Interesting article. I am neither a hawk nor all that interested in things military, but I feel the need every so often to paraphrase Jack Nicholson's line from the first Batman movie.

Where do they get these toys??!!

Some of the coolest technologies are military.

Nanotech future for soldiers

By Chloe Veltman in San Francisco

The soldier of the future will prowl around a tropical danger-zone as noiselessly as a butterfly landing on a leaf, if the expectations of researchers at the US Army Soldier System Center are realised.

The scientists say that by 2025, combat gear will have evolved so that soldiers will be able to sense an oncoming attack, change chameleon-like to blend in with their surroundings and make temperature adjustments....

By changing the properties of materials, such as by introducing tiny nanoparticle reinforcements into polymers, nanotechnology will enable such advances as making helmets 40-60% lighter and creating tent-fabric that repairs itself when it rips.

With the advent of nanotechnology, chemical protective overgarments, which shield soldiers against hazardous chemicals and deadly micro-organisms, will enter a new phase of development.

The new uniforms will be breathable and 20% lighter in weight than the standard battle-dress overgarment.

"We are in the early stages of anticipating how nanotechnology will revolutionise army equipment," says Tom Tassinari, a scientist with the Soldier System Center in Natick, Massachusetts....

In addition to awarding $8.75 million in research awards to academic institutions conducting nanotechnology research this year, the Department of Defense recently announced its intention to create a top-tier nanotechnology research centre, the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology.

Over five years, the Institute, which will develop within an existing university, is expected to receive $50 million in funding....

Toyota developed one of the earliest uses of the technology in the early 1990s, when material scientists working for the company created a nanocomposite material out of reinforced nylon.

The material withstood car engine heat and was cheaper to produce than other forms of high-performance plastic, so it was readily adopted....

For the Army, developments across the commercial sector mean potential corporate partnerships and the possibility of adapting uses of nanotechnology for military purposes....

US Army Soldier Systems Center

Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology

U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command