Military Nanotechnology and its Implications

Gian Carlo Delgado’s essay addresses the issue of nanotechnology, whose applications —arising from the manipulation and (re)design of matter on a nanometric scale— are arousinggreat expectations, particularly in military spheres. The author broadly explains the historic context that favored a continual war economy in the aftermath of World War II and discusses the military potential nanotechnology has afforded the United States, a country that has effectively mapped out the course of the majority of nanotechnology innovations with military  applications in the name of national security. He then gives a detailed account of the many and varied applications of nanotechnology, which represents a highly promising technological niche within the competitive dynamics of the world’s major “industrial complexes”. According to Delgado, the development, deployment and use of “nanoweapons” could completely revolutionize the very nature of war and its planning, raising ethical questions and concerns for individual rights, not to mention creating uncertainty and paving the way for new and potentially radical forms of human rights violations, violence, subjugation and control off the battlefield. In the author’s view, the use of nanotechnology for military purposes will have a profound impact on international law, relations and security, which is why we need to draw up proposals for a framework to regulate its military applications. The crux of the problem, he concludes, is to avoid unnecessary risks and make the benefits of this ground-breaking technology available to society at large.