War never stops evolving. The battlefields of the First World War are vastly different to the battlefields of today. The sprawls of trenches and tangles of barbed wire have given way to highly mobile and ever-changing theatres of battle. Yet the future of warfare still lies beyond these battlefields; to the uncharted reaches of outer space and even to the digital realm. The line between reality and science fiction is being blurred ever further as developments in technology reach new heights. 

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Military invention is behind the Internet and GPS and even microwave ovens and duct tape. Technological advancements in the military have paved the way for changes in the way we live our lives day to day.  From self-targeting smart guns to antimatter weaponry, lethal autonomous robots to the real-world threats of cyberspace, we can get a glimpse at the future of warfare through the technological innovations that are rapidly becoming a part of our world today. And understanding this military future is essential for understanding the potential future for all of us.

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In this series we look at the advancements in military technology that is thrusting our world into an new era.  Across four episodes we look at the game changers in military capabilities that are resetting the character of current and future warfare and through that our lives. We will use historical context to set up the precursors to current military technological trends, and using expert interviews, file footage and cutting edge CGI with original filming we will reveal Future Warfare.

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EPISODE 1 - SPECIAL OPERATIONS

Beyond standard military maneuvers lies special operations, unconventional activities carried out by specially trained and specially armed troops. And enabling these operations requires cutting-edge technology. This episode looks at current and future inventions that may change the way we make war; from smart-rifles to active camouflage, anti-drone guns to human body enhancements.

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EPISODE 02 - SPACE OPERATIONS

In WW2 air-power dominated the battlefield; the battlefields of tomorrow may seek even greater horizons than those. As man raced to the moon during the Cold War a whole new frontier opened up, and space has become the next theatre of war. Dominance of the area beyond the Earth’s atmosphere means dominance of the Earth itself; from control over communications via satellites, to the space-based weaponry designed to shut those very satellites down.

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EPISODE 03 - CYBER OPERATIONS

The future of war will not be defined by the click of a rifle, but the push of a button. The line between the offline and online worlds are blurring together with the real-world impact of cyber warfare being felt across the globe. With an ever-increasing reliance on technology and the interconnected nature of it, the damage a single cyber attack can have on a society is growing exponentially. Cyber warfare has redefined how battles will be fought.

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EPISODE 04 - AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS SYSTEMS

The desire to offload more and more complicated processes from humans to machines has allowed for the removal of humans from the battlefield entirely. In this episode we track the evolution of smart technology from the guided bombs of WW2, to lethal autonomous close-in weapons systems and the fully autonomous aircraft of the modern day and beyond. We look at a future without people in the loop, the future of autonomous warfare.

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