For centuries, wars have been the testing ground for the latest technology. Now, in this US-led war against Iraq, many US military1 technologies appear for the first time or are likely to be used in the war.
Night-vision2
Even when it is dark or dusty in Iraq, a US soldier can see a man blink his eyes from 2 kilometres away. That's because he is armed with3 the latest night-vision
equipment.
This new technology allows him to see a vehicle from 24 kilometres away and send its location4 to US tanks, artillery5 and warplanes.
“It looks basically like you're looking right through a television that's in green colour,” said Scott Brannon, a US soldier.
What's more, special “markers6” are used on equipment and the uniforms7 of US soldiers. So the soldiers can safely8 tell between friendly and enemy troops.
Chemical sensor9
The US believes there is a high risk of Iraq using chemical and biological weapons during this war. To protect themselves, the army has developed a bread-box-size M22 alarm10. Thousands have been sent to the troops.
These M22s can be placed up to11 150 metres in front of the US soldiers, on the ground or in a vehicle. And they will continuously sample12 the air. Any chemical or biological weapon would cause an alarm to sound as loud as a rock concert. On hearing it, the troops will have nine seconds to put on their gas masks13.
E-bomb
Hundreds of US warplanes are raining bombs on Iraqi targets. Most of the bombs are ordinary but the “e-bomb” may be an exception14.
It is boasted15 that the microwave-emitting16 “e-bomb” does not kill humans. Instead, it sends out an electromagnetic pulse17 that burns enemy circuits18, disabling everything from telephones and radar to computers. And it does so without hurting people.
The US hopes that it can destroy the electronic functions of a command bunker19 without killing its civilian20 neighbors or destroying their homes.
Unmanned21 airplane
In past wars, commanders watched the battlefield with binoculars22 and gave orders over field phones. Those days are gone.
In Iraq, dozens of unmanned airplanes fly unseen above key areas. They send data to US commanders—in Qatar or Washington—of the war's progress.
“The difference of this war is the ability to see the battlefield,” said Robert Scales, a tired US general. “The unmanned airplane means you have an unblinking23 eye in the sky that shows what's down below.”
数百年来，战争一直是最新科技的试验场。眼下，在美国主导的针对伊拉克的战争中，美国多项军事技术首次用于实战，或即将登台亮相。
夜视镜
在伊拉克，即使在天黑或多尘的情况下，美军士兵也能看清两公里外一个人眨眼的动作。这是因为他装备了最先进的夜视设备。
这项新技术使美军士兵可以看见24公里外的车辆，并将其位置报告给美军坦克、大炮和战斗机。
“大体上，这就好像透过一台绿色屏幕的电视机观察目标，”一名叫司各特·布莱农的美国士兵说。
此外，美军士兵的装备和军服上使用了特殊的“标记”，因而士兵们可以准确地区分盟军和敌军。
生化武器探测器
美国认为在这场战争中伊军使用生物和化学武器的可能性很大。出于自我保护，美军研制了一种面包盒大小的M22型警报器。美国部队已装备了成千上万只这类警报器。
这些M22型警报器可以放置在距美军士兵150米远的前方地面或车辆上。它们不停地对空气进行取样分析，任何生物或化学武器都会使其发出摇滚音乐会般巨大的警报声。 一旦听到警报，部队将有九秒钟时间戴上防毒面具。
电子炸弹
成百上千的美军战机把炸弹倾泻到伊拉克目标上。大部分炸弹是常规的，但“电子炸弹”是个例外。
美军夸耀说这种发射微波的“电子炸弹”不会杀死人类，而是发出一种电磁脉冲，可以烧毁敌方的电路，使电话、雷达和计算机等通讯设备陷于瘫痪。同时，它对人不造成伤害。
美国希望用电子炸弹摧毁伊方地堡里的电子指挥系统，但又不导致周围平民的死亡或其房屋的损毁。
无人驾驶飞机
在以往的战争中，指挥官用双筒望远镜观察战场，并通过战地电话发出指令。这种时代一去不复返了。
在伊拉克，几十架无人驾驶飞机在关键区域的上空做隐身飞行。它们把有关战事进展的数据传送给远在卡塔尔或华盛顿的美军指挥官们。
“这场战争的不同之处在于洞悉战场的能力，”一名退休的美国将军罗伯特·斯盖尔斯说，“无人驾驶飞机意味着空中有一只不眨眼的眼睛扫视着地面的一举一动。”
1. military adj． 军事的
2． night－vision n． 夜视，夜视装置
3． be armed with 武装；装备
4． location n． 位置，场所
5． artillery n． 大炮；炮兵
6． marker n． 标记
7． uniform n． 制服, 军服
8． safely adv． 安全地, 确实地
9． sensor n． 传感器，探测器
10． alarm n． 警报器
11． up to 达……之多；直到
12． sample v． 取样，采样
13． gas mask n． 防毒面具
14． exception n． 例外
15． boast v． 夸耀，夸口
16． microwave－emitting adj． 发射微波的
17． electromagnetic pulse 电磁脉冲
18． circuit n． 电路
19． bunker n． 地堡
20． civilian adj． 平民的；民用的
21． unmanned adj． 无人驾驶的
22． binocular n． 双筒望远镜
23． unblinking adj． 不眨眼的；坚定的