科技加强世界和平
Amid profound global changes, and increasing interactions between technological advancements
and major power competition, the Ukraine crisis and the Israel-Palestine conflict have become
testing grounds for innovation in military technology.
Emerging technologies such as unmanned combat platforms, AI-driven command systems, long-
range precision strike weapons, electromagnetic warfare, and information warfare are rapidly
transforming military technology in theory and practice, accelerating the shift toward unmanned
and intelligent combat, with technological innovation becoming a critical tool for gaining military
advantage.
While the United Kingdom capitalized on the First Industrial Revolution to build the British
Empire, the United States led the second and third technological revolutions, laying a solid
foundation for its global dominance. Today, the fourth technological revolution, based on
automation and artificial intelligence, is not only accelerating but also deeply integrating into
national security and global military competition. As such, a nation that masters the core aspects of
the fourth technological revolution will likely gain dominance in future warfare.
Strengthening military capabilities through technological innovation is essential for securing
advantage in future conflicts. Major big countries are fiercely competing with each other in military
technological innovation, taking measures like issuing strategic guidance documents, establishing
dedicated management bodies, and developing unmanned systems, AI, hypersonic weapons, and
quantum communications to gain a technological edge in warfare.
Several trends are evident in technological military advancements, with unmanned combat systems
playing a major role in combat. Major countries are developing new unmanned equipment,
including drones, ground robots and unmanned submarines. The US military, for instance, has
developed more than 50 types of unmanned underwater vehicles in the 21st century, while the
Russian military plans to make a series of home-developed drones by 2035, and France is
developing 6,000-meter-class military unmanned underwater vehicles and related combat
technologies.
Also, AI is rapidly integrating into military operations. Countries view AI as a key to future
battlefield success and are accelerating its integration into military practices to transform combat
capabilities. In 2021, Australia's Department of Defence issued a joint study, titled "Fighting
artificial intelligence battles: operational concepts for future AI-enabled war". And Japan's Ministry
of Defense is advancing AI in drone reconnaissance and ship maintenance.
With hypersonic technology reaching new levels of sophistication, hypersonic weapons are
challenging traditional air defense systems, and the use of hypersonic missiles in the Russia-
Ukraine conflict has intensified the hypersonic arms race. While Russia is demonstrating its
hypersonic technologies with Kinzhal, Zircon and Avangard, China has developed the Dongfeng
missile series.
Another trend is the intensifying competition in quantum communications technology, which can
disrupt military competition. China has made breakthroughs in quantum radar, quantum computing
and quantum communication satellites, while the US Air Force's quantum geomagnetic navigation
