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War has been part of the human race for centuries, and its evolution continues to pose a significant risk to the survival of soldiers. The potential consequences of modern warfare in military activities have contributed to the decline of the United States military population since the battlefield continues to expand as new conflicts arise. The military technological advances of the United States reveal opportunities for mitigating adverse effects associated with combat while informing the development of optimal strategies for survival through the use of proxies and remote-controlled weaponry. In past two decades, there have been numerous advancements on the battlefield in the form of arms, transportation, and air power which have direct impacts for deployed personnel in various combat scenarios such as land warfare, naval warfare, aerial warfare, space warfare, and information warfare. The primary objective of this paper is to perform an investigation of the degree of influence of technology on the modern warfare while striving to uncover its impact in the quest to significantly reduce the number of deaths of American troops involved in various war scenarios. The paper will seek to provide evidence on the capabilities of technology in modern warfare in the reduction of the number of deaths of American soldiers who have been tasked with the responsibility of providing security, protecting populations, establishing stability, and eliminating terrorist threats in various battlefields.

Keywords: Modern Warfare, Technological Advancements, Land Warfare, Naval Warfare,

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MODERN WARFARE

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MODERN WARFARE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Modern Warfare

War can be traced to the dawn of civilization from the Stone Age, to the Middle Age, and to the Modern Age (Van Creveld, 2010). Warfare has always been conducted through careful resource management, the maintenance of a strong military, and the discovery of new effective and efficient technologies. The evolution of warfare is built upon the principle which suggests that a weakness in any area can be by the opponents thus in order to survive, it is essential to embrace innovation (Hooker Jr, 2011).

Although warfare has evolved, the three indispensable elements of any war have not changed; these features include soldiers, weapons, and a battlefield. In the past for instance in Vietnam, soldiers had to dig holes in the ground in order to survive however technological developments in the past two decades since the Gulf War have enabled soldiers to adopt the use of cutting-edge tools in warfare. On the other hand, in the future, developments in robotics and artificial intelligence will render the need for armed humans less critical in warfare. The twenty-first century warfare is now characterized by satellite imagery, faster airplanes equipped with laser-guided weapons for precision airstrikes, and unmanned vehicles. Technology plays a significant role in warfare since it aids in the improvement of military weapons. In order to fully reap the benefits of technological advancements in modern warfare it imperative to adopt new fighting techniques and tactics in order to minimize the loss of life (Van Creveld, 2010). In the modern era, technology has made it possible for the United States military to leverage the advances in robotics and targeting systems to deploy smarter weapons with the capacity to deliver precise and lethal payloads effectively and efficiently. Technology is transforming the military and the nature of modern warfare from the tanks, fighter jets to the soldiers themselves. The application of technology in modern warfare has contributed to the significant decrease in collateral damage since the United States military leverages the use of sophisticated targeting systems and stealth technology to strategically deliver its payloads. Technological improvements in modern warfare has also contributed to fewer civilian casualties since targets are being targeted with better accuracy and precision. It is also essential to note that technological advancements have contributed to fewer soldiers on the ground since missions which require the deployment of several companies can be performed by highly specialized forces with the aid of technology. The embracing of technology by the United States military will lead to reduction its troop levels thus in turn saving numerous lives which would have been lost in the absence of technology. Technology in warfare is meant to increase the support for deployed personnel thus translating into fewer military causalities since the defenses and fighting force of the opposing army can be eliminated through the use of precision munitions (Rovner, 2015). This implies that there is no need for direct ground assault since both surveillance and action can be achieved at lightning speed thus resulting in apparent victory. The reduction of the number of deaths of American troops involved in various war scenarios can be achieved through the leveraging of advanced technology and skills. Modern warfare leverages technology which increases a unit’s combat power thus resulting in the reduction of the loss of American lives in the battlefield; the benefits of technology on the battlefield are clear. The lives of American troops can be safeguarded through the use of technology in military equipment, for instance, equipping them with specialized cameras with optical and thermal systems linked to their combat helmets thus giving them a three hundred and sixty-degree visibility without exposing them to risks. Military transportation units such as fighter jets and tanks can be equipped with autonomous capabilities which can be used to monitor enemy activity, process and share information at multiple levels, and to increase the navigation capacity of the deployed unit thus making missions on the battlefield to run as smoothly and safely as possible. The trend toward an increasingly high-tech warfare military should save lives since better armor for soldiers will result in fewer casualties while the use of autonomous weaponry will significantly reduce the number of soldiers that are deployed to the battlefield.

