100 Military Inventions That Changed the World

Nothing ensures the rapid development of new technology like the involvement of the military. From the trebuchet and the cannon to the tank and the ballistic missile, military research programs have produced the most devastating weapons imaginable—but military masterminds are also responsible for a number of surprises along the way. 

Radar, walkie-talkies, and the jet engine are more obvious examples of military inventions that are now in everyday use around the world, but there are plenty of items with which all of us come into contact on a daily basis that have been developed from military technology. Jonathan Bailey describes how the microwave oven in your kitchen, the sat-nav in your car, and the Internet that you use every day all owe their existence to the military. Other inventions include:

• Dynamite
• Plastic surgery
• The submarine
• The crossbow
• The longbow
• The hand grenade
• Satellites
• Water purification tablets
• Night vision
• Stealth jets
• Laser-guided smart bombs
• The digital camera