Pandora'S Box Opened Wide: Micro Unmanned Air Vehicles Carrying Genetic Weapons
Pandora'S Box Opened Wide: Micro Unmanned Air Vehicles Carrying Genetic Weapons
Pandora'S Box Opened Wide: Micro Unmanned Air Vehicles Carrying Genetic Weapons
AIR UNIVERSITY
by
Daryl J. Hauck
Lieutenant Colonel, USAF
April 2004
The views expressed in this academic research paper are those of the author(s) and do not
reflect the official policy or position of the US government or the Department of Defense. In
accordance with Air Force Instruction 51-303, it is not copyrighted, but is the property of the
ii
Contents
Page
DISCLAIMER .. ii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS iv
LIST OF TABLES v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. vi
ABSTRACT .. vii
INTRODUCTION .... 1
Nanotechnology ... 14
Targeting Databases 19
Genetic Weapons 22
RESPONSES 27
Deterrence 31
Defense/Consequence Management 31
Response Summary . 32
CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS 33
BIBLIOGRAPHY 36
NOTES . 40
iii
Illustrations
Page
Figure 3. MuscleSheet .. 10
Figure 4. Ocelli . 11
Figure 5. Halteres . 12
iv
Tables
Page
Acknowledgements
The seed for this research was planted in an elective course offered by the Air War
Colleges Center for Strategy and Technology, during which a fortunate group of students were
exposed to an exciting cross-section of emerging technologies in our National and Air Force
Laboratories. Our instructors goal was more than for us to simply be interested in progress, but
to ponder how these developments may change the strategic environment or the development
and execution of national/military strategy. Im grateful for the insights and inspiration provided
by the centers Director, Dr. Grant Hammond, and the Deputy Directors, Colonel (sel) John Geis
and Colonel (ret) Ted Hailes. Im especially grateful for the guidance of my advisor, Colonel
Steve Suddarth, who provided valuable insights into the direction and reporting of this research.
Ive never met a more creative, competent personhe is a national treasure. Speaking of
treasure, I have been richly blessed with a beautiful wife and two fine sons, and I would like to
thank Lesley, Nathan, and Jayson for their patience, love, energy and great senses of humor
given that were presently in the South, I should add Bless their hearts.
vi
Abstract
enable the creation of very small (inch or less) MAVs carrying powerful and precise genetic
weapons, possibly within twenty years. The precision effect created by precise MAV delivery
and/or target-specific genetic weapons will challenge existing paradigms that currently ban
biological weapons. It is not clear whether such a weapon is banned by the 1972 Biological
powerful nations. A review of open source material shows that the basic science of the required
enabling technologies already exists, and is likely to mature rapidly on its own merit for dual use
such a weapon is extremely challenging. The sum of these factors represents significant
potential for a technological surprise that may fundamentally shift current constructs of national
power and who possesses such power. From a Risk Management perspective, the high potential
consequence combined with even a low probability of occurrence demand risk avoidance and
vii
Pandoras Box1 Opened Wide:
I. Introduction
With progressive battlefield success in Operations Desert Storm, Allied Force, Enduring
Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are capturing the imagination
of militaries around the world. The specter of Iraqi UAVs with a 300+ mile range capability
carrying chemical/biological weapons was described by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in
his February 2003 remarks to the U.N. Security Council.2 The Rand report Chemical Biological
Weapons (CBW) as an Asymmetric Strategy identifies UAVs as a feasible CBW delivery means
by potential adversaries such as North Korea.3 With significant concern regarding the ability to
defend against a delivery vehicle several meters in size, imagine the difficulty in defending
against a future scenario involving swarms of Micro UAVs (MAVs) carrying genetic weapons
with the potential to create powerful and precise political, economical, and military effects from
a tiny payload. With a motivation towards avoiding Technological Surprise, this paper notes
emerging trends in several technology areas that collectively point towards this possibility. In
great promise in enabling feasible Micro UAVs (MAVs) as delivery platforms, while these same
technologies along with genetic research may enable the packaging of powerful and precise
MAVs. The MAV/genetic weapon combination may offer a capability with enough power,
precision, discrimination, and military utility to challenge the notion of all biological weapons
being considered Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), thus widening their potential use.
