21st Century War Machines

The main battle tank in many ways is the icon of 20th century warfare, but in the 21st century how relevant will it be? How effective will it be? And how much will it cost? The modern battle tank differs vastly from where it started and may in fact be reaching the end of its evolutionary process. Will tanks adapt to survive or be forced to retire from battle?

In the first Gulf War of 1991, The Helicopter Gunship's future looked beyond doubt. Able to fly and fight at night with its forward looking infrared systems the American Apache helicopters armed with Hellfire missiles proved instrumental in Iraq. Now their biggest threat in the 21st century isn't any sort of enemy, but rather cost.

The US Air Force finds itself flying planes that are older than those piloting them. Aircrafts are here to stay, but for their price it is no wonder air forces seek to get the most use out of each one. Where do the strategic bomber and its little brother the fighter bomber fit into 21st century warfare?

As demonstrated in World War II, the Supermarine Spitfire aircraft begged the question of how important is air combat? Since then it has become clear that dominating the skies is essential in battle, but with anti air technology well established are air-to-air combat planes wearing out their welcome?

The need for artillery hasn't really changed as it is an extremely versatile system. Once the foundation of battle in the second World War, it appears as though artillery isn't going anywhere. Political and moral issues arise in regards to artillery accuracy. Any slight miscalculations could put civilian lives in danger and therefor threaten the existence of artillery in the 21st century.