INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MILITARY

Through the history army and science were very strongly connected, but in the last hundred years
that connection was even easier to see. In the early period of the human history weapons were
primitive, made from wood, stone and animal skin. Later people obtained technology to dig up and
melt different kinds of metal and they used it to produce first real blades. Much later Chinese nation
invented gunpowder, first real explosive that was able to throw stone or small metal balls to distance
with high speed when fired in same diameter barrel. In 20 th century, military technology became
imperative over civil industry and development because of colonial and many local wars. For the first
time in human history army was the one that pushed human race further in development and
prosperity. First mass produced trucks, field hospitals, aircrafts, balloons, submarines, rockets,
satellites etc. were produced for military needs. Information technology or IT as we call it often is the
most important “child” of military engineering. First computer ever was made and developed for the
needs of United States of America Navy. That computer is well known as ENIAC. ENIAC was a ballistic
computer, it’s main role was to calculate trajectories for shells fired from heavy navy battleships, the
result was a lot faster fire rate, faster first barrage and highly improved accuracy. This same
computer was also used to calculate most of the formulas used in developing of first nuclear bomb.
This very first analog computer was entry to the Information Technology era. First satellites that
were launched into space were not TV or commercial satellites, they were spy satellites equipped
with cameras so they can track enemy facilities and troop movement. During 50s and 60s computers
became little more powerful but still huge and useless in most of the military hardware but still
highly useful in data analytics and complex calculations that were used in missile and space
technology. In 70s and 80s we got first hybrid computers, half digital half analog that were powerful
and small enough to be easily implemented in some military hardware like submarines, cruisers,
aircraft carriers and military facilities. In fact Internet or World Wide Web was firstly imagined as
NATO command line for military bases in Europe, especially Western Germany. When Cold war was
on its maximum NATO (read USA) got idea to install special command line that would be impossible
to sabotage or intercept its information of value. Internet was just simple text transfer protocol
designed to send information from point A to point B. In 80s computers became small enough to be
implemented in any kind of military hardware including tanks, helicopters, combat aircrafts and all
kinds of vehicles used by armed forces. Of course that kind of modernization was too expensive for
the most of the world armies except USA, UK, France, Germany and Italy.

Computer controlled radars were able to send information about targets in the sky without anyone
watching over screens so even if radar site was attacked by enemy no living person was put in harm.
Many naval guns and defense systems installed on ships got computer guided robot systems able to
track targets, aim, choose most dangerous one and destroy it without any need for manual operation
by people. Today small ballistic computers are integrated into optical sights on every soldier rifle,
video cameras are set on soldier helmets, same thing is with night vision systems that are so small
and advanced that are under 400gr heavy and can work up to 6 hours without replacing lithium
batteries. Laptop and PC are used in command centers to show troop movement on charts, to save
live video recording from
recon vehicles and
soldier helmet cameras
etc… GPS navigation
systems are used to guide
missiles, to navigate ships,
submarines and all ground
vehicles. Its estimated that
half of modern
electronic was firstly
developed for military
needs and later
commercialized or it wasn’t good enough for the army standards so it ended up in our shops and
homes. Global Positioning System or GPS as we call it was also developed for USA army needs but it
was too good chance to earn money to be kept just for military use. Now GPS navigation is standard
equipment in the most mid and high class cars but just two decades ago it was reserved for special
operation teams only and its console was heavy more then 2kg. Short UAVs or Unmanned Aerial
vehicles were first developed and combat proven by Israel in 1981. War with Arabs. Those robotized
flying machines were controlled from distance by computer based consoles via video link using stick
controls that we can see in aircrafts or helicopters. Those machines were so effective that in just next
few years more than 10 countries started their independent UAV developing. Today UAVs are
standard issue in more than 40 armies of the world including Israel, USA, UK, Italy, Germany, China,
Canada, India….even Serbia is known for its Vrabac and Pegaz radio controlled air recon vehicles.
Modern combat aircrafts (transport ones too) are freed of all analog devices used in past century,
whole control board is now covered by 2-5 LCD displays that are showing all flight information, radar
picture, communication devices, video from sighting systems, GPS navigation map…in some aircrafts
like French build Dassault Rafale pilot can order some simple tasks to the main computer by voice. To
save money on pilot training IT experts made flight simulation machines that are able to give almost
real flight experience to trainee while he sits in fake aircraft cockpit in the middle of classroom.
Powerful PC is running landscape and air visualization that is showing in front of pilot via projector
and then pilot do its tasks from taking off to landing including combat strikes while never leaving
ground. Its more than economic if we take in count that one hour of flight in modern combat aircraft
costs about 2-6.000 USD. Even today we think that IT is separated from military, its not completely
true, every new tech developed by some IT company that has nothing to do with any army in the
world if useful will be implemented in military hardware and used as such to improve lethality of
modern weapons.

Nedeljko Vukanovic

Filip Milosavljevic