At first glance, the premise above appears to border on fantasy, requiring the
accomplishment of several miracles in diverse fields. After digging deeper, one finds that the
basic science of key enabling technologies has already been invented. While not yet mature nor
integrated on the scale envisioned in the opening premise, its not unreasonable to predict this
may happen within 20 years. The accelerating pace and dual-use nature of the relevant
technologies coupled with the desire for an asymmetrical advantage over the U.S. may serve to
advance such a threat. The probability of occurrence is at least minimal to moderate (not zero),
and the potential consequence of such a development is severe; therefore, a prudent mix of risk
avoidance/mitigation measures are called for. To ignore this possibility fails to learn the lessons
of history. In 1945 Admiral Leahy advised President Truman The [atomic] bomb will never
go off, and I will speak as an expert in explosives.4 Circa 1949, acclaimed mathematician and
computer science pioneer Dr. John von Neumann stated it would appear that we have reached
the limits of what it is possible to achieve with computer technology, although one should be
careful with such statements, as they tend to sound pretty silly in 5 years.5 A failure to account
for the possibility of MAVs carrying genetic weapons and respond in a meaningful way may
result in a technological surprise that could add considerable cost (in lives and/or resources)
required to achieve a strategic objective, and ultimately may play a key role in the ultimate
outcome of a future contest. The goal is to avoid the fate of the French at the Battle of Crecy in
1346, where the English introduction of the Longbow kept a numerically superior French force
from penetrating English lines during sixteen cavalry charges, the first time in a thousand years
that an infantry force defeated a numerically superior cavalry force, which ultimately led to the
Paper Outline
This case begins with a discussion of general technological themes and the Law of
technologies are encountered throughout the paper. Subsequent chapters build on this
system, MAVs carrying genetic weapons. Chapters two and three more specifically address
technology challenges and enablers for the air vehicle and payloads. This paper concludes with a
technologies and information the U.S. should seek to ban, delay or control (chapter five).
While Science concerns itself with discovery, Technology focuses on the application of
scientific knowledge to solve specific problems. Physicist and futurist Michio Kaku predicts that
the weight of creative progress in this century will lie more in inventions involving inter
disciplinary synergies than it will in new discoveries within specific scientific disciplines.7 An
insightful example with specific relevance to this paper involves the mapping of the human
genome. Due to the sheer computational complexity and measurement expense, biologists
tended to believe that the human genome could not be mapped within a reasonable budget or
time horizon. Involvement by computer scientists, advances in computational power, and cost
anyones predictions. The cost of gene sequencing dropped from ten dollars per base pair in
1990 to fifty cents per base pair by 1997.8 This is but one example of the impact of inter
theories involving his Law of Accelerating Returns. Kurzweil noted that Moores law on
integrated circuits (capacity and speed double every twenty-four months) applied not only to
integrated circuits, but to computing technology in general throughout the 20th century.9
discrete transistors, and now integrated circuits, this rate of progress was continually realized...it
simply took an innovation from another technology applied to the problem of computation.
While many project Moores law to exhaust itself by 2020, Kurzweil notes that may be true with
respect to integrated circuits, but instead predicts the exponential computing growth will then
press ahead based on some other technology as it has for five technology generations.10 Similar
to Moores Law, Kaku observes DNA sequencing speed doubles roughly every two years.11
Complexity Theory demonstrates that exponential growth in computational power does not
phenomena may approach true boundaries. As they get smaller, Micro UAVs based on fixed-
wing technology appear to be reaching aerodynamic limitsthe forces at this scale are compared
to a human swimming in honey.12 In this instance, however, Kakus prediction that cross-
example of researchers looking to insect flight for answers on small scale aerodynamic forces.
