U.S., but also NATO and its member states.

- by Libor Frank
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- Security Studies, Chinese Military Modernization, Military Technology

A growing body of research highlights the correlation between strong, centralized states and economic growth. Given the important role that national defense has played in the development of the state, it seems as though this would imply some relationship between military expenditures and economic development. However, there is no consensus on the direction of the relationship between military expenditures and economic growth. In this paper, we propose a resolution to this puzzle. We argue that military technology is a limiting factor for wealth (and therefore capital) accumulation. Since wealth must be protected from plunder and/or destruction, the amount of wealth that can be accumulated is constrained by a society’s ability to adequately defend it. We present a theoretical model consistent with this idea and perform a Monte Carlo experiment to determine the implications of this hypothesis for empirical work. We find that the long-run relationship between military expenditures and private production is positive. However, in sample sizes consistent with existing data, the relationship is ambiguous. As a result, we provide support for this idea by relying on historical examples consistent with our hypothesis. Finally, we consider the implications of our hypothesis for the development of state capacity.

- by Josh Hendrickson
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- Economic Growth, Defense and National Security, Military Technology
- by Riccardo Cappelli
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- Military Technology, Urban Warfare

On September 27, 2020, a short and decisive war in the Caucasus erupted that provides a glimpse of wars to come. Azerbaijan and Armenia clashed in a conflict in rough, mountainous terrain that lasted 44 days and ended in Armenia’s surrender and Azerbaijan’s triumph. The battlespace was the area of Nagorno-Karabakh, the contested region between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijanis executed their version of cross-domain maneuver to win a rapid and decisive victory against a defending and determined adversary. To achieve this, the Azerbaijanis invested a reported $24B+ to upgrade their forces, purchasing the latest Turkish and Israeli Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Loitering Munitions (LMs). The effective use by Azerbaijan of these weapons in the war was stunning. The unrelenting tempo, precision, and lethality of the Azerbaijani aerial top-attacks devastated and demoralized the Armenians and played a definitive role in Azerbaijan’s victory. These systems did not win the war by themselves, and UAVs have been over-hyped in many press accounts of the war, but the impact of the high-definition full-motion video (FMV) provided by top-attack systems categorized this conflict as “the war of the drones.” The Azerbaijanis used the secure FMV capabilities of their systems to enhance sensor-shooter integration, to obtain battle damage assessment, and for propaganda to win the information war. In these aspects, especially the use of secure tactical FMV video and data links, the conflict is a harbinger for wars to come.

This study investigates the performance of a shield appliqué technology designed to protect the user from blast injury. This technology was compared against three other ballistic shields of varying mass using a fixed charge configuration. An instrumented anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD) was used along with pressure sensors to determine injury risk. Results showed that lighter shields offered less protection than their heavier counterparts with higher probability of head, chest, arm and leg injuries. Additionally, when comparing the appliqué to a mass-matched shield, relevant loadings were reduced on average by 21 %. Overall, the ballistic shield appliqué technology shows promise for becoming a tool for blast mitigation in the short to medium term.

- by Geoffrey Desmoulin
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- Physics, Military Technology

A variety of ethical objections have been raised against the military employment of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs, drones). Some of these objections are technological concerns
over UAVs abilities’ to function on par with their inhabited counterparts. This paper sets such concerns aside and instead focuses on supposed objections to the use of UAVs in principle. I examine several such objections currently on offer and show them all to be wanting. Indeed, I argue that we have a general duty to protect an agent engaged in a justified act from harm to the greatest extent possible, so long as that protection does not interfere with the agent’s ability to act justly. UAVs can afford precisely such protection. Therefore, we are obligated to employ UAV weapon systems for a justified mission if it can be shown that their use does not significantly reduce a warfighter’s operational capability. Of course, if a given military action is unjustified to begin with, then carrying out that act via UAVs is wrong, just as it would be with any weapon. But the point of this paper is to show that there is nothing wrong in principle with using a UAV and that, other things being equal, using
such technology can be, in fact, obligatory.

