Military

=**Military: cyber warfare, smart weapons development, espionage**=

Not much is published on the military use of ICT as it would not be that strategic to expose all of your plans to other countries.

Topics in the news include:

America’s Army is a top selling computer game, originally created by the American army.
 * 1. The use of War Games in Military training**

Read the article US Army cuts teeth on video game, BBC News, 2005 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4460082.stm

And War vets feature in US army game, May 06 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4991306.stm

And Realistic Wargames, Digital Life, 10 Oct 06

a) Discuss the use of war games in army training.

a) Read the article Spies like dust and describe how smart dust is being used by the military.
 * 2. Use of Sensors**

Read Pentagon plans cyber-insect army, March O6 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4808342.stm
 * 3. Cyber-Insect Army**

a) Write a brief summary of this article describing the technology and how it will be used by the military.

Watch the following videos online Frontline; cyberwar - to have a good understanding of cyberwar http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/cyberwar/view/
 * 4. Cyber warfare**

Watch the 6 chapters – Warning Messages - How can viruses cause havoc to a country? Warriors in an invisible war Wake up calls The Power grid How real is the threat? A public private relationship

Pentagon spends $100m in 6 months on cyber defence, April 2009. The Pentagon has spent $100 cleaning up after online attacks. Followed by Obama unveiling a US cyber security plan


 * 5. Smart Weapons**

Laser guided bombs, GPS guided bombs, air to surface missiles –


 * Precision-guided munitions** (**smart munitions**, **smart bombs**, **guided bomb units** or **GBUs**) are self-guiding weapons intended to maximize damage to the target while minimizing "collateral damage" The reliability of precision-guided munitions appears to have fallen somewhat short of the promises made by the United States Department of Defense

a) Read about how smart bomb work and write a brief description of what they are and how they work- http://science.howstuffworks.com/smart-bomb.htm

b) Search for ‘Smart weapons’ on the BBC News website and identify some issues of using smart weapons, including examples and references to support your findings.

c) Chinook **software blunders** “potentially put lives at risk” in Afghanistan, Computing.co.uk 5 March 2009. Read this article and describe the consequences of unreliable software


 * 6. Web 2.0 used by military, 2009 ** The military are using internet tools to monitor and react to coverage of high profile events using sites such as Twitter, YouTube and blogs.


 * 7. Discuss the general social and ethical issues of using these technologies by the military.**

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