The discussion of these trends is more than academically interesting. It tells us that we
can and should expect others to look for multi-disciplinary approaches to improving UAV
Simply stated, this law highlights that the actions of peoplealways have effects that
are unanticipated and/or unintended.13 This law may operate in several important ways to bring
about the hypothetical threat system. The primary mechanism is the dual-use nature of the
technology involved. In gaining the knowledge to cure/repair disease, one also gains the
knowledge on how to create and spread it. As one reduces the cost to produce a therapy, one
also reduces the cost to produce a potential weapon. Leaders in genetic research may find
themselves under considerable moral pressure to share information rather than restrict its flow to
what they alone can pursue within their own resources. The information presented in subsequent
chapters shows that the technology required to bring about the envisioned threat system has and
will continue to rapidly progress largely on its own merits for peaceful purposes, thus reducing
A second mechanism is the attempts by first world nations to limit Weapons of Mass
Destruction proliferation to other countries and non-state actors which may drive nations to seek
other asymmetrical responses, refuse to sign new conventions, and/or withdraw from existing
conventions. The U.S. may have unintentionally created a precedent with respect to the Anti-
Ballistic Missile treaty, the International Criminal Court, and Kyoto environmental protocols.14
With the aforementioned themes generally establishing the motivation and ability to
realize the hypothetical threat system, chapters two and three more specifically address
technology challenges and enablers for the air vehicle and payloads.
Micro UAVs (MAVs) are already a reality (Figure 1).15 The Wasp, for example, has a
13- inch wingspan (flying wing), weighs six ounces, is propeller driven via electric motor with a
Although micro UAVs clearly exist, they are difficult to make with a sufficient payload
and range within tight size/weight/power constraints. Less obvious are the challenges of
aerodynamics on this scale. As wing size gets smaller and flight speeds get slower, drag gets
large and lift gets smallconventional aerodynamics (airflow over curved wings) would predict
that insects cannot fly.18 To deal with this challenge, some researchers turn to nature for clues.
Biomimetics studies biological mechanisms for sensing, control, and propulsion19 with an
integration of biological materials with those devices.20 The airplane began as a biomimetics
experiment. The Wright Brothers used wing warping to assist in stability and control of the
Wright Flyeran idea that inspired Wilbur after he watched pigeons rotate their wings
independently through positive and negative angles of attack.21 To deal with the inability of
conventional steady-state aerodynamics to explain micro-scale lift forces, researchers today are
The following abstract summarizes the progress made by Oxford university researchers
investigating butterfly flight: we trained red admiral butterfliesto fly freely to and from
artificial flowers in a wind tunnel, and used high-resolution, smoke-flow visualizations to obtain
qualitative, high-speed digital images of the air flow around their wings. The images show that
force: wake capture, two different types of leading-edge vortex, active and inactive upstrokes, in
addition to the use of rotational mechanisms and the Weis-Fogh clap-and-fling mechanism.
There seems to be no one key to insect flight, instead insects rely on a wide array of
aerodynamic measures to take off, manoeuvre, maintain steady flight, and for landing.22
Under a $2.5M grant from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) and
the Office of Naval Research (ONR), researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have
established the Mechanical Flying Insect (MFI) project. The intent is to be able to mimic the
airborne prowess of the fruit fly, noting its ability to swerve into turns that would rip apart
aircraft, its ability to fly with a large part of a wing missing, and its ability to navigate with other
sensors if blinded.23 Figure 2 shows a prototype MFI that flaps its wings at 204 times per second
with sufficient force (500 N per wing) for a 100mg machine to lift itself off the ground.24
Professor of Integrative Biology, Dr. Michael Dickinson, discovered the last of three
key ingredients necessary to make a fly flythese wing motions are delayed stallwing
rotationand wake capture...26 In delayed stall, the wing stroke uses a high angle of attack
that generates a large leading edge vortex, a large swirling vortex on the top surface of the wing
that generates a very low pressure and consequently pulls the wing upward.27 The backspin
involved in wing rotation pulls air over the top faster than the bottom and as a consequence
