Nanotechnology: Current Global Trends and Future Military Applications for ‘Soldier as a System’

The last decade has witnessed unprecedented developments in the discovery of novel materials and their radically different properties at nano scales. Global efforts in research and development (R&D)in nanotechnology are being undertaken by many countries due to far-reaching benefits encompassing the entire arena of science and technology. The field of defence is likely to profit immensely by nanotechnology-enabled applications. The impact of these applications will have a direct bearing on soldier in the battlefield in terms of enhanced protection, lethality, manoeuvrability, communication, health monitoring, and surveillance. This article dwells upon the current global scenario of nanotechnology and how a ‘soldier as a system’ can be conceived through integration of nanotechnology-enabled applications.