Today, technology and national security go hand in hand, and this is a radical departure from how things have been done in the past. The rapid development of technology has altered the way the United States and other countries keep their citizens safe from harm.
From pinpointing human targets from thousands of miles away and attacking with an unmanned drone, to the ability of scientists to genetically engineer a pathogen with the potential to kill millions, technology has fundamentally changed the way countries wage war and defend themselves.
Staying ahead in the technology game is crucial to national security on a number of different levels, and this is one game the United States and its allies can ill afford to lose.
Technology Changes at the Speed of Light
It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say technology changes at the speed of light, but it can certainly be said changes happen almost daily. National security professionals today must be able to understand the relationship of technology to security issues and be able to function in a number of technology domains in order to do their jobs in an effective manner.
And these are very critical jobs. The United States military, as well as those from other developed countries are currently at a critical crossroads. The time could very well be coming soon that the technologies that the US has used for decades to have a technology advantage such as stealth aircraft, long range sensors, and high tech communications networks are now being used more and more by the enemy.
This is coming at a time when the United States has fewer and fewer assets to bring to the fight. The day may be coming soon when the military will come into battles and face being outnumbered. While the military is still more than capable of handling the enemy in one on one engagements, those type of engagements in the near future may be more of an exception than the rule. While quality matters, numbers also matter, and that is where the military may be lacking.
New Security Technology To Offset Possible Future Numbers Disadvantages
Knowing the numbers in the near future might not be in the favour of the US, the heads of the military in Washington DC are calling for more money to be invested in military technology. And one of the things under consideration may make one think of the Star Wars series of movies, swarms of robotic systems that are effective and low cost.
Robotic forces are currently in the development stage that are designed to overwhelm enemies with large numbers, and attack with just as much coordination, speed, and intelligence as their manned counterparts.
This is only one example of how technology and national security go hand in hand, as technology is also part of early detection systems that warn of an imminent attack, and other computer systems that coordinate air and land attacks. Expect more advances in technology to be used on the battlefields of the future.