Military Technology: Never Standing Still and Always Advancing

By REV JIM PURCELL

Years ago, when I was a history major at then-Georgian Court College (now Georgian Court University), in Lakewood, New Jersey, the Great Depression and World War II eras fascinated me. One of the things that fascinated me most was the great leaps of technology that happened between Peal Harbor to the signing of the Japanese surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri, on September 2, 1945.

Iowa class battleship

I think the best way to discuss technological improvements, well perhaps the most obvious, is to talk battleships. The improvements of the Iowa class dreadnoughts from the earlier Pennsylvania class ships (among them the USS Arizona) are staggering.

Similarly, in the Charge of Krojanty, on Sept. 1, 1939, the clash of the past over the future was visible when Polish cavalry, some of the best in the world, were broken in the face of German panzer tanks.

Military technology cannot stand still because not only the safety of soldiers and civilians at stake, but also the course of nations and republics.

Today, it is robot, laser and nano-technologies that have inspired the creators of the next great wave of military weapons systems. I think technology's advancement is far. At the same time, though, it is more imperative on people to work on communication skills and non-violent means of resolving conflicts because the ante has been raised so high.