higher velocity means lower pressureand effectively the wing is being sucked upwards as it
rotates.28 In wake capture, an insect flaps its wings back and forth [instead of up and down]
and as a consequence the wing is always passing through the wake of a previous stroke and its
able to actually extract energy from the wake and this makes the wing beat rather efficient29
The forces from wing rotation and wake capture accounted for the majority of additional lift
The MFIs wing-drive consists of a thorax composed of thin sheets of stainless steel
that, when cut and folded into beams [under microscope], turn out be extremely strong. Two
hinged beams are attached as struts to each wing, with a piezoelectric motor driving them. When
they move together, the wing flaps; when they move out of sync, the wing rotates.31 The wings
[not shown in the picture as they are removed from the ladder-like horizontal structures] are
about half an inch long, 1/20 the thickness of a sheet of paper and made of lightweight
polyester, look like miniature paddles, and give the fly a wingspan of about one inch.32
The Berkeley MFI research team and laboratory is noteworthy from a couple of
perspectives. Whereas the Oxford butterfly research contributed to the theory of insect flight
from smoke-flow visualization, the Berkeley research used dynamic scaling, building large
insect wings to flap slowly in a two-ton tank of high viscosity mineral oil.33 This allows for
scaled measurement and modeling of forces not possible via smoke-flow visualization. Having
moving on to a larger tank to translate the flapping device through the fluid to model
In addition to studying aerodynamic forces, the Berkeley team is able to study insect
flight control by tethering a fly inside a chamber upon which shapes and colors are projected to
study the insects flight control response to visual cues.35 The multidisciplinary nature of the
scientistsall taking inspiration from our biology colleagues,36 is largely responsible for their
rapid accomplishments to date and is predictive of eventual success. The teams goals include:
MFI lift-off in 2004; autonomous indoor flight with integrated battery, sensors and electronics
in 2006; and commercial availability by 2012 for applications in search and rescue, building
(IPMCs) as biometric sensor actuators and artificial muscles.38 Shahinpoor et al. report that strips
of these composites undergo large bending and flapping displacement if an electric field is
imposed across their thickness, making them large motion actuators. Conversely, when bent by
some other force (such as a gust), voltage is produced across the strip making it a large motion
sensor. They further report these composite muscles have been shown to work well in harsh
cryogenic environments (a few Torrs and -140 degrees Celsius). Figure 3 shows commercial
versions of this material available from Biomimetics, Inc. in the form of Musclesheet .39
Figure 3. MuscleSheet40
The Musclesheet can operate in the 0.1 to 3.5 volt range, can generate forces 10-50 times its
weight (voltage/size dependent), can bend 100% of effective length up to 90 degrees, and
varies in thickness from 0.008-0.020 inches.41 The advertised cycling rate is 100 Hz
size/weight dependent, which is substantially below the 204 Hz achieved in the MFIs
piezoelectric motor driven approach, so it may be more appropriate for crawling or swimming
devices. Even so, the future potential of similar technologies should not be discounted as
scientists at the University of British Columbia are specifically investigating the potential for
10
electro-active polymers to power a mechanical dragonflythe materials they are working with
can expand to twice their original length, while biological muscles such as the human bicep
several approaches to addressing flight control issues. Wu et al. describe three types of
biomimetic sensors to aid in flight control of the Berkeley Mechanical Flying Insect.43 An
insects Ocelli (Figure 4), photoreceptors that collect light from different regions in the sky to
help an insect maintain horizontal stabilization and avoid obstacles, are mimicked with four
Figure 4. Ocelli44
Halteres (Figure 5), small balls at the end of thin sticks that beat anti-phase to the wings at
wingbeat frequency in order to detect rotations around all three turning axes, are mimicked with
tiny beams and strain gauges that form piezo-actuated vibrating structures.
11
Figure 5. Halteres45
Optical flow sensors consisting of linear arrays of elementary motion detectors mimic
optomotor responses whereby insects tend to turn in the direction of an optical stimulus in order
to reduce image motion on its eyes. A Micro-electromechanical (MEMS) compass that uses
three metal loops to detect changes in the earths magnetic field is added to the biomimetic flight
MEMS technology facilitates the extreme systems integration required for micro UAVs.
