Military technology

For theories, strategies, concepts and doctrines of warfare, see Military science.

Military aviation and missile guidance are examples of modern military technlogies.

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Military technology is the collection of equipment, vehicles, structures and communication systems that are designed for use in warfare. It comprises the kinds of technology that are distinctly military in nature and not civilian in application, usually because they are impractical in civilian application or dangerous to use without appropriate military training.

It is common for military technology to have been researched and developed by scientists and engineers specifically for use by the armed forces. Many new technologies came as a result of the military funding of science. Weapons engineering is the design, development, testing and lifecycle management of military weapons and systems. It draws on the knowledge of several traditional engineering disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, mechatronics, electro-optics, aerospace engineering, materials engineering, and chemical engineering.

There is a significant number of military inventions that are technologies originally developed and designed for military purposes, and which are now used by civilians with sometimes minor or no modifications at all.

Weapons and munitions

A firearm is a hand carried weapon that fires either a single or multiple projectiles using the gases produced by the rapid confined burning of a propellant.

• Automatic firearms

Artillery are usually large caliber weapons firing projectiles over great distances. Artillery pieces are crew serviced weapons that provide direct or indirect trajectories for the shell.

• Rockets
• Turrets in fortifications, armoured vehicles, and warships

Melee weapons include swords, clubs, spears, axes, or fists: almost any tool with which one can hit, hack or stab someone else. The term "melee" generally means man-to-man or hand-to-hand combat.

• Lists of military weapons by types
• List of military weapon types by user
• List of military weapon types by function
• List of military weapon types by target
• Medieval siege weaponry

Munition is often defined as a synonym for ammunition. A slightly broader definition would include bombs, missiles, warheads, and mines.

• Bullet
  • List of rifle cartridges
  • List of handgun cartridges
  • List of cartridges (weaponry), pistol and rifle
  • List of Shotgun cartridges
• Missile
  • List of missiles
• Bombs
  • List of bombs
• Mines
  • List of landmines
  • Naval mines
• Mine warfare (land and naval)

Armour

Armour, is protective fabric intended to defend its wearer from intentional or unintentional harm in combat and military engagements, typically associated with soldiers.

• List of armour types
• Vehicle armouring (tanks and APCs)

Vehicles and transports

Military vehicles are land combat or transportation vehicles, excluding rail-based, which are designed for or in significant use by military forces.

• List of military vehicles
• List of armoured fighting vehicles
• List of tanks

Military aviation includes any use of aircraft by a country's military, including such areas as transport, training, disaster relief, border patrol, search and rescue, surveillance, surveying, peacekeeping, and (very rarely) aerial warfare.

• List of aircraft
• List of aircraft weapons

Warships are watercraft for combat and transportation in and on seas and oceans.

• Submarines
• Complex masting and sail systems found on warships during the Age of Sail
• List of historical ship and boat types
• List of aircraft carriers
• List of submarines
  • List of submarine classes

Military robots

Military robots are autonomous and remote-controlled robots, or robotically enhanced systems designed for military applications.

• Powered exoskeletons
• Bomb disposal robots
• Unmanned ground vehicles
• Unmanned combat air vehicles
• Autonomous underwater vehicles

Fortifications

Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare.

• List of fortifications
• List of forts

Sensors and communications

Sensors and communication systems are used to detect enemies, coordinate movements of armed forces and guide weaponry.

• Radar
• Missile guidance
• GPS guidance in guidance weapons

See also

• Bellifortis, late medieval treatise on military technology.
• Military invention
• Materiel