Military Technology In 2100: The Evolution Of Defense Toward A Futuristic Era
Keywords:
military technology; autonomous weapons; artificial intelligence; smart materials; cybersecurity; space security.
Abstract
This article explores anticipated shifts in military technology through the year 2100 by synthesizing present-day technological trajectories, scientific advancements, and evolving defense policies. Over the coming century, defense architectures are likely to transform substantially, marked by pervasive combat automation, sophisticated exoskeleton systems, adaptive smart-material camouflage, and the incorporation of genetic and biotechnological applications for defense purposes. Control of cyberspace and outer space will emerge as pivotal strategic arenas. Together, these trends will reframe warfare from primarily kinetic encounters to conflicts driven by advanced technologies and data-centric operations. Developments in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous weapons are expected to lessen direct human involvement while accelerating and streamlining military decision-making processes (Scharre, 2018). However, these innovations raise serious concerns automated escalation, erosion of meaningful human oversight, and potential unethical deployment of powerful technologies highlighting the pressing need for robust international legal and ethical governance. This paper offers a detailed examination of these trajectories and their implications for global military capabilities and international security in the twenty-second century.
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Berman, D., Zhao, L., & Yang, J. (2022). Nanomaterials for adaptive camouflage and stealth technology. Advanced Functional Materials, 32(45), 2205398. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202205398
Bogue, R. (2021). Exoskeletons in the military: Enhancing soldier performance. Industrial Robot: The International Journal of Robotics Research and Application, 48(4), 560–571. https://doi.org/10.1108/IR-12-2020-0268
Boulanin, V., & Verbruggen, M. (2017). Mapping the development of autonomy in weapon systems. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Business Insider. (2025, May 28). Drones are forcing the Army to rethink its robotic combat vehicles: See the revolutionary prototypes. https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-rcv-robotic-combat-vehicle-program-prototype-photos-2025-5
Cheung, T. (2021). Smart defense materials and adaptive technologies. Defence Technology, 17(6), 1678–1692. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dt.2020.10.012
Crootof, R. (2015). The killer robots are here: Legal and policy implications. Cardozo Law Review, 36(1), 1837–1893.
Cummings, M. L. (2021). The human-machine team: How to create synergy between human and artificial intelligence. Princeton University Press.
Dando, M. (2019). Neuroscience, conflict and security. Palgrave Macmillan.
de Graaf, M. (2019). Space weapons and the law: Militarization of outer space. Journal of Space Law, 43(2), 247–273.
Esvelt, K. M., Smidler, A. L., Catteruccia, F., & Church, G. M. (2017). Emerging technology: Gene drive governance. Science, 357(6347), 139–141. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aam8897
Financial Times. (2025, May 27). Ukraine's “drone war” hastens development of autonomous weapons. https://www.ft.com/content/165272fb-832f-4299-a0d2-1be8efcf5758
Gostin, L. O., & Powers, M. (2018). Biotechnologies and bioethics in the 21st century: The potential and perils of genetic modification. The New England Journal of Medicine, 378(11), 1034–1038. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMp1713901
Herr, H. (2020). Exoskeletons and the human-machine future. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 4(9), 751–752. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-020-00628-0
Horowitz, M. C. (2018). Artificial intelligence, international competition, and the balance of power. Texas National Security Review, 1(3), 36–57. https://doi.org/10.15781/T2639KP49
Jackson, M. A., & Williams, K. P. (2022). Brain-machine interface and the future of warfare. Journal of Military Ethics, 21(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15027570.2022.2021354
Jin, Y., Liu, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2021). Real-time physiological monitoring in military exoskeleton systems. Sensors, 21(15), 4973. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21154973
Kania, E. B. (2019). Battlefield singularity: Artificial intelligence, military revolution, and China’s future military power. Center for a New American Security (CNAS). https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/battlefield-singularity
Kazerooni, H., Steger, R., & Huang, L. (2020). The role of powered exoskeletons in the modern battlefield. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 27(3), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1109/MRA.2020.2997622
Kello, L. (2017). The virtual weapon and international order. Yale University Press.
Kelle, A. (2021). Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention for 21st-century science. Journal of Biosecurity and Biosafety, 3(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiosc.2020.11.001
Klimburg, A. (2019). The darkening web: The war for cyberspace. Penguin Press.
Kott, A., & Alberts, D. S. (2017). Toward intelligent autonomous command and control in the Internet of Battlefield Things. Army Research Laboratory Technical Report.
Lebedev, M. A., & Nicolelis, M. A. L. (2017). Brain-machine interfaces: From basic science to neuroprosthetic applications. Physiological Reviews, 97(2), 767–837. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.00027.2016
Lin, P., Bekey, G., & Abney, K. (2016). Human enhancement and military ethics. Ethics and Information Technology, 18(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-015-9371-8
Liu, J., Zhang, Y., & Wang, X. (2020). Self-healing materials for next-generation military equipment. Advanced Materials, 32(7), 1904780. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201904780
Liu, C., Wu, Y., & Zhang, T. (2021). Human genetic enhancement and biosecurity: Emerging challenges for the military domain. Frontiers in Genetics, 12, 664893. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2021.664893
Nakashima, E. (2022). Cyber warfare and the age of quantum conflict. Foreign Policy Review, 24(2), 57–69.
Oye, K. A., Esvelt, K., & Appleton, E. (2014). Regulating gene drives. Science, 345(6197), 626–628. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1254287
Payne, K. (2021). Strategy, evolution, and war: From apes to artificial intelligence. Georgetown University Press.
Popular Mechanics. (2023). Weapons in orbit: The new race for space supremacy. https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons-in-orbit
Rid, T. (2020). Active measures: The secret history of disinformation and political warfare. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Rogers, J., Thompson, B., & Lin, Y. (2021). Smart materials for military camouflage: A review of adaptive technologies. Materials Today, 47, 53–68. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mattod.2021.04.001
Roff, H. M. (2019). Artificial intelligence: Power to the people. Ethics & International Affairs, 33(2), 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0892679419000129
Russell, S., & Norvig, P. (2020). Artificial intelligence: A modern approach (4th ed.). Pearson.
Scharre, P. (2018). Army of none: Autonomous weapons and the future of war. W. W. Norton & Company.
Sharkey, N. (2020). Autonomous weapons systems, killer robots, and human dignity. Law, Innovation and Technology, 12(1), 101–126. https://doi.org/10.1080/17579961.2020.1727107
Sparrow, R. (2019). Soldiers or cyborgs? The ethics of enhancing soldiers. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10676-018-9491-6
Tucker, J. B. (2020). Innovation, dual use, and security: Managing the risks of emerging biological and chemical technologies. MIT Press.
United Nations. (2021). Report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS). United Nations Office at Geneva.
Weeden, B., & Samson, V. (2019). Global counterspace capabilities: An open-source assessment. Secure World Foundation. https://swfound.org/counterspace
Zhang, R., Li, C., & Hu, X. (2020). Electrochromic nanocomposites for adaptive stealth coatings. Applied Surface Science, 507, 145021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.145021
Published
2025-10-24
How to Cite
Snekubun, E., Wiranto, S., & Hilmansyah, C. (2025). Military Technology In 2100: The Evolution Of Defense Toward A Futuristic Era. International Journal of Education, Vocational and Social Science , 4(04), 669-683. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijevss.v4i04.2431
Contact Person +6282139474255
Email : ijevss@citakonsultindo.or.id / editor.ijevss@gmail.com