- by Bradley Strawser
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- Military Ethics, Just War, Just War Theory, Just war theory (Philosophy)

This paper considers a comparative analysis of multiple criteria decision making analysis methods for strategic, tactical, and operational decisions in military fighter aircraft selection for the air force fleet planning. The evaluation criteria governing the decision analysis process are determined from the literature for the three existing military combat aircraft. Military fighter aircraft selection problem is structured using "preference analysis for reference ideal solution (PARIS)" approach in multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDMA). Systematic comparisons were made with existing MCDMA methods (PARIS, and TOPSIS) to verify the stability and accuracy of the results obtained. The proposed integrated MCDMA systematic approach is expected to address the issues encountered in the aircraft selection process. The comparative analysis results show that the proposed method is an effective and accurate tool that can help analysts make better strategic, tactical, and operational decisions.

- by isa haskologlu and +1
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- Military Technology

India is arming and modernizing its military with its land forces receiving equipment in an unprecedented manner while its navy is growingly becoming a blue water navy capable of projecting power way beyond its shores and is rapidly arming its air force to become a strategic force capable of playing an independent role. The international environment is favourable for India, which is further adding impetus towards indigenization and modernization of Indian defence and military capabilities while providing an opportunity for the economy to flourish even more. The paper is an endeavour to analyze, assess, predict and prescribe the potential upshots and outcomes of indigenization, local and licensed manufacturing and joint ventures initiated by India in defence and military sectors – and the likelihood of such choices and actions in becoming a vital strategic and security concern for Pakistan.

A new powerful military weapon has appeared in the skies of world and with it a new form of warfare has quickly emerged bringing with it a host of pressing ethical questions and issues. This book brings together some of the best scholars currently working on these questions and provides timely and important arguments on many of the most significant and previously unexplored areas of this recent debate. Essays range from broad theoretic questions regarding the moral permissibility of killing by drones to specific examinations of particular uses of unmanned weapons such as their role in counterinsurgency operations, humanitarian interventions, and their controversial use in “targeted killings.” Some scholars engage remarkably vexing issues such as what happens to classic military virtues such as bravery for the warriors who fly remotely controlled drones from complete safety, half a world away from the combat in which they operate. Others wrestle over the future of such technology and...

- by Sarah Da Mota
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- Business, Military Ethics, Applied Ethics, Just War

The paper presents the concept and technology of Internet of Things (IoT) and its applications implemented by military. The authors, having provided a brief review of cases of partial deployment of the technology in air and missile defence (AMD) systems, argue that when implemented as a system solution IoT may enhance the capability of the whole system. The air and missile defence system has been analytically divided into four subsystems, and with the use of conceptual approach each of them has been examined in terms how it may be strengthened by the implementation of IoT solutions, and how the latter may translate into the enhancement of the entire AMD system.

- by Daniel M. and +1
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- Strategy (Military Science), The Internet of Things, Military Technology

Amidst fears over artificial intelligence 'arms races' , much of the international debate on governing military uses of AI is still focused on preventing the use of lethal autonomous weapons systems (laws). Yet 'killer robots' hardly exhaust the potentially problematic capabilities that innovation in military AI (mai) is set to unlock. Gov-ernance initiatives narrowly focused on preserving 'meaningful human control' over laws therefore risk being bypassed by the technological state-of-the-art. This paper departs from the question: how can we formulate 'innovation-proof governance' approaches that are resilient or adaptive to future developments in military AI? I develop a typology for the ways in which mai innovation can disrupt existing international legal frameworks. This includes 'direct' disruption-as new types of mai capabilities elude categorization under existing regimes-as well as 'indirect' disruption, where new capabilities shift the risk landscape of military AI, or change the incentives or values of the states developing them. After discussing two potential objections to 'in-novation-proof governance' , I explore the advantages and shortcomings of three possible approaches to innovation-proof governance for military AI. While no definitive blueprint is offered, I suggest key considerations for governance strategies that seek to ensure that military AI remains lawful, ethical, stabilizing, and safe.

