Trigger happy

“One good thing about hosting a show that talks about new weapons and showcases them is the fact that you are not facing the actual bullets in a combat situation,” says former US Army Ranger and Air Force Para-rescueman Wil Wills. Wills also hosts “Triggers: Weapons that changed the World” on Discovery Science. In a phone interview, Wills says, “We basically test newer weapons in controlled conditions, look at the evolution of modern day war machinery and weapons and dwell into the numerous changes that the field has seen over the years. Every episode talks about a particular weapon; every episode tells the story of one weapon that transformed warfare. We aim at giving viewers some insights to the history and technology of these revolutionary innovations and the way in which they transformed modern warfare.”

Wills says that his years in training and combat at the Army and the Air Force have helped him host the show and test new weapons. “I enjoy doing the show, testing new weapons and learning more about them. I am learning a lot on the job also.”

Wills contends that as mankind develops, weapons also become more and more sophisticated and help in carrying out precise missions. “Every single innovation undertaken by man has a bearing on the weapons of that age.”

How do Armies and military units deal with the new forms of warfare that seem to be emerging every day?

Wills contends, “We do not talk much about military strategy in the show, but talk about weapons that help combat insurgencies, terrorism and guerrilla warfare that have started to define modern day combat. I believe that innovations are being undertaken and newer weapons will be developed to combat these forms of warfare. Necessity has been a key word in development of firearms.”