Introduction

The military has always been at the forefront of technological advancement. Items like duct tape, walkie-talkies, sanitary napkins, all got their start as tools for the military, and are now household items, or even toys.

But sometimes technology likes to surprise you and offer a range of everyday tech that has found its uses amongst everyday military operations. Some of these advancements in technology might even surprise you since you would be using them at home. We break down the tech that is drastically changing the military.

3D Printing

3D printing has made a lot of things easier in life. At home, 3D printed models make tools more accessible and affordable. In medicine, 3D printed prosthetics are becoming the norm, personalised to fit better, and allowing children to grow out of and into various sizes of prosthetics.

In the military, an amazing amount of things can be 3D printed, from bullets to vehicles. Medics on the ground are using 3D printed tools to apply to their work patching soldiers up, which are lightweight and cheaper without lowering the quality of the tools.

3D printed combat vehicles are also a concept that is on the horizon, and the US military is in fact working on building the world’s biggest 3D metal printer to oversee the work. These hulls would cost less, weigh less, and be faster to produce than factory hulls. They, and every other vehicle in the military, like planes, would also be easier to maintain with tools and parts available to print on demand.

Advancements in Aviation

Speaking of aviation, the air force is likely to gain some new chatter with the talk of an “extra-stealthy bomber” in the works. It is still in its concept stage, but the goal is to use a hardened reflective material on the skin of the bomber to ensure total stealth, by reflecting surroundings and avoiding radar. It will also mean high speeds and a heavy bomb capacity.

While we are waiting for that to become a reality, Elbit Systems Oldham has a lot of small solutions for persistent problems in aviation. Elbit Systems offers upgrades to currently used aircraft to ensure a superior performance and results. Amongst their upgrades is helmet mounted displays, mission computer, cockpit management systems and more.

Drones

Despite coming a long way from being a way for vloggers to get an aerial shot, drones are still finding their feet in everyday life. Drone food delivery has not taken off the way we wanted it to, or retail delivery, but in the military, drones are very useful.

They act as something of a robot spy for the military to begin with, scouting out an area, or recording footage for information – all without risking the lives of the boots on the ground, who control the drone from afar. This can result in fewer casualties for civilians as well as you can identify from afar who is who.

They are also more efficient at eliminating highly guarded targets, getting around security that would stall a soldier.