Editing Military (section)

==Technology==
{{Main|Military technology}}
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2014}}

[[File:Arrow-head Olynthus BM GR1912.4-19.4.jpg|thumb|A [[bronze]] [[arrowhead]] from the 4th century BCE, found in [[Olynthus]], [[Chalkidiki]], [[Greece]]]]
As with any occupation, since ancient times, the military has been distinguished from other members of the society by their tools: the [[weapon]]s and [[military equipment]] used in combat. When [[Stone Age]] humans first took [[flint]] to tip the [[spear]], it was the first example of [[applied research|applying technology]] to improve the weapon. Since then, the advances made by human societies, and that of weapons, has been closely linked. Stone weapons gave way to [[Bronze Age]] and [[Iron Age]] weapons such as [[sword]]s and [[shield]]s. With each technological change was realized some tangible increase in military capability, such as through greater effectiveness of a sharper edge in defeating [[armour]], or [[Mechanics of materials|improved density of materials]] used in manufacture of weapons.[[File:Armor for Man and Horse, Italy (probably Milan), c. 1565, and Field armor for horseman, Italy, c. 1575 - Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art - DSC08601.JPG|thumb|Mounted and foot [[armour]]ed [[knight]]s. Armour and [[cavalry]] dominated the battlefield until the invention of [[firearm]]s.]]

On [[Land warfare|land]], the first significant technological advance in warfare was the development of ranged weapons, notably the [[Sling (weapon)|sling]] and later the [[bow and arrow]]. The next significant advance came with the [[domestication of the horse]]s and mastering of [[equestrianism]], creating [[cavalry]] and allowing for faster military advances and better logistics. Possibly the most significant advancement was the [[wheel]], a staple of transportation, starting with the [[chariot]] and eventually [[siege engine]]s. The bow was manufactured in increasingly larger and more powerful versions to increase both the weapon range and armour penetration performance, developing into [[composite bow]]s, [[recurve bow]]s, [[longbow]]s, and [[crossbow]]s. These proved particularly useful during the rise of cavalry, as horsemen encased in ever-more sophisticated [[armour]] came to dominate the battlefield.

In [[History of China#Imperial China|medieval China]], [[gunpowder]] had been invented, and was increasingly used by the military in combat. The use of gunpowder in the early [[mortar (weapon)|vase-like mortars]] in Europe, and advanced versions of the longbow and crossbow with armour-piercing [[arrowhead]]s, put an end to the dominance of the armoured knight. Gunpowder resulted in the development and fielding of the [[musket]], which could be used effectively with little training. In time, the successors to muskets and [[cannon]]s, in the form of [[rifle]]s and [[artillery]], would become core battlefield technology.[[File:BattleOfVirginiaCapes.jpg|thumb|right|Naval vessels of France and Britain exchanging fire during the 1781 [[Battle of the Chesapeake]]]]As the speed of technological advances accelerated in civilian applications, so too did military and warfare become [[Industrial warfare|industrialized]]. The newly invented [[machine gun]] and [[repeating rifle]] redefined [[firepower]] on the battlefield, and, in part, explains the high casualty rates of the [[American Civil War]] and the decline of melee combat in warfare. The next breakthrough was the conversion of artillery parks from the [[Muzzleloader|muzzle-loading guns]], to quicker [[Breechloader|breech-loading guns]] with recoiling barrels that allowed quicker aimed fire and use of a shield. The widespread introduction of low smoke (smokeless) propellant powders since the 1880s also allowed for a great improvement of artillery ranges. The development of breech loading had the greatest effect on [[naval warfare]] for the first time since the Middle Ages, altering the way weapons are mounted on [[warship]]s. [[Naval tactics]] were divorced from the reliance on [[Age of Sail|sails]] with the invention of the [[Internal combustion engine|internal combustion]]. A further advance in military naval technology was the [[submarine]] and the [[torpedo]].[[File:USAF F-15C fires AIM-7 Sparrow.jpg|thumb|[[AIM-7]] Sparrow medium range [[air-to-air missile]] from an [[F-15 Eagle]]]]During [[World War I]], the need to break the deadlock of trench warfare saw the rapid development of many new technologies, particularly [[tank]]s. [[Military aviation]] was extensively used, and [[bomber]]s became decisive in many battles of [[World War II]], which marked the most frantic period of weapons development in history. Many new designs, and concepts were used in combat, and all existing technologies of warfare were improved between 1939 and 1945.
During World War II, significant advances were made in [[military communications]] through increased use of radio, military intelligence through use of the [[radar]], and in [[military medicine]] through use of [[penicillin]], while in the air, the guided [[missile]], [[jet aircraft]], and [[helicopter]]s were seen for the first time. Perhaps the most infamous of all military technologies was the creation of [[nuclear weapon]]s, although the exact effects of its [[radiation]] were unknown until the early 1950s. Far greater use of [[military vehicle]]s had finally eliminated the cavalry from the military [[force structure]].
After World War II, with the onset of the [[Cold War]], the constant technological development of new weapons was institutionalized, as participants engaged in a constant [[arms race]] in capability development. This constant state of weapons development continues into the present. [[Main battle tank]]s, and other heavy equipment such as [[armoured fighting vehicle]]s, [[military aircraft]], and [[ship]]s, are characteristic to organized military forces.
[[File:2-14 CAV Fire Support Coordination Exercise Image 3 of 19.jpg|thumb|[[United States Army|U.S. Army]] soldiers with modern equipment. The soldier on the right is using a [[laser designator]] to observe and mark targets, while the soldier on the far left is using a [[Military communications|radio]] to coordinate [[fire support]].]]
The most significant technological developments that influenced combat have been guided missiles, which can be used by all branches of the armed services. More recently, [[information technology]], and its use in [[surveillance]], including space-based reconnaissance systems, have played an increasing role in military operations. The impact of [[information warfare]], which focuses on attacking command communication systems, and military databases, has been coupled with the use of robotic systems in combat, such as [[unmanned combat aerial vehicle]]s and [[unmanned ground vehicle]]s.

Recently, there has also been a particular focus towards the use of [[renewable fuels]] for running military vehicles on. Unlike fossil fuels, renewable fuels can be produced in any country, creating a strategic advantage. The U.S. military has committed itself to have 50% of its energy consumption come from alternative sources.<ref>{{cite web|author=Craig Hooper|url=http://NextNavy.com/air-force-cedes-the-green-lead-and-the-lede-to-navy/|title=Ray Mabus greening the military|website=NextNavy.com|access-date=22 May 2012}}</ref>