...American Military Technology Gary Smith MIL 311 American Military History II Instructor Trevor Albertson March 2, 2014 Introduction “Technology shapes the conduct of war in a tremendous way. It determines how wars are fought, how armies are organized and also many of the limitations they have,” according to Krishnan (2008, p. 1). The United States armed forces have seen many innovations in military technology that have helped project the United States as a global leader in politics and military matters. World War II was the catapult that launched the United States onto the world stage and began the shift of American armed forces swing towards advancing military technology to maintain the ability to politically have significance throughout the globe. American dominance of military technology has continued from World War II through modern times, with a significant focus towards the future and private sectors being the important key to maintaining that dominance. World War II Technology Advancements Starting with technology advancement during World War II, the U.S. Navy did not advance as strongly as other branches. Aircraft carriers came of age and dominated as the main focus of fleets, while submarines became incredible predators of the seas. The actual development of new ships was not really there, since the turn-around time of such an endeavor outweighed the benefits during wartime. However, the Navy did make strides in SONAR technology, which would...
Words: 2517 - Pages: 11
...derive from?” Most have argued for a larger Western heritage dating to classical times of combining decisive battle, superior technology that is the dividend of rationalism, group discipline, and notions of freedom, audit, and constitutional government.(1) Of course, there was a particularly American variant of Western military practice that grew up on a vast frontier and was the result of the impatient nature of American popular culture and its familiarity with machines manifested best in something like George’s Patton’s romp across central France in the summer of 1944, or the dash up from Kuwait to Northern Iraq in the spring of 2003. Cohen, however, believes the U.S. way of fighting is more complex, incorporating all sorts of non-conventional elements. To make that point, he reviews warfare of the eighteenth-century along the northeastern seaboard of the American continent that rugged two-hundred-mile corridor of mountains, forests, and lakes from Albany to Montreal dubbed the “Great Warpath.”(1) His investigations reveal two less appreciated sources for the way Americans currently fight. One was the birth of a unique, and less remarked upon strain of raiding, ambushing, subversion, living off the land, ad hoc alliance building with indigenous peoples, long-range reconnaissance, and patrolling behind enemy lines.(1) The other was a sort of military populism: non-traditional tactics, by which early colonialists survived against the superior numbers of the French, Indians,...
Words: 1431 - Pages: 6
...American pilots and aviators in danger of death or capture, or both, in case their aircraft gets shot down (think of the Jordanian pilot ISIS captured and literally roasted alive).” The author’s purpose it to explain the technology in order to show how it can be used to give the US advantages in combat and military missions. He goes through this in an objective manner and presents facts to support President Obama’s drone program such as ISIS and the Taliban lack an air defense program and that it keeps soldiers safe, which is somewhat surprising because the National Review is known to lean right, but that shows that possible bias didn’t sway the article. The author Arthur Herman is a distinguished historian who works for the Hudson Institute and is also a Pulitzer Prize winner which bodes well for his credibility given that the Pulitzer Prize is one of the highest awards a journalist can receive. Throughout the article Mr. Herman adapts an informative and formal tone throughout the article for his intended audience of drone skeptics and people interested in military technology....
Words: 1780 - Pages: 8
...MODERN AMERICAN MILITARY HISTORY JULY 27, 2015 There have been many innovations developed as a result of World War Two (WWII). Many of those innovations and technologies were pushed forward in to high gear because of the need created by warfare. All types of items such as a proximity fuse (used to detonate bombs & Anti-Aircraft shells), significant advances in tanks, amphibious mobile troop carriers (DUKW), new designed aircraft carriers took over the old World War One battleships, were a direct product from the conflict. The development of the RADAR (RAdio Detection And Ranging) played a crucial role during the Battle of Britain in World War Two for the British air forces. At a time where the British only had available to them a total of 800 aircraft to try to hold back the German in which had an air force with over 3,000 planes at their ready. The use of Radar gave the British the upper hand by allow them to be able to detect the German aircraft while they were still fifty to sixty miles away. This enabled the British to only permit a limited amount of forces to fight the Germans as the approached knowing the direction, altitude, and speed of the planes as they came. In the great depths of the sea, the German U-boat had become quiet the force that was wreaking havoc on the Allied Naval ships. The U.S. Navy not only had the use of SONAR (SOund Navigating And Ranging) but the development of Bearing Deviation Indicator (BDI) was a useful tool in adding the sonar equipment...
