| World War I: Combat aircraft. Changed the face of the battlefield forever.
World War II: Atomic weapon. It would go on to define the next 50 years during both war and peace.
Korea: Combat helicopter. Revolutionized combat force mobility.
Vietnam: Guided munitions. Guided bombs first started to appear in Vietnam. Revolutionized air strikes. What used to require entire squadrons of airplanes (and previously, HUNDREDS of B-17s) could be done with a single airplane carrying a single bomb.
Gulf War: Advanced command and control and Stealth technology. Advanced command and control technology meant American commanders could coordinate and communicate faster than their hostile counterparts. This meant every move the Americans made was much faster, less confusing and better coordinated. Imagine chess where you can move 4 steps for every 1 the opponent can take. Stealth technology allowed jets to hit targets without taking casualties, where before such strikes would mean several dozen would be lost.
by the way, nice thread. |