"Kill Proof," Animal-Esque Soldiers: DARPA Goal

I think that the people over at DARPA have finally gone crazy. With the plan to embed chips in soldiers brains, now this has been taken one step further by attempting to turn soldiers into animals. Giveing them 6th senses and helping prevent them from being killed.

This is the final straw before our military turns into mindless drones that are impervious to most conventional attacks.

This is coll and scary at the same time.

Kill-Proof, Animal Esque Soldiers - Darpa Goal

DARPA, the Pentagon's way-out science arm wants to make soldiers stronger, faster, and generally "kill proof." The key, the agency believes: Getting humans to act more like animals.

For years, DARPA has been pushing to boost soldier performance. Today, at the opening of DARPATech, the agency's bi-annual conference, program manager Michael Callahan just announced a new effort to take that research even further. He calls it "Inner Armor."

The project has two main thrusts. The first is to enable soldiers to work better in extremes -- high altitudes, brutal heat, and undersea depths. In each of these conditions, Callahan notes, there are animals that handle these environments well. The bar-headed goose, for instance, can fly for days at Himalayan heights without taking a break. Certain microorganisms thrive in steam vents, despite the Venutian conditions. Then there's the sea lion, which redirects blood flow and slows its heart rate, to stay underwater for hours.

How do you view this.

I find it rather scary.

Makes ya wonder where they'd draw the line at.
Regardless of their intent, the implications are unprecedented.

Its no secret their goal is immortality.
Nice find

Originally posted by aecreate
Its no secret their goal is immortality.

Please provide evidence of that.

I am sure Darpa has been researching almost any feasible way to make a soldier better and be able to survive in a battlefield conflict. They have made some pretty impressive developments

Please read what I linked to.
I consider that evidence.

And the goal of a (generally) "Kill-proof" soldier, sounds pretty close to immortal to me. Who knows, maybe these future soldiers won't even be human, or mostly human.. Impressive to say the least, its God-like what they're doing.

Originally posted by aecreate
Please read what I linked to.

I consider that evidence.

I am not sure what part you are referring to lotsa links there. Sure they are working on AI with weapon systems and ways to increase survivability on the battlefield for soldiers, some of their research has already saved lives. Can't say that is a bad thing IMO.

I am sure there are a few paths they are traveling with respect to making soldiers better that will be pushing the envelope of human abilities. But for every successful advancement I am sure there are 5 that don't pan out.

A soldier that can't be killed? Bad for the country who owns that soldier. I would say instant death chips. Flip a switch, lights out for the rabid manimal soldier. Imagine 800 years into the future. What will be normal for humanity, what will be considered humane.

Originally posted by Don Wahn
.... attempting to turn soldiers into animals.

That's a bit of an exaggeration. The comment from the Darpa program manager doesn't really support that; it seems more like they want to study the way some animals are able to survive in extreme conditions and find a way to apply that to the human soldiers.

Originally posted by Don Wahn
How do you view this.

Personally, I think it's a great idea, but it doesn't sound very feasible to me. Part of my job involves working on military contracts; you'd be amazed at how many crazy ideas get funded and go nowhere.

You should watch the Island of Dr. Moreau. It's all about transgenic experimentation with human and animal genes. Just keep in mind, there are groups out there that care nothing about ethics, or what percentage of a being constitutes being human. If they can create a being with the intellect of a human with the ferocity and physical agility of a wild animal, or a being made for working in dangerous environments, they're going to do it. Of course, Joe Public would never hear about it.

I do remember the whole super soldier storyline in the X-Files, too. Hybrids that couldn't be killed. It's the next logical progression in warfare.

A chip in the brain sure isn't going to enable this all to happen. They're either gonna have to grow test tube soldiers, or do some serious surgery. Clone troopers?