Words: 1086 - Pages: 5
...COMPUTER USE IN MILITARY Without a computer, life at UNC would be very different. For example, taking this class without a computer would be nearly impossible. Today, computers have opened up a door in the military. Computers help our military train and educate members in ways that were not possible before. In short, computers help to simplify the complexities that our military faces and allow our military to more easily assess these problems in an efficient manner. This cuts down on risks associated with training new members of the military. Also, the introduction of computers allows for a much faster training speed. * Computer Simulations There are many reasons why simulations were a perfect fit for the military, the most obvious of which is training. Training for war is a dangerous business. It is also expensive, seeing as many people need to be trained to operate many millions of dollars worth of machinery. Simulations of real life situations, and real machinery, offers the military a safer and more cost effective way to train their soldiers. Now, mistakes in training that would have previously resulted in death, injury, or huge monetary costs only result in a failure of the simulation. Therefore, it is easy to see the enormous impact computer simulations have had in the military, and the lives of the soldiers that comprise the military. * Communications Learning and communicating successfully in large groups is key to surviving on the front line in the military. Everyone...
Words: 2543 - Pages: 11
...steam-powered engine in the late 1700’s that used the pressure of super-heated water to create steam pressure. This pressure moved a slide piston that pushed a rod on a pivot. The motion turned a rotary wheel for as long as the mechanism was fueled and in good repair. The invention of the steam engine was the catalyst for a series of technological innovations developed during the Industrial Revolution that changed warfare after the Napoleonic Wars through to the American Civil War. Steam engine technology led to the development of factory-based assembly line production of materials, the development of the steamship and locomotive, and to innovations in the production of steel from pig iron. These series of innovations created the means for military power to mass quickly and continuously throughout the Civil War. * As steam engine technology continued to improve1 during the early 1800’s, commercial entrepreneurial ventures morphed into a new industrial system that could generate and project large military forces over greater distances faster than ever before. The steam engine lead to the development of steamships and railroad systems funded by investors and constructed by the Army Engineer Corps to support commerce. Navigable waterways and land rail systems, initially developed for commerce, quickly became the means by which forces could quickly deploy over long distances. The forces were logistically supported from factories located safely away from areas of conflict. Waterways and railroad...
Words: 1598 - Pages: 7
...historical periods have experienced war at one point in time. Different nations or militaries use diverse war approaches and tactics depending on their experiences and goals. Over time, different war approaches have been utilized by various regions across the globe. The Western Way of War has been instrumental in ensuring the long-standing dominance of the western nations all over the globe. In the last two centuries, it has turned out to be the prevailed and used by majority of the globes militaries. The ‘Western Way’ is defined by five main facets, namely: dependence on technological advancement, advanced training and discipline, capability to implement new technological innovations (innovativeness) and strategic vision. These aspects have been attributed to the supremacy of the western culture. A pioneer of war is Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.1 He is highly regarded as an exceptional commander. Under his tenure, Sweden became very powerful, and his battles were won through innovativeness, superb and effective weaponry, impeccable training and government support.2 Gustavus Adolphus is arguably one of the highly respected generals owing to his outstanding military expeditions during his era. His military tactics are closely illustrated by the ‘Western Way’. Substantial aspects present in the ‘Western Way' sufficiently epitomize the Gustavus era, and they include innovation, preeminent technology, top-notch training, effective weaponry, and government support.3 This is an argumentative...
