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It is well known that wars drive economies, but do they also drive innovation? The latest technological masterpieces were on display in Iraq - from night-vision goggles to 'smart bombs'. Was the war just a shop window - and military planning a surreal video game? How important are the symbolic dimensions of technology and weaponry in their effectiveness on the battleground? When military research is subject to such tight secrecy, how do we maintain some sort of democratic control? Speakers: Andrew Sleigh, MD Knowledge and Information division at QuinetiQ; General Sir Rupert Smith Field Commander of British forces in the Gulf and the Balkans; and Patrick Wright, cultural historian and author of Tank. In the chair: Gwyn Prins, Alliance Research Professor, LSE and Columbia, author of Heart of War.