These are the 19 most game-changing weapons of the 21st century

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The YAL Airborne Laser Testbed's turret assembly.

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The imperatives of the military have always been one of the main drivers of technological development.

ARPANET, one of the internet's most important precursors, was a Pentagon project while most of the technology in an iPhone originated with the US Department of Defense.

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Just as smart gadgets have invaded our homes and revolutionized our lives over the last 15 years, next-level weaponry has transformed the military.

Today, militaries and irregular forces around the world are still pushing technological boundaries.

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Everything from concealed roadside bombs - cheap, primitive, and deadly - to multibillion-dollar aerial lasers have transformed conventional methods of combat and altered the world's technological and political landscape.

Here are 19 of the most important weapons of the last 15 years.