Technology is the primary source of improvements in modern warfare since it is geared towards the organization and equipping mass armies. Modern warfare can be traced back to the French Revolution of 1789; it is responsible for the development of new technologies by the military in order to aid in the subjugation and colonization of other nations (Vere, 2009). Today, countries which possess superior technology have the capacity to maintain global peace. Warfare has over the centuries progressed from the primitive wars between prominent tribal societies and escalated to warfare between industrialized nations. The scientific advances in the twentieth century are attributable to the developments of the United States military, but the dramatic technological advances in the United States military can be traced back to the war in both Iraq and Afghanistan which were characterized by a high loss of American troops. Recent technological changes are making war less brutal thus resulting in the decline of armed conflict; this is a direct consequence of the fundamental changes in how modern warfare is conducted (Jordan, Kiras, Lonsdale, Speller, Tuck, and Walton, 2016). Improvements in battlefield medicine have made combat less lethal for participants although it is estimated that more than 21 percent of the United States soldiers who have died in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan were killed not by enemy combatants; they were killed in non-hostile circumstances which include friendly fire, suicide, illness, and accidents. In the past, disease and lack of proper medicine and sanitation have played an enormous role in American casualties, but discoveries in military technology have significantly changed the landscape of modern warfare. In order to meet the strategic objectives of homeland security, the United States has continuously found itself in a situation which calls for the deployment of its military. The wielding of military power abroad has, in turn, resulted in the loss of American troops thus the United States must recognize the technology is central to an active and dominant military. In order to reduce the number of military casualties, the United States must, therefore, embrace new and innovative technologies in land warfare, naval warfare, aerial warfare, space warfare, and information warfare.

In modern warfare, rapid troop deployment and movement plays a significant role which in turn creates the potential for an increase in the risks of accidental deaths. The United States military is an advanced military outfit which is structured around heavily armored troops which move using various vehicles such as trucks, tanks, and aircraft. The mass production of military vehicles has contributed to the increase in the time required between the formulation of new ideas and the creation of prototypes thus implying that new concepts can be transformed from drawings to existing military infrastructure in shorts periods of time. The inclusion of technical professions in the United States military structure and the widespread use of professional journals have significantly increased the time in innovation in one field can be leveraged as a military application thus resulting in the rapid implementation of new weapons and other technologies of war to the battlefield. The adoption of new technologies requires further changes in both tactics and combat formations in an attempt to maximize the potential of the adopted technology thus resulting in the reduction of the number of deaths of the American troops; the failure to recalibrate either weapons or tactics to new circumstances can be catastrophic. For instance, a majority of modern tanks utilized in the battlefield have night-vision capabilities, laser range-finders, stabilized turrets, and targeting computers which allow them to fight in diverse conditions thus it essential to equip the tanks with composite or reactive armor while still installing firing guns with more penetrating power. An example of such a technology is the BattleView 360 which is an agile awareness tool which utilizes advanced monocle and imaging technology to provide United States soldiers with 360-degree real-time view of their surroundings (Buckley, 2016). This technology can help in the significant reduction of the number of casualties in the American military since it provides soldiers on the battlefield with better knowledge of their surroundings thus increasing their combat effectiveness and survivability. The adoption of an agile situational awareness tool enables rapid targeting, safer route planning, and enhanced communication and information sharing which in turn boosts their response time; this will inevitably contribute to the reduction in the number of casualties. The Gulf War, for instance demonstrated the significance of technology in the military since it increased the efficiency and effectiveness of the deployed units while reducing the number of military casualties. The impact of advances in technology on the conduct of warfare is visible in the extension of the range of weapons, the volume and accuracy of fire, and in the applications of system integration. The impact is also apparent in the concentration of maximum firepower in smaller units, and the increased transparency in the battlefield which has, in turn, contributed to the reduced number of deaths of American troops in the battlefield. The introduction of effective individual weapons and artillery guns with increased rates of fire and improved effectiveness has extended the range and accuracy dispersed ground units thus allowing the ground troops to counter the opponents’ equipment and tactics; this has contributed to the reduction of casualties in the United States military. The development of lighter, smarter, and stronger body armor which utilizes sensor technology, light, and flexible materials with high tensile strength have made it possible to save the lives of soldiers on the battlefield against threats such as gunfire and blunt force trauma. Body armor should prioritize on saving the wearer’s life in the face of battlefield threats thus if body armor is too restrictive, too heavy, too hot, or too bulky it will diminish the wearer’s effectiveness in the field. Body armor needs to have the capacity to absorb the impact energy when struck by a projectile at any speed. The standard Kevlar body armor used by American troops needs to made up of materials which increase the wearer’s protection by not only stopping a projectile from piercing the wearer’s body, but significantly reducing the shockwave from the impact from the projectile since it can be devastating to the body and internal organs. The advances in biological engineering can be applied in the military thus dramatically reducing the number of deaths in the United States military. The recent discoveries in the medical field have made it possible for professionals to identify the genetic markers which make some individuals more vulnerable or susceptible to disease thus making it possible to eliminate causalities which are as a consequence of illnesses through the use of personalized medicine and gene therapy.