As an example, the automotive industry integrated accelerometers and electronics for airbag
deployment on a single silicon chip while reducing costs by an order of magnitude ($50 for
discrete component system reduced to $5 per automobile using MEMS).46 Draper labs has
Honeywell, and others.47 Their tuning fork gyro contains a pair of masses that vibrate out of
plane when rotated, with the out of plane motion sensed capacitively.48
12
Samsung Corp has implemented gyro stabilization of camcorders for as little as $10.00 per
sensed axis.50 Analog Devices, Inc. offers a MEMS gyroscope (Figure 7) in an ultra small and
light package, less than 0.15 cubic centimeters and less than 0.5 grams.51
MEMS technology allows integration of navigation and stability control system in the same
Recent advancements were made possible largely by the use of lithography processes
prevalent in semiconductor manufacturing, which builds up the parts in layers at their final
position, thus overcoming the problems inherent in assembly on such a small scale. Figure 8 is
13
an electron microscope view of a prototype gear and chain drive mechanism built using these
mask preparation, and process tuning to achieve suitable yield rates, but enables low cost
production at large quantitiesa model well-suited to building swarms of MAVs. Both the
Berkeley and University of British Columbia research teams have stated material cost goals at
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnologys promise includes: essentially every atom in the right place; make
almost any structure consistent with the laws of physics that we can specify in molecular detail;
[and] have manufacturing cost not greatly exceeding the cost of the required raw materials and
energy.55 The very idea of nanotechnology has been around at least since 1959 when physicist
Richard Feynman posited the question of arranging atoms one by one the way we want them.56
In a general sense, nanotechnology can facilitate the extreme systems integration required
for increasingly smaller micro UAVsto achieve on an even smaller scale what MEMS has
already accomplished. A specific example applied to the air vehicle would be the potential to
14
integrate structure with power and control conductive paths using carbon nanotubes to replace
conventional wiring (Figure 9).58 Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have
manufactured fibers from nanotubes that are four times tougher than spider silk and 17 times
tougher than the Kevlar fiber used to make bulletproof vests.59 Researchers at the Technion-
Israel Institute of Technology demonstrated using DNA, metal particles and carbon nanotubes to
self-assemble a nanotube transistor, and are exploring techniques to assemble these into
Though by no means exhaustive, the previous account illustrates the existence of several
enabling technologies that are being applied to the challenges of MAV propulsion and flight
control. Given the Berkeley MFIs technology push accomplishments to date (including the
ability to measure and model the complex aerodynamics of insect flight), the presence of several
critical enabling technologies, and the accelerating nature of technology trends in general, the
Berkeley teams goal of a commercially available system by 2012 does not seem unreasonable.
A mechanical insect based approach over a fixed wing approach is not farfetchedexperiments
15
show that insect power efficiencies are five times greater than fixed wing aircraft [stated as
There is also a requirements pull aspect motivating the creation of operationally viable
MAVs, much of which is summarized nicely by Huber.64 Additionally, with 70% of the
urban,65 as the nation building stage of Operation Iraqi Freedom vividly demonstrates.
Western military technology.66 MAV-based reconnaissance could do much to service this gap.
These technology push and requirements pull aspects lend a sense of inevitability to the
that the pursuit of a commercially available product provides the delivery vehicle portion of one
16
With much of a MAVs weight and volume dedicated to propulsion, structure, and flight
control, carrying a meaningful sensor or weapons payload is a challenge. MAV literature tends
to focus on sensing payloads. This chapter will discuss payload enabling technologies stemming
The Black Widow in Figure 1 carries an off-the-shelf color camera chip with a
resolution of 510 x 492 pixels.67 Carrying an infrared or radar sensor would be especially
challenging given the formers need for additional weight/space/power for a cooling system, and
the latters need for substantial power and longer antenna length for angular resolution.
Biomimetics offers some opportunities in the sensing arena. Observing that if nature can
produce enzymes, receptors and antibodies by evolution, then molecular engineers should be
able to develop materials with similar properties by design, hundreds of research centers and
companies in Europe, USA, Japan, China, and Russia are pursuing new generations of stable
biomimetic sensors.68 As an example, the US Air Force Research Lab Materials Directorate has
material in a capacitive polymer substrate.69 When pointed at a heat source, the biological
material changes the capacitance of the polymer substrate resulting in a detectable signal. A
brassboard has been constructed that consists of a 9x9 array with a manufacturing cost of less
than one hundred dollars, an order of magnitude less than comparable IR sensors that rely on
cooled sensor heads. The biomimetic sensor works at ambient temperatures, avoiding the
weight/space/power penalty of carrying a cooling system. The lab presently predicts a five-year
shelf life of the embedded chemicals. Whether this technology progresses sufficiently to rival
17
XenICs corporation offers thermal detection elements embedded in integrated circuits70; and
MAV-suitable sensors.
