Military Nanotechnology: Potential Applications and Preventive Arms Control

250 Pages·2006·5.87 MB·English

by  Jurgen Altmann

MILITARY NANOTECHNOLOGY
This book is the first systematic and comprehensive presentation of the
potential military applications of nanotechnology (NT). After a thorough
introduction and overview of nanotechnology and its history, it presents
the actual military NT R&D in the USA and gives a systematic description
of the potential military applications of NT that within 10-20 years may
include extremely small computers, miniature sensors, lighter and stronger
materials in vehicles and weapons, autonomous systems of many sizes and
implants in soldiers' bodies. These potential applications are assessed from
a viewpoint of international security, considering the new criteria of
dangers for arms control and the international law of warfare, dangers for
stability through potential new arms races and proliferation, and dangers
for humans and society.
Although some applications (e.g. sensors for biological-warfare agents)
could contribute to better protection against terrorist attacks or to better
verification of compliance with arms-control treaties, several potential
uses, like metal-free firearms, small missiles, or implants and other body
manipulation raise strong concerns. For preventive limitation of these
potentially dangerous applications of NT, specific approaches are pro-
posed that balance positive civilian uses and take into account verification
of compliance.
This book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, peace
studies, conflict resolution and international security, as well as specialists
in the fields of military technology and chemical-biological weapons.
Jürgen Altmann holds a PhD in physics and is a recognized expert in the
field of disarmament and arms control. He has been working on disarma-
ment-related issues since 1985 conducting research on co-operative verifi-
cation of disarmament or peace-keeping agreements using automatic
sensor systems and assessment and preventive limitations of new military
technologies, with major studies on acoustic weapons and micro-systems
technologies.
CONTEMPORARY SECURITY STUDIES
NATO'S SECRET ARMY
Operation Gladio and terrorism in Western Europe
Daniel Ganser
THE US, NATO AND MILITARY BURDEN-SHARING
Peter Kent Forster and Stephen J. Cimbala
RUSSIAN GOVERNANCE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY
Geo-strategy, geopolitics and new governance
Irina Isakova
THE FOREIGN OFFICE AND FINLAND 1938-1940
Diplomatic sideshow
Craig Gerrard
RETHINKING THE NATURE OF WAR
Isabelle Duyvesteyn and Jan Angstrom (eds)
PERCEPTION AND REALITY IN THE MODERN
YUGOSLAV CONFLICT
Myth, falsehood and deceit 1991-1995
Brendan O'Shea
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF PEACEBUILDING IN
POST-DAYTON BOSNIA
Tim Donais
THE DISTRACTED EAGLE
The rift between America and Old Europe
Peter H. Merkl
THE IRAQ WAR
European perspectives on politics, strategy, and operations
Jan Hallenberg and Hakan Karlsson (eds)
STRATEGIC CONTEST
Weapons proliferation and war in the Greater Middle East
Richard L. Russell
PROPAGANDA, THE PRESS AND CONFLICT
The Gulf War and Kosovo
David R. Willcox
MISSILE DEFENCE
International, regional and national implications
Bertel Heurlin and Sten Rynning (eds)
GLOBALISING JUSTICE FOR MASS ATROCITIES
A revolution in accountability
Chandra Lekha Sriram
ETHNIC CONFLICT AND TERRORISM
The origins and dynamics of civil wars
Joseph L. Soeters
GLOBALISATION AND THE FUTURE OF TERRORISM
Patterns and predictions
Brynjar Lia
NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND STRATEGY
The evolution of American nuclear policy
Stephen J. Cimbala
NASSER AND THE MISSILE AGE IN THE MIDDLE
EAST
Owen L. Sirrs
WAR AS RISK MANAGEMENT
Strategy and conflict in an age of globalised risks
Yee-Kuang Heng
MILITARY NANOTECHNOLOGY
Potential applications and preventive arms control
Jürgen Altmann

MILITARY
NANOTECHNOLOGY
Potential applications and preventive
arms control
Jürgen Altmann
Routledge
Taylor & Francis Group
LONDON AND NEW YORK
First published 2006
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group
Transferred to Digital Printing 2006
© 2006 Jürgen Altmann
Typeset in Times by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN10: 0-415-37102-3 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0-415-40799-0 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-37102-5 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-415-40799-1 (pbk)
Printed and bound by CPI Antony Rowe, Eastbourne
CONTENTS
List of figures ix
List of tables x
Preface xii
Abbreviations xiii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Nanotechnology:'The next industrial revolution' 1
1.2 Goals and overview of the study 2
1.3 Some NT history 2
1.4 Promises and risks of NT 3
1.5 Previous writing on military uses of NT 7
2 Overview of nanotechnology 19
2.1 General aspects 19
2.2 Molecular NT 25
2.3 Convergence of nano-, bio-, information and cognitive
sciences and technology 31
2.4 Areas of NT 32
2.5 NT research and development 32
2.6 Expected NT market 37
3 Military efforts for nanotechnology 38
3.1 USA 38
3.2 Other countries 63
3.3 International comparison of military NT efforts 68
3.4 Perceptions driving an NT arms race? 69
VII
CONTENTS
4 Potential military applications of nanotechnology 71
4.1 Military applications of NT 71
4.2 Summary of military NT Applications 104
4.3 Potential military uses of molecular NT 105
4.4 Countermeasures against military NT systems 117
5 Preventive arms control: concept and design 119
5.1 General considerations on preventive technology limits
119
5.2 Preventive arms control: process and criteria 124
5.3 Design of preventive limitations 125
6 Preventive arms control considerations for nanotechnology 134
6.1 Applying the criteria to NT 134
6.2 Preventive-arms-control criteria and molecular NT 147
6.3 Summary evaluation 151
6.4 Options for preventive limits on military NT 154
6.5 Meta-aspects concerning preventive arms control 175
7 Conclusions and recommendations 177
7.1 Recommendations for preventive-arms-control action for
nanotechnology 177
7.2 Transparency and confidence-building measures 177
7.3 Recommendations for further research 180
7.4 Concluding thoughts 182
Appendix 1 General nanotechnology literature 187
Appendix 2 US DARPA NT-related efforts 189
Notes 197
Bibliography 207
Index 230
VIII
FIGURES
2.1 Shrinking of characteristic features of integrated circuits 22
2.2 Carbon nanotube writing bits coded as hydrogen (H)
or fluorine (F) atoms on a carbon or silicon surface 24
2.3 Estimated world-wide government expenditures for
NT R&D 36
3.1 Funding for the NNI and share of Department of
Defense 40
3.2 Battle-suit vision of the Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnologies 62
IX