The Gulf War provided the breakthrough for the United States military application of technology in the planning and conduct of warfare. The results of the Gulf War were dramatic and have played a significant role in shaping the expectations of modern warfare; it created the idea that armed conflict should be short, decisive, and accomplished with a minimum number of causalities. The success achieved by the United States in Desert Storm is attributable to the advances in technology. The United States leveraged the use of technology which combined precision weapons and rapid dissemination of information to win the Gulf War with a minimum number of casualties. For instance, in aerial battles, the turning point of America’s aerial supremacy was as a consequence of the development of stealth aircraft which enables pilots to evade detection thus reducing the chances of being shot down. Although planes are not entirely invisible to radar, plans equipped with stealth technology can avoid being detected by the enemy since they use radio frequency spectrum, aircraft reflection, radar, and infrared emissions to increase the odds of successful evasion and attack. The lives of numerous American air force pilots can be saved since the enemies have a hard time tracking, finding, and defending against such airplanes. Additionally, the lives of air force personnel can be saved through the use of fly-by-wire technology which replaces the manual flight controls of a fighter jet with an electronic interface which utilizes the signals generated by a computer. The signals are then transmitted by wires to move control mechanism thus creating an opportunity for more precise computer guidance and control. The fly-by-wire systems can help in the reduction of the number of casualties in the air force since it has the capacity to automatically stabilize airplanes without relying on manual inputs from the pilot. In naval warfare, submarines have revolutionized modern warfare since they are underwater vessels with the ability to attack enemy ships and are also equipped with stealth technology thus making them undetectable. Submarines can be used to conduct surveillance, establish blockades and to carry long-range cruise missiles such as the Tomahawk which is designed to fly at extremely low altitudes and at subsonic speeds to support land attacks. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) also known as drones can be used to disable an enemy as quickly and effectively as possible with no risk of lives of American troops. Drones have the ability to reduce the number of American soldiers that need to be deployed into combat zones since they are equipped with lethal weapons with high accuracy and precision while the pilots safely remain thousands of miles away from the front lines of the battlefield (Rae, 2014). Drones can save the lives of American troops since the lives of drone pilots are not in danger; this helps the military to limit the number of combat fatalities. The introduction of armed robots can also significantly reduce the number of American causalities since unmanned robotic systems such as Packbot are designed to carry out tactical law enforcement, the primary functions of military surveillance, and explosives ordnance disposal (Buckley, 2016). Unmanned robotic systems have fewer risks to the personnel since can eliminate the devastation caused by friendly fire, human ethical infractions, and emotional breakdowns.

In the digital era, modern warfare has been revolutionized by the need for the secure, efficient, and fast dissemination of information. Information technologies have changed the battlefield since they have enabled the excellent performance of current systems, weapons, sensors, and personnel. In modern warfare, electronics and software have the capability to increase the intelligence gathering, analysis, and distribution of information thus increasing the precision strike capabilities, sensor data processing, platform control, and human performance for the military (Sutherland, 2014). The American troops depend heavily on accurate and timely battlefield information for battlefield decision-making to ensure the reduction of the number of American lives lost in battle. The ability to collect, integrate, analyze, and deliver this information efficiently and rapidly is therefore critical to the establishment of battlefield advantage and the reduction of the exposure of the American troops to risks (Jajodia, Shakarian, Subrahmanian, Swarup, and Wang, 2015). Information warfare has made it possible for military personnel to perform numerous tasks at a faster rate since it encompasses all aspects of information-based warfare thus facilitating the attack on enemy command and control systems. The United States military can increase its ability to make decisions faster than the opponent and then take decisive actions through the help of information technologies thus reducing the number of deaths of American troops. This can be achieved through the increase of the number of unmanned aircraft and satellites to carry out surveillance, communications, and intelligence work which would otherwise be carried out by boots on the ground.

The notion that technological advances can improve battlefield conditions does not seem likely to be true since weapons have the tendency to make wars more deadly for all the participants, but if they are used appropriately, they have potential to reduce suffering on a mass scale. Technology shapes warfare, not war since even with the best equipment in the world, United States troops are frequently surprised by their adversaries because no machine has yet been invented that can penetrate human thought processes. Although the conduct of warfare is changing, it still characterized by constant determinants which include human emotions, political leaders, and national policy (Gray, 2013). The ambiguity and uncertainty of war is accompanied by death and destruction which is as a consequence of the contest of wills between participating players, but technology can be used to increase military effectiveness and to minimize the number of American troops casualties. It is therefore essential to point out that the gains made in the use of technology in modern warfare are not devoid of any drawbacks. Although it is clear that technology plays a significant role in the decrease of loss of lives of the American soldiers, the increase of accidents involving such technologies also claims many lives (Buckley, 2016). The use of technology, therefore, can only help decrease deaths of soldiers if safety standards are also integrated into modern warfare tactics.

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Jajodia, S., Shakarian, P., Subrahmanian, V. S., Swarup, V., & Wang, C. (2015). Cyber Warfare: Building the Scientific Foundation (Vol. 56). Springer.

Jordan, D., Kiras, J. D., Lonsdale, D. J., Speller, I., Tuck, C., & Walton, C. D. (2016). Understanding modern warfare. Cambridge University Press.

Rae, J. D. (2014). Analyzing the drone debates: targeted killings, remote warfare, and military technology. Springer.

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Van Creveld, M. (2010). Technology and war: From 2000 BC to the present. Simon and Schuster.

Vere, C. (2009). The Napoleonic Wars and the Birth of Modern Warfare. Intelligence and National Security, 24(3), 464-470.

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