Unique Ways the Military is Using Technology

Technology is continuing to allow the U.S. military to wage and prevent wars. Humanity has come a long way from atomic bombs to vaporizing weapons and weapons of mass destruction. Yet it's still amazing how technology has improved the military over the years and continues to do so.

With that in mind, let's look at some unique ways the military is using technology.

Computer Algorithms for Target Selection 

In recent times, the Pentagon asked Google to come up with a tool that could help them identify and label objects and targets in drone footage. The program was launched under the name Project Maven and started in April 2017. The project's goal was to process videos made by drones so they could easily label and identify different objects in the video. Using computer algorithms, troops could find out who their targets were and then take action accordingly.

Project Maven focuses its attention on computer vision and involves extracting objects or other targets from images or video footage. In a Department of Defense press release, the Head of Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Function team, Col. Dre Cukor said "Project Maven focuses on computer vision -- an aspect of machine learning and deep learning -- that autonomously extracts objects of interest from moving or still imagery."

Kitware is a New York-based company that specializes in advanced technical computing and research to design latest technological innovations. They came up with software called VIGILANT, which is, more specifically, a host of software that brings data processing from Silicon Valley to the military. This was a program that the Air Force Research Lab signed on, but it was only disclosed to the public when the Freedom of Information Act request came out in October 2021.

Microdrones with Flapping Wings 

Now that unmanned vehicles are becoming very common in the military. The next focus is to create unmanned aircraft, and for that, they are investing in different prototypes that work on the same mechanisms as insects or birds.

For this advancement, the Air Force is working on a project that will come up with a microdrone that mimics flapping wings. According to a press release issued June 2021, the Air Force's research lab is working with Airion Health LLC to come up with a vehicle that has the flight and the control of velocity like a bird or an insect. The release stated, "Controllable forces would be generated by the wings based on position and velocity profiles, resulting in time-varying wing upstrokes and downstrokes, which, at times, may be asymmetrical."

This type of technology will enable multiple uses for such drones. On the battlefield, microdrones can be useful for reconnaissance before the troops land as well as surveillance of fields or other military bases without putting people in harm’s way.

The microdrone is expected to be remote-controlled which will allow the Air Force to be in control of its direction and use it according to their needs from a distance. The drone offers 6 degrees of flight. Which, in plain English means, the microdrone will be able to move forward, backward, left, right, up, and down.

Taking advantage of their size, these microdrones, can get into spaces that may be too difficult for current options to be used. For instance, they can go into big machinery like aircrafts to check for faults or tunnels to get complete visibility of what is happening. Furthermore, there are similar technologies that the military is interested in. For instance, the military is taking an interest in throwable robots that examine a location and inform the user whether there are any people around or not. The military in 2021 asked defense and technology companies to submit their ideas for such technology.

At the present time, a working prototype is being developed for testing. Once the prototype meets all standards, it will be ready to launch.

Self Steering Bullets 

With this technology, giving a sharp aim may no longer be essential. In another case of unique usage, self-steering bullets are also a very interesting collaboration of technology and the military. The self-steering bullets come with tiny sensors that can change their direction after being shot. This increases the chances of hitting the target accurately. For snipers, these bullets improve the accuracy of hitting moving targets. These bullets are 0.50 calibers and use a laser to identify and indicate their target.

Similar to the drones, the bullets also have small fins that help them steer while they are in the air. The program manager at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Jerome Dunn said, "Fitting EXACTO's [Extreme Accuracy Tasked Ordnance] guidance capabilities into a small .50-caliber size is a major breakthrough and opens the door to what could be possible in future guided projectiles across all calibers."

Plasma Protection Field 

As you have seen in news reports, blast damages destroy everything in proximity including military vehicles and more. To prevent this, the military continues to look for emerging technologies, one of which is plasma fields. The plasma protection field is an ionized airfield that prevents the blast and, in turn, protects the vehicles from any damage. With the help of plasma fields, the military can now deflect an incoming blast. However, there is still more work to be done. At this time, this system is only effective when placed in the direction of the incoming blast.

Satellite Melter 

While a device that can shoot satellites out of orbit sounds like something from science fiction, it is very real. There is actual technology in the works that the military can use to melt down an enemy satellite. Different funded programs are developing a satellite that hunts enemy satellites and then, using a sunbeam, melts them down which will cause them to fallout of orbit. Once it does, the satellite will burn when it reenters the upper stratosphere. By burning upon reentering, none of its debris will reach the ground.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has been of great use to the military and has the potential to increase combat effectiveness as it continues to improve the computational reasoning for various tasks such as reconnaissance. Additionally, it can be used to minimize casualties as it aids the safety management of different equipment and increases the effectiveness of autonomous missions.

Mission-focused AI products are one of the prime examples of technology that will help with strategic planning. With the help of machine learning, these products counter different threats and make sure that the mission is successful by providing comprehensive battle awareness and cyber readiness.

Advanced Defense Equipment

As threats increase, the military keeps developing their defense equipment, and technology is a great tool that can help them advance. One defense piece of equipment that will enhance the way surveillance is with hypersonic flight. These Hypersonic Aircraft can travel at a speed of 3000+ miles per hour. The aircraft's support of Turbine-based combined cycle technology makes them viable for both military and commercial purposes.

Robotics & Autonomous Systems (RAS)

Robotics and Autonomous Systems are currently trending concepts when using technology in the military. These innovations can be used for several things, such as protecting troops or traversing terrain faster. The RAS reduces the extent of risk to soldiers and help the forces accomplish their missions easily as they now have a better idea of the battlefield. There are different innovations in the RAS, such as Unmanned Aerial Systems and Tactical Drones.

Internet of Military Things (IoMT)

For a stronger system, it is important for all the stakeholders to have a solid network and the internet of military things provides a cohesive network for all soldiers, drones, and planes. A strong network improves things such as response time, field performance, and data flow. Network-in-Network is one of the examples that make use of the IoMT where different streams of the military can exchange encrypted data and make transmissions simultaneously. This is because this technology provides smart threat detection with the help of embedded AI.

Immersive Technologies

Military training has come a long way, and if you pair it with immersive technology, then there are several possibilities that the military can explore, such as VR-based training and AR-based combat training.

With the help of these technologies, the military is stimulating conditions of war or other missions that they use to train soldiers. The military can get firearms training along with combat stimulation to give their soldiers lifelike experiences without putting them in danger.

Big Data Analytics

The war is no longer limited to weapons but has progressed to data. To have a strategic advantage, the military can collect data and analyze it to come up with necessary insights that make dangerous tasks more efficient and safe. Quantum Computing is how the military is using big data analytics to improve quantum-enhanced navigation -- a device that can navigate without using any external signals.

Of course, all of this comes at a high cost; something that gets debated in Congress on a regular basis. Due to this a number of emerging military technologies have experienced fluctuations in funding over the years. According to a U.S. government interagency task force on the defense industrial base, such “fluctuations challenge the viability of suppliers within the industrial base by diminishing their ability to hire and retain a skilled workforce, [achieve] production efficiencies, and in some cases, [stay] in business.” Combine this with the changing landscape of senior leaders, priorities – both in terms of effort and funding – shift frequently.

Inherently, as time progresses, technology keeps evolving and the war machines get more complex. To stay informed, check out the U.S. National Science and Technology Council’s published set of Critical and Emergency Technologies which highlights the technology areas that are perceived as being key for U.S. national defense.