The 20th century saw a lot of attempts to regulate weaponry. To address fears that weapons would cause more harm than good there were a variety of treaties and regulations. They include the bans on nuclear weapons on the moon and in orbit, as well as the bans on chemical weapons and landmines. These treaties were driven by the general public as well as civil society.
Future weaponry could be very different to what we have seen in the past. Machines that are molecular-sized can be expected to emerge with miniaturized computing. This technology is mass-produced and allows us to make weapons smaller and more efficient. Nanotechnology could be used as a replacement for chemical weapons. It could also be used to create new deadly weapon families.
One idea is the creation autonomous weapons. These machines would be capable to strike at any target on the battlefield. They would be fitted with sensors to detect enemy movements and relay this information to the commanders. They would also have no radio signals, so it would be difficult to pinpoint who launched them. Noncombatants would be more difficult to recognize and discriminate. This means that they could be used for attacking civilians, non-combatant ships and even civilians.
In April, China made a strong pitch for a ban on autonomous weapons at the UN. China believes that these weapons could have a destabilizing impact on other countries. They also see the need for international law to regulate fully autonomous weapons. These ideas, however, are very abstract and difficult for technical terms to be translated.
Although the US Navy's original autonomous ship was meant to hunt for mines or submarines, now it is being talked about as a place that could house weapons. There have been five meetings on drones at the United Nations in Geneva in the past four years. These meetings have not succeeded in bringing everyone to the table. These meetings were limited to one week. However, they allowed for the definition of parameters and exploration of the idea of human control of weaponry.
Another option is to develop killer satellites. These machines could launch "brilliant stones" that destroy ballistic missiles. They could also be used to attack targets in caves or bunkers. They could be used to hunt or eat human targets.
It is possible that the future weaponry will include a variety of different designs. Some envision superhuman machines while others imagine machines that could literally eat humans alive. However, it's clear that the future of war will be shaped by computing and robotics, as well as biotechnology. This will make war more humane and less barbaric. It will also help to make war safer and more pristine.
Robots will be able to fight on the ground in the future. A commander could command the robots from hundreds of miles away. There will be thousands sensors in the battlefield equipped with microphones and relaying information. These devices will aid in seeding the battlefield and will relay real-time intelligence regarding enemy movements.