Heat sensing on the envisioned threat MAV may not need to be as high-resolution as
weve become accustomed to with conventional IR sensors. In a swarm delivery mode, it may
be enough to sense heat in a particular range (98.6 +/- x degrees), land on the object, check for
DNA match, then deploy the genetic weapon (or directly deploy the genetic weapon if its effects
are only target specific, e.g. it doesnt matter who gets it as long as the intended target eventually
doesthis concept will be described more fully in the genetic weapons section later in the
paper).
The Human Genome Project led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is one of the
most ambitious projects in medical history, a $3 billion crash program to locate all genes
[100,000 genes in 23 chromosomes] within the human body by 2005.72 Over a decade, gene
hunting has accelerated by a factor of several thousand times with the introduction of computers,
robotic laboratories, and neural networks. This acceleration led to actual mapping completion
in 2003.
Previous DNA sequencing technology, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), used to take
handheld electrical detection technique that can spot the DNA of nasty diseases in minutes
instead of days and is ten times as sensitive and 100,000 times as selective as was PCR.74
18
Regarding sensitivity, the device only requires very few molecules to spot disease DNA; and
can easily differentiate DNA associated with anthrax from DNA thats very similar but
associated with something benign (selectivity).75 Nanosphere, inc. has licensed this technology,
is selling a benchtop version of the device and is prototyping a handheld version.76 NASA Ames
research Center is taking this further by developing a silicon chip with arrays of carbon
nanotubes:
NASA Ames is projecting availability for practical applications by 2005. While the intent of
this research is to improve the speed and portability of medical assessments, the unintended
consequence of the latter nanotechnology-based product could be that it provides a MAV with a
As the electrical detection method requires a probe sample for matching, weaponeering
Targeting Databases
As this paper envisions a threat to the US, this section focuses on DNA registration
activities that may make us vulnerable. The most obvious is that every military member submits
blood samples for potential DNA matching in remains recovery operations. Electronic
cataloging of this information, while seemingly useful to speed recovery operations (instead of
19
having to locate original sample cards or paper records), would present a lucrative hacking
opportunity for the genetic weaponeer. A second military specific concern would be whether
we are creating unique group signatures of military personnel by vaccination programs that are
specific to the military (either with respect to a single vaccination not easily available to the
general public such as the Anthrax vaccine, or with respect to extensive combinations of
vaccines given to world-wide deployable personnel that would not otherwise be given by default
Moving to the more general US population (but still specific to a US target database),
there are at least two additional potential targeting databases. Noting the profound effect of
DNA testing in law enforcement, President Clintons 1994 Crime Control Act contained a
provision for a national DNA data bank.78 Understanding the need to preserve genetic diversity
general to anyone is a desire to know health risk or family histories. Kaku predicts that everyone
may have their own DNA sequence on a compact disc by 2020.80 By mailing $330 and a saliva
swath to Britains Roots for Real, a person may have their mitochondrial DNA analyzed to
determine a family continent of origin and potentially (for some customers) a town of origin.81
Three hundred and thirty customers have already signed upwho will control this database?
In every instance, the motivation for establishing these databases served a useful and
peaceful purpose. A potential unintended consequence is that they provide a genetic targeting
database of US military personnel, private citizens, and crops. Leaving the protection of this
information to the healthcare industry may be insufficient. A 2002 theft of computer equipment
from the Phoenix, AZ regional Tricare office compromised medical information of thousands of
20
military members and dependents. Information attacks may be attempted to ferret this
Preceding sections focused on sensing and target detection. More problematic than
robust sensing is the packaging and delivery of a militarily useful weapon in such a small
vehicle.
Delivering microscopic weapons off of the MAV, and getting those weapons into the
bloodstream and into cells is potentially understated as challenging. Adding levers and/or
needles to the MEMS devices pictured in Figure 8 could potentially create an injection
mechanism for weapons delivery. Devices such as Sandia Laboratories Microteeth (Figure 10)
have been created to manipulate blood cells.82 The left panel shows the microteeth device less
than the width of a human hair handling a blood cell. The right panel shows multiple microteeth
devices stacked five-across the width of a narrow chip that would fit inside of a straw. Single
microteeth-like devices could fit well within a blood vessel to carry and insert genetic material
21
into cells. Alternatively, the teeth could be used to puncture cells passing through or instead
push outwards to latch onto vessel walls forming blockages and strokes.
Institute of