Introduction: Brave new world? (0.00–1.58)
This section opens with shots of the Berlin Wall, trying to establish quickly and clearly the end of the Cold War. The main aim is to show that other conflicts were still likely to occur, but that technology would change the nature of at least some of them.

Gulf War (1.59–3.50)

This section provides a reprise of the Gulf War, but there are much more important issues raised than a simple narrative outline. The first is the fact that the war was transmitted ‘live’. The second is that losses on the US and allied side were very low. This was to a great extent due to high technology. Clearly, this pointed the way to future developments.

High technology (3.51–4.50)
This section and the previous one introduce students to a range of technologies but also a moral issue, which is worth stopping the tape for and discussing. Hi-tech weapons reduced risk, but only for those who could afford them. How moral is this?

Kosovo (4.51–9.34)

The moral issue is thrown into sharper relief in this part of the programme. For all the pinpoint ‘surgical accuracy’ of the laser weapons, people on the ground were still being killed. One side was seemingly taking no risk, while the other side was taking huge damage. This section then brings into relief the fallibility of the wonder technology.

Unmanned war (9.35–12.20)

If students are not already staggered by the developments shown in the programme, then this section ought to do the trick. It is important that students are aware of the full implications of what they are watching. On the one hand, it may appear that the use of drones and robots reduces the risks of being involved in war, which is clearly desirable. On the other hand, if a nation can use such technology to go to war without a risk to any of its own people, then perhaps there would be a dangerous temptation for that country to go to war.

New soldiers (12.21–17.00)

This long section analyses the role of the soldier in this new world. In some respects it is an awesome new world of hi-tech equipment, where each soldier is carrying a fortune in the latest equipment and is able to cope with all eventualities. On the other hand, the programme raises the point that in the modern world the role of the soldier is often highly equivocal. Examples are given of Somalia, Israel and Kosovo, but it would be easy to add Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Rwanda to the list. In these areas soldiers are not fighting an enemy but interacting in complex ways with displaced civilians, and quite possibly the perpetrators of horrendous crimes. Technology is of little or no help in these circumstances and may even make the situation worse.

New warfare (17.01–end)
This final section establishes the nerd or hacker as the ultimate and most terrifying weapon of all. Whilst this may raise a smile, the potential of Information Warfare is apocalyptic. An enemy who can turn off his opponent’s water and sewage supplies has a powerful terror weapon. It is conceivable that Information Warfare could programme nuclear power stations to self-destruct. As weapons of war, they are terrifying prospects. As tools in the hands of deranged terrorists, the fear factor is even greater. All of this makes us glad that we have historians to analyse these trends and point out that all technological developments carry a cost!