Words: 1298 - Pages: 6
...– Canadian Military History Assignment 4-1-1 Canadian Armed Forces at the Outbreak of War in 1939? Lessons Learned and Relearned from Great War Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) To discuss the condition of the Canadian Armed Forces prior to the outbreak of World War II we must first look at the political climate, culture and economy leading up to 1939. During this time Canada was in a policy of Isolationism after recovering form the massive loss of life in the Great War.1 An anti-war sentiment stemmed from the war time losses of over 60,000 Canadians – great losses for a country with only 8 million people at that time. This Isolationist policy was further strengthened by closer economical ties with the United States who were investing heavily in Canada and providing markets for Canadian exports. Nevertheless, the economy was devastated during the Great Depression and importance was placed on saving the economy and not developing the military. Therefore, with the average Canadian having a bad image of the Great War and an economy on the verge of collapse the Canadian Armed Forces in 1939 was in a sorry state, much similar to its state prior to the Great War and many lessons had to be relearned. Canada had to relearn its preparedness, conscription and technology lessons all over again. It is clear to see that the military situation leading...
Words: 1012 - Pages: 5
...VIRTUAL REALITY Virtual reality-the very name conjures up fantastic visions of computer technology providing the ultimate out-of-body experience. What is VR? And what can we learn from studying the history of its development and the development of its early and present-day applications? The history of modern VR is the history of the technology that makes it possible-the computer, the head-mounted display, and the data glove. It is also the history of the people and organizations that developed the technology, hardware and software, and applications for that technology. And finally, the history of VR is a history of the social use of VR technology for entertainment, education, military, and commercial purposes. Defining VR Defining VR is an important first step in presenting a brief history of its development. It may also prove to be the most difficult since the combination of the two terms is itself oxymoronic. The phrase "virtual reality" is widely credited to Jaron Lanier who coined it in 1989 to describe the experience made possible by the use of the latest generation of goggles, gloves and related technologies. The role of perception in defining reality raises interesting issues of psychological, sociological, philosophical, and cognitive origins. In this postmodern age the concept of the real continues to have philosophical and practical significance for those who are engaged in the creation of artificial or virtual representations of reality. For some, the dawn of...
Words: 841 - Pages: 4
...Advances in technology can bring about dramatic changes in military operations, often termed revolutions in military affairs or RMAs. Such technology-driven changes in military operations are not merely a recent phenomenon: they have been occurring since the dawn of history, they will continue to occur in the future, and they will continue to bestow a military advantage on the first nation to develop and use them. Accordingly, it is important to the continued vitality and robustness of the U.S. defense posture for the DoD R&D community to be aware of technology developments that could revolutionize military operations in the future, and for the U.S. military services to be on the lookout for revolutionary ways in which to employ those technologies in warfare. This report examines the history of past RMAs, to see what can be learned from them regarding the challenge confronting the DoD today, when it has set out on a concerted effort to bring about a technology-driven transformation of the U.S. military to achieve the operational goals outlined in Joint Vision 2010. Among its many findings are three of particular note: * RMAs are rarely brought about by dominant players (such as the U.S. military is today). * For a dominant player to bring about an RMA requires a receptive organizational climate, fostering a continually refined vision of how war may change in the future and encouraging vigorous debate regarding the future of the organization; senior officers with traditional...
Words: 3503 - Pages: 15
...Looking back twenty 1990’s and now in 2010 health care has changed extremely. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) did not exist until 1996. HIPAA made it possible for everyone to qualify for health insurance and setting privacy and they established health information standards and regulation. Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) had a reputation of poor quality of care and the 90’s were the beginning of a major transformation of VHA that was aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of care that was being provided to their patients. Capability to do data analysis in 1990 was impossible most of the data was collected and stored in a room untouched. Advanced in technology made it possible to do research and do data analysis. The advantages in technology are beneficent to health care information in providing electronic medical records, medical billing, telemedicine and teleradiology. Evolution of Health Care Information Systems Compare/contrast of either health care facility or physician’s office operation with the same 20 years prior To look back twenty years ago in the 1990’s and now in 2010 health care has changed tremendously. In the 1990’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) did not exist. Prior to HIPAA, which was passed in 1996, there were no regulations or standards for health care delivery in making it more efficient for patients. There were no pre-existing conditions standards set...
