Small technical innovations have won wars in the past. In the first Punic war the Roman Republic (who had no significant naval strength at the start of the war)

Small technical innovations have won wars in the past. In the first Punic war the Roman Republic (who had no significant naval strength at the start of the war) defeated Carthage, the dominant naval force of the Mediterranean. One of the most significant factors in their victory (they certainly would have lost without it at least) was inventing a plank with a spike on the end of it[0]. The Romans at this time were so incompetent at naval warfare that their only significant defeats in the war were losing their entire fleet to bad weather (more than once). [0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus_(boarding_device) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvus_(boarding_device)