Military invention

A military invention is an invention that was first created by a military. There are many inventions that were originally created by the military and subsequently found civilian uses.

Military inventions

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Name	Date invented	Invented by	Original purpose	Civilian uses
Aircraft tracking radar	mid-1930s	Royal Air Force	Early warning radar, air defence systems	Air traffic control systems, microwave oven
Walkie-talkie	1930s	Canada (Donald Hings, Alfred J. Gross)	Portable two-way radio communications system for military	Portable radio communications – business, public safety, marine, amateur radio, CB radio
Night vision	1939 - 1940s	United States	Visibility for military personnel in low light situations	Low light photography, surveillance
Duct tape	1942	United States	Sealing ammunition cases	Multiple uses
Ballistic missiles	1940s	Nazi Germany	Long range attack	Space exploration, launch of communication, weather and global positioning satellites
Nuclear technology	1940s	United States United Kingdom Canada (Manhattan Project)	Nuclear weapons, large scale destruction	Nuclear medicine, nuclear power
Jet engine	1940s	Royal Air Force (Frank Whittle) Nazi Germany (Hans von Ohain)	Jet fighters, jet bombers	Airliners
Digital photography	1960s	United States Soviet Union	Spy satellites, eliminated the need to recover deorbited film canisters	Cameras
Internet	1960s	United States (ARPANET) United Kingdom (NPL network) France (CYCLADES)	Reliable computer networking	Led to invention of the World Wide Web by British scientist Tim Berners-Lee; subsequently widespread availability of information, telecommunication and electronic commerce
Satellite navigation	1970s	United States Air Force Soviet Union	Nuclear weapons force multiplier, increased warhead accuracy through precise navigation	Navigation, personal tracking
Swedish Firesteel	2000s	Swedish Ministry of Defence	Making fire even in an extreme climate	Used to easily ignite a campfire regardless of weather

See also

• Allied technological cooperation during World War II