Words: 1641 - Pages: 7
...Perspective on Health Care Greg McLean HCS/212 July 10, 2012 Dr. Pamela Buckman Perspective on Health Care The author will discuss his perspective on health care through his professional experience. He will compare historical information to his personal experiences in health care and discuss how they may have changed his role in health care. He will also discuss what area he currently works in, how health care reform has affected this field, and his thoughts on the changes health care reform has brought about. Positive and negative outcomes linked to demographic indicators and available resources for finding information on the history of health care in the United States will also be discussed. As a child growing up with asthma in a metropolitan area, (Brooklyn, New York), in the 1960’s, 1970’s, and 1980’s, the author can relate to changes in the health care field once he grew up and became a member of that field. Back in the 60’s and 70’s, the author would be admitted to the hospital and put in what was called an oxygen tent to assist with the opening of the airways and breathing. A shot of adrenalin was administered in later years on an outpatient basis which was more effective in alleviating the constricted airway. Now, depending on the severity of the illness, a patient could still be admitted to a facility but oxygen tents are a thing of the past. Breathing treatments and respiratory therapy are now in affect to assist the patient in opening the airway. The author...
Words: 732 - Pages: 3
...potentially change the world as we know it. Through further research and development, this technology has the potential to save lives through medical uses, equip military members with necessary tools, reduce manufacturing costs, and help the environment. 4) INTRODUCTION h) Today, 3D printers have evolved to make a variety of objects using a laser or extruder (the material output part of the printer, best described as a futuristic hot glue gun) that move along an X, Y and Z axis to build an object in three dimensions, layer by layer, sometimes only microns thick at a time, depending on the desired resolution of the object. This method eliminates a lot of wasted materials. For example, in ship manufacturing any leftover powdered substrate can be immediately used on another project, alleviating the need for injection molding, setup costs, cutting, sanding, drilling and having scraps of material left over, as is common with traditional manufacturing methods. (Hart, 2012) i) The history of this technology must first begin by briefly describing the history of all printing methods. Without those first basic principles, the inception of this technology would not exist. Following that, we will answer the following questions: (1) What is 3D printing? What is the science behind it? (2) Who were its creators? (3) When was the technology first seen? What are the key historical points in its development? j) There are a number...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...Of the five characteristics of Western Warfare, the emphasis on innovation best exemplifies warfare in the American Civil War. Throughout history, the combatant with the highest level of technology and innovation typically is victorious over numerically superior forces. For example, using new and innovative methods of constructing fortifications, in 1294 AD, the garrison of Harlech Castle in Wales, consisting of only 37 soldiers, was able to defend against a significantly numerically superior force. During the American Civil War, both sides used the emphasis on innovation to turn the three non-military technologies of the manufacture of interchangeable parts, railroads, and the telegraph, into weapons of modern Western warfare. During the early nineteenth century, gun smithing was an extremely skilled craft and most firearms were handmade, subsequently making them one of a kind . The bulk of the American industrial base was located in New England, and it was there that the “American system of manufacture” was born. As the demand for manufactured goods rose, many companies developed systems that would increase the overall output of their factories while decreasing the need for highly skilled tradesmen. The result was the ability to mass-produce nearly identical parts that could be used in any random selection of parts. The primary American army firearm of the day was the Springfield Musket. The armory at Springfield, Massachusetts, mass-produced the majority of these...
Words: 1158 - Pages: 5
...Aftermath of a World War War has always had an impact on those in involved and others who are not. These impacts can affect everything as the forces at war clash. The countries go into overdrive and attempt to gain the upper hand in some way. Whether it is through technological advances, new weapons, or supplies. After any war has ended, there continues to be some impact, such as new borders, technologies, consequences for the losing side, and the rise of a new leader. World War 1 impacted the world in various ways, such as new technology, weapons, and economical and political problems. During the first war, a new type of weapon that is still used today was first introduced. The first tank to be introduced was the British Mark I, which was designed in 1915 (Mental Floss). The British Mark I intended to cross no man’s land and avoid being shredded by the power of the machines guns from the opposing side. These new armored vehicles proved successful and were improved and used more frequently throughout history. Another form of technology and weapon in the first World War was called the interrupter gear. The interrupter gear was used during air combat and allowed machine guns to be fired without the damaging the aircrafts propeller. This invention allowed for the pilots to fire between the blades of a spinning propeller (Mental Floss). These inventions were later updated or improved upon and used in future wars. The final outcome of the first World War was the defeat of Germany...
Words: 1315 - Pages: 6
