A concise history of acoustics in warfare

Abstract This article provides a concise history of how acoustics has been applied to warfare. Going back to the earliest recorded events and tracing developments to the twentieth century, the article places special emphasis on World War I, the interwar years, World War II, and the post-1945 era to the 1980s. Acoustical applications in warfare have had a significant impact through a cumulative process, especially in such areas as communications, detection, weaponry, navigation, measurements, and ancillary disciplines.