Military Applications of Archery

Some modern military groups still use archery today for a variety of purposes. Historical examples include British commandos during WWII, Portuguese special forces, and so forth.

However I should note that the most military uses employ crossbows instead of bows as they are more effective for getting greater range and accuracy. But they are louder, which is why traditional archery is still a valid option.

Loading a bow with explosives (a la the various Rambo movies or the 3rd installment of The Hunger Games Trilogy) is the logical use of bows in the military.

But the another logical use is to have quieter kills.

Because even a gun with a silencer still makes a recognizable sound.

Whereas a bow with dampeners / silencers on the bowstring makes more of a soft thud sound.

Which means for commandos that the bow does make an excellent choice if you want to take an enemy down quietly - assuming they don't scream in pain after being shot and you've killed them almost instantly.

Another alternative use for archery is for delivery of chemical or biological agents - such as nerve gas.

And evidently we could also see science add to the abilities that such weapons can do - like making heat seeking arrows that are rocket-propelled.

Or a device that checks the range automatically for you, checks wind conditions and then tells you exactly where to aim - so that basically anyone could do it with minimal skill required.

In which case maybe in the future we will see a return to archery being used for military purposes... In ways we can only dream of.