Biotechnology to kit out Soldier of Future

Tim Radford / Guardian UK 22jun01

The super soldier of 2025, with rockets on his wrist and robots in his knapsack, will carry a space age lunchpack to match, according to US military scientists. The candy bars he eats will have nutrients to keep his body temperature up. Some rations will contain edible compounds called biological markers. While these travel down the alimentary canal, they will send signals that can be monitored from headquarters, or even from space. That way, the man in the frontline will not get fired on by comrades.

As many soldiers have died of exhaustion and disease as in combat in wars past. So the future soldier's field rations will be lighter but more nourishing. Foods will be more digestible. "More calories could be transported to troops for the same amount of weight," said a report by the National Research Council's board on army science and technology.

The same lightweight rations could be spiked with edible vaccines.

The next step was plants that could grow in days, said the report. "These... could be critical in a survival situation," said Michael Ladisch of Purdue University, Indiana, who chaired the research team.

Biotechnology could also provide the fuel and field equipment, the report said. Protein based coatings on a soldier's helmet could turn sunlight into power for his electronic arsenal - and confuse enemy detectors.

Genetic engineers would "grow" his camouflage materials and his flakjackets. And by 2025 an armoury of "biosensors may be able to detect chemical, biological and environmental threats" and keep him safe.