Tanks and armored vehicles are essential to conducting combined arms operations, even in an era where the increasing effectiveness of Long Range Precision Firers (LRPF), combined with multi-domain sensor networks, are making the battlespace extremely lethal. The old designs of most legacy armored vehicles, with their limited SA, restricted connectivity, and the inability to mask from enemy sensor networks, are increasingly making those vehicles irrelevant. Upgrading existing platforms with enhanced SA derived from see-through-armor systems is a promising first step to address this challenge. As AI assisted sensor-shooter neural networks evolve in the next decade, transparent armor will become essential. The ability to have crew members operate inside the protection of the vehicle’s hull, where the armor is strongest, will become essential. The vehicle commander’s ability to see and understand his surroundings and the key objects in his battlespace, will make the difference between being the hunter or becoming the hunted. As these technologies mature, the role of armored vehicles in future wars will be enhanced. In peer- on-peer combat, rather than becoming obsolete in the battlespace of 2030 and beyond, MBTs and IFVs will become essential fighting components and nodes in an increasing powerful kill-web, but only if new, clean-slate designed systems are developed.
The new era of enhanced armored vehicle SA is just beginning. The next step in armored SA will be to see both near and far, connect with every intelligent weapon system within range, visualize a holistic view of the battlespace in real-time, and do all this without increasing the cognitive load on the vehicle commander and crew. Combining the recent advancements in SA, with improved battlefield connectivity and intelligent weapons lays the foundation for a major shift in warfighting. The armored vehicle SA systems described above are the genesis of the cognitive enhanced systems that will lead the way to redefine the future of armored warfare and multi- domain operations.

- by John Antal
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- Tactics (Military Science), War Studies, Augmented Reality, Military

I just can't fathom it", he mused. "They were doing so well before the war, and even until 1942, why haven't they put more effort into it? It would seem the natural thing for a crew like that, what with Hitler's unalterable resolves and thousand-year empire and all the rest. Pierce swung back from the window and glared at McLennand. "Doesn't it seem peculiar to you?" 1

- by Matthew F Brown
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- European History, Historiography, History of Science, Nuclear Weapons

This article examines the intersection of the evolving Chinese command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) military paradigm, with the cyber, space, and electronic warfare asymmetric challenges posed to the U.S. on the future network-centric battlefield. In contrast to China’s conventional weapon systems, far less ink has been spilled on Chinese thinking in the development of the critical support architecture, which enables and enhances China’s war-fighting capabilities. A central argument this article makes is that the technologically advanced offensive weapons fused by C4ISR systems, pose greater threats to the U.S. than the sum of their parts. The destabilizing dynamics emerging in the Asia Pacific will likely increase the incentives for both sides to strike first, and pre-emptively against the others C4ISR systems.

The article deals with the ballistic analysis of pistol cartridge of calibre 9 mm Luger. As a basis of the analysis the standard cartridge with 8 g FMJ projectile was chosen. The aim of the analysis is to assess the effect of projectile mass change on basic ballistic characteristic of weapon-cartridge system during development of new types of projectiles. There is also explained possible utilisation of the obtained results with use of selected typical small arms cartridge in the end of the article.

- by Jan Komenda
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- Military Technology

This article describes the newest doctrine of the U.S. Armed Forces, i.e. the Multi-Domain Battle (MDB) concept. It constitutes a description of several operational principles related to a potential conflict with the People's Republic of China or the Russian Federation, such as the time and space for conducting military operations, the operating environment, the forces (base of operations), the target, the concentration of forces and the operational leeway. The article looks at the origins of the doctrine, the circumstances under which it was formed and people who contributed to its development. The authors also refer to historical U.S. doctrines, such as the AirLand Battle or AirSea Battle concepts. Along with the authors' enthusiastic approach to MDB, the article also features some critical opinions which imply that the U.S. Army is not ready for MDB operations. The research methods that were used by the authors included analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalisation. Much space is devoted to analysing the U.S. Army's official documents, including Multi-Domain Battle: Evolution of Combined Arms for the 21st Century 2025-2040, FM 3-0 Operations and TRADOC Multi-Domain Battle: Combined Arms for the 21 st Century. The authors believe that Multi-Domain Battle is about to become the official military doctrine of the U.S. Armed Forces. In spite of the criticism, transformations of individual combat teams in the MDB spirit should be expected in the upcoming years. This doctrine also provides a military response to the geo-political changes occurring in the world, manifested as the United State's limited role in certain regions, China's growing power and Russia's aggressive foreign policy. The conclusions formulated in the article may serve as the starting point for further studies dealing, inter alia, with the Polish Army's readiness for conducting military operations, based on the MDB doctrine, jointly with the U.S. Army, the Polish Anti-Access/Area Denial (A2AD) capabilities and the role of military technologies in the MDB doctrine. The article makes use of the exact translation of the term, i.e. "Multi-Domain Battle." However, the reader should bear in mind that it describes capabilities not only at the tactical level but also in operational terms, enabling the accomplishment of the strategic objective.

