Social Media and the Military

Why exactly is this important? 


"Social Media has become an increasingly vital tool for the Armed Forces in the 21st Century. Not only in order to reach out to a wider and younger audience globally for recruitment and information purposes but as a new front in warfare. What soldiers, airmen and sailors post online can be crucial to winning the hearts and minds of local populations, weakening the enemy’s narrative and as an instrument in the proliferation of cyber warfare. Therefore today’s warriors must be competent in all social media channels as well as aware of the inherent dangers they might be put in at home and on operations when posting online." - SMI, Linking Business with Information

According to the article I read, the military is placing an increasing amount of value upon social media. Social media sites, such as twitter, provide a direct link between soldiers and civilians that simply had not existed previously. Because of this, an entire conference was created that lasted over a two day period, complete with keynote speakers and activities, that explored the impact of social media on current military tactics. 

Sources

https://www.artillerymarketing.com/fs/how-the-defense-industry-is-using-social-media

https://www.smi-online.co.uk/defence/uk/social-media-within-the-military-and-defence-sector#tab_speakers

War Without Blood

War Without Blood

Politically, new military technology cause many issues. A huge part of controversies concerning war has to do with the amount of civilian casualties caused by fighting. By international war laws concerning ethics, if a military assault is going to cause more civilian casualties than is worth, than that military assault should not happen. David Hambling, author of an essay on the politics of military technology, states this in more eloquent words. 

"The insurgents have no chance in pitched battles, even on the smallest scale. Precision weapons and good communications mean that the Coalition can call up devastating firepower at will.  But the insurgents realise that killing even small numbers of Coalition troops might undermine the West’s political will to continue.  Equally, the Coalition forces know that keeping their casualties to a minimum is an absolute priority, as no other factor is likely to force them out. So it is the improvement in defensive technology that is most significant in ensuring that they can continue operations."

As this video states, technology and politics go hand in hand. China is a growing superpower within the military technology sector, even though it has not come close to spending the amount of money the U.S. does. Nonetheless, China is still on its' way to becoming more technologically advanced than the U.S. when it comes to military technology. 

Sources: 
http://www.e-ir.info/2008/08/15/the-politics-of-military-technology-war-without-our-blood/

Wearable Military Technology

Heads Up Display (HUD)

      The HUD, similar to the technology of the Google Glass, is a type of military helmet that rests just above the wearers eyes, displaying a range of real-time situational information within their view. Think Iron Man's helmet, without the artificially intelligent British narrator controlling the sensors. These battlefield heads, often called "Q Warriors", have the ability to set and remove directional markers, monitor the movements and positions of targets and allies, and provide the soldier details about incoming air attacks and ground vehicle threats.

Power Suits

      Although this next piece of technology is merely a concept at the moment, steps are currently underway to eventually make it into a reality. Power suits, also known as power exoskeletons, have the potential to be used in several ways. These suits could be created specially to fit an entire body, making the wearer more of a threat to potential shooters and less susceptible to the environmental wear. These suits could also be used to cover part of the body in an attempt to heighten one of two skills of an individual, like arm strength or speed. The article I read emphasized the importance of knowing that these suits would not add skills to someone who had not already possessed them, but would instead accentuate skills already harnessed. These body suits have endless uses, because they could be used for many issues such as allowing an elderly person the freedom to walk and run again or a surgeon to operate with steady hands.

The XOS Exoskeleton

Sources

http://gizmodo.com/how-close-are-we-to-elysium-style-exosuits-993706204

http://gizmodo.com/this-battlefield-heads-up-display-turns-us-troops-into-1530596634

Smart Military Machines

What is "Smart Skin"? How will it be used in combat? 

      Human skin is the largest organ, and is also arguably one of our most important. Our skin keeps all of our internal organs inside, alerts us to injury, and lets us know when the environment we are in may not be safe. "Smart Skin", a technology developed by the U.K. Military, operates under that same idea.


The Smart Skin technology that is currently being developed aims to allow military vessels to essentially "feel" their surroundings and detect injuries to that specific craft. The Smart Skin would be assembled using millions of tiny computers that would constantly receive and process information from the outside environment, directing all of that data back to a system that would then turn those numbers into accessible information that would be useful for military personnel. The person receiving that information would then be able to act accordingly, in real time, eliminating some of the danger than may come with duty.

An article by Fox News describes some of the uses this technology could possibly have in the future. I understand that Fox News is not always going to be a reputable source, however this article in particular did not have any mention of politics or any other controversial conversations Fox News is known for, which is why I decided to choose it.


"In future combat, all machines could leverage this mega-smart skin, detecting heat, damage and stress. Combat aircraft, drones, tanks and other land vehicles, as well as naval vessels could covered with the smart skin. Drones operating in air, on land, at sea or underwater could also deploy the technology". 

Sources:
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2015/07/23/how-smart-skin-could-revolutionize-military-vehicles.html