Weapons and Tactics
Weapon, an instrument designed to incapacitate a person or animal, or to inflict damage on property. Personal weapons , such as swords and rifles, are used by individuals; crew-served weapons , such as artillery pieces, require more than one operator. A weapons system is a weapon or group of weapons together with a means of carrying it to the scene of combat; tanks, warships, and armed aircraft are examples.
Ancient humans hunted animals and fought enemies with whatever objects were easy to obtain. These early weapons included stones, sharp sticks, and clubs. In time, these natural implements were altered to make them more deadly. Hunters and warriors tipped their sticks and clubs with sharp pieces of bone or stone. They developed the throwing stick, the slingshot, and the bow and arrow to kill at long range.
As weapons were improved, defenses against weapons also evolved---and as defenses improved so did weapons. This cycle has continued throughout history. The first defense against weapons was probably crude shields, then came helmets and armor. When walls were built around cities to keep out enemies, catapults were invented to send missiles over the walls. Gunpowder's great striking power was first used in Europe during the 14th century, initially in cannon. Later, explosives were used in weapons that ranged from rifles and artillery to mines and bombs.
The nuclear-armed ballistic missile, developed in the 1950's, is such a formidable weapon that it has served as a deterrent to war. Nuclear weapons are sometimes referred to as weapons of mass destruction . The term is also used for chemical weapons (which contain poisonous gases) and biological weapons (which contain lethal biological agents), because they can inflict a very large number of casualties. International agreements to halt the spread nuclear weapons and to ban the use of chemical weapons and of biological weapons have been ratified by most of the nations of the world.