- by Tomasz Wójtowicz
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- Doctrine (Military Science), Us Army, Military Technology
- by Daniela Pulpea
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- Military Technology

The article discusses the issues related to the adaptation of flights performed by military unmanned aerial vehicles in Poland (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – UAV) to the civil aviation requirements. The unmanned aerial vehicles’ flight capabilities were discussed from the perspective of using the automatic flight control system to minimise a threat to civil and military aviation. Owing to the growing interest of the European Union (EU) in unmanned systems, there are many threats related to the broadly understood traffic safety in the European airspace.

- by Wojciech Paterek
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- Engineering, Military Technology

This article surveys the extent to which service doctrines as well as the Joint Doctrine of the Indian Armed Forces (JDIAS) capture and define the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Indian military. The analysis captures the limited view and non-existent view of AI within service and tri-service doctrine. A gap has emerged between the services' doctrinal pronouncements and the actual use of AI in some form in the three branches of the military. AI come in two variants at least-semi-autonomous and autonomous systems. This ensuing assessment is only a partial critique of how service doctrine see or ignore AI, the problem relating to the use of technology and doctrine is not unique to the services, but extends to other areas.

Die Wurzeln des militärische Luftbildwesens reichen bis in die Zeit vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg zurück. Die Entwicklungslinien in den deutschen Staaten bis 1945 nachzuverfolgen, ist Gegenstand dieses Buches. Im Mittelpunkt stehen Frage nach dem Zusammenwirken von Militär und dieser Technologie. Diese Veröffentlichung hat propädeutischen Charakter, indem sie diese Grundlagen für die deutschen Luftaufnahmen erläutert und auf Zugangs- und Verwendungsmöglichkeiten hinweist.

- by Philipp Vogler
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- Military History, Aviation, Second World War, First World War

Modern weapons of war have undergone precipitous technological change over the past generation and the future portends even greater advances. Of particular interest are so- called ‘autonomous weapon systems’ (henceforth, AWS), that will someday purportedly have the ability to make life and death targeting decisions ‘on their own.’ Despite the strong and widespread sentiments against such weapons, however, proffered philosophical arguments against AWS are often found lacking in substance. We propose that the prevalent moral aversion to AWS is supported by a pair of compelling objections. First, we argue that even a sophisticated robot is not the kind of thing that is capable of replicating human moral judgment. This conclusion follows if human moral judgment is not codifiable, i.e. it cannot be captured by a list of rules. Moral judgment requires either the ability to engage in wide reflective equilibrium, the ability to perceive certain facts as moral considerations, moral imagination, or the ability to have moral experiences with a particular phenomenological character. Robots cannot in principle possess these abilities, so robots cannot in principle replicate human moral judgment. If robots cannot in principle replicate human moral judgment then it is morally problematic to deploy AWS with that aim in mind. Second, we then argue that even if it is possible for a sufficiently sophisticated robot to make ‘moral decisions’ that are extensionally indistinguishable from (or better than) human moral decisions, these ‘decisions’ could not be made for the right reasons. This means that the ‘moral decisions’ made by AWS are bound to be morally deficient in at least one respect even if they are extensionally indistinguishable from human ones.

