Nanotechnology Weapons

Innovations from nanotechnology are starting to make their way into products on the commercial market as well as information and combat systems for the military. Improvements brought about by nanotechnology will be revolutionary, but, nanotechnology will also present entirely new threats. Steps must be taken now to address the asymmetrical menace posed by future nanotechnology weapons. Production rates of nanomaterials are also rising dramatically, yet there is a general lack of agreement and understanding about their dangers. Sometime within the next 5-10 years, development of a new type of chemical or biological weapon based on discoveries in nanotechnology could be a very real possibility, yet the Department of Defense (DOD) has not initiated programs to focus specifically on understanding or preventing this new type of threat. The DOD should take action now to solve the unknowns as it relates to the dangers of nanostructures, raise awareness on the dangers of nanotechnology within US research institutions and internationally alike, and introduce nanotechnology weapons into DOD educational environments and strategic planning.