But the U.S. military and its peers have begun arming today's soldiers with futuristic technologies and weapons far more potent than those carried by warriors of the past.

The new soldiers' arsenal likely won't include individual laser guns and power-suit armor from science fiction in the immediate future. Instead, modern troops will walk alongside robotic battlefield mules, carry handheld medical scanners and deploy backpack-size suicide drones in growing numbers — technologies that boost both survivability and lethality.

Check out some of the many technologies changing the battlefield for individual soldiers.