- by Ryan Jenkins and +2
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- Artificial Intelligence, Military Ethics, Applied Ethics, Moral Psychology

Since the 1980s, it has been possible to identify changes in the military-strategic dimension, which are associated with the concept of the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA). The development of new (weapon) technologies (e.g. precision-guided munitions, unmanned aerial vehicles) represents opportunity (and challenges) especially for states to enhance their military power and change their status in the system of international relations. Nowadays, the U.S. still represent the main actor of this system, however, we can identify several rivals on the global or regional levels. People’s Republic of China (PRC) is one of these challengers. From this point of view, the development of autonomous systems (AxS) could strengthen the Chinese military capabilities and enhance the threat for the position of the U.S. and their allies (NATO). However, this presumption depends on the transformation of the Chinese strategic thinking that could address such opportunity. The aim of this paper is to ...

The SIPRI report Mapping the Development of Autonomy in Weapon Systems, released in November 2017, presents the conclusions of a one-year mapping study on the development of autonomy in weapon systems. It is intended to help diplomats and members of civil society interested in the issue of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) to
(a) improve their understanding of the technological foundations of autonomy and obtain a sense of the speed and trajectory of progress of autonomy in weapon systems; (b) and concrete examples that could be used to start delineating the points at which the advance of autonomy in weapons may raise technical, legal, operational and ethical concerns; (c) investigate possible parameters for meaningful human control, using lessons learned from how existing weapons with autonomous capabilities are used; and (d) identify realistic options for the monitoring and regulation of the development of emerging technologies in the area of LAWS

- by Vincent Boulanin
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- Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Robotics, United Nations

Technology is a central aspect of international security and can often decisively shape the balance of power between states as well as the outcomes of military conflicts. This intermediate-level undergraduate course studies the emergence of technology as a function of politics, social institutions, and economics; the impact of technology on international security; and attempts to regulate technologies through international law and institutions. Starting with the railroad in the 19th century, the course will cover the emergence and impact of historical technologies such as the tank, the submarine, and nuclear weapons, and contemporary technologies such as drones, artificial intelligence, and cyberspace.

This article provides an alternative view for examining Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMAs), perceiving them both as sociopolitical institutions and as war-fighting models. The weaknesses in the ways in which the RMA theory has been approached are analyzed, resulting in the formation of three different, but parallel, paradigms of the RMA phenomenon (the Social Wave, the Radical Transformation, and the Continuity and Evolution). Two historical case studies, the Napoleonic RMA and the First World War RMA, are used in order to draw out the lessons learned regarding past revolutions and to examine the validity of the paradigms.

- by Andrew N Liaropoulos
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- Military History, Strategy (Military Science), War Studies, Napoleonic Wars
- by Joseph Bryant
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- Democratization, Greek Warfare, Military Technology, Greek Polis

Modern technology has opened new frontiers in the war business

- by Gary K Busch
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- Strategy (Military Science), Military and Politics, Military Technology

Prezentăm cu această ocazie un set de fotografii inedite, descoperite în fototeca Serviciului Istoric al Armatei (cota 6086), fotografii care prezintă momentul testării la teren accidentat a primelor trei autovehicule GAZ-69A intrate în dotarea armatei române în vara anului 1954. Testarea a fost realizată în cadrul unei „excursii” la care a participat însuși ministrul forțelor armatei române din acea vreme, generalul de armată Emil Bodnăraș.

- by Sămușan Alin Bogdan
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- Military History, Romanian History, Cold War, Romanian Studies

More so than in any other sphere of social existence, the brute physicality of war confronts us with the pervasive role that material objects occupy in the life (and death) of human collectives. But while the rapid and dramatic changes in the practices of warfare experienced in the modern era can be directly correlated to the evolutions of technique, we should be wary of simplified linear accounts that all too hastily read developments on the battlefield as incipient to the character of specific technical objects. It is only when these are related back to the wider sociotechnical assemblages in which they are embedded that we can begin to draw out the complex interdependencies and co-constitutive interactions that make up the war machine. Such an intellectual endeavour can contribute to developing more sober and nuanced appreciations of the transformative potential of technological developments than those which have animated RMA enthusiasts and at times intoxicated policy-makers.

2,500 word feature article forthcoming for Medieval Warfare, completed summer 2016, for publication Fall 2016.

- by Brian R Price
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- Mechanical Engineering, Military History, Military Science, Medieval Literature