content: swarm drones will allow operators to control squads of drones at once. Combat is still very up close and personal and always will be, the need for boots on the ground will never go away. What I think we will see more of is drones/robotics and semi-autonomous weapon platforms that provide a major force multiplier to each individual soldier.  The US is going to have railgun rifles soon enough, which means they are working on defenses for them as well. Which I suspect will lead to mecha type armored suits or vehicles and pretty much kill the tank as a weapons platform as it exists today. It's suggested that the US already has orbital kinetic weapons up in space and I don't find that hard to believe since they do have railguns in the field right now. The ideal of any major conflict between powers is just terrifying today. The force multipliers have gotten so far into the realm of science fiction that I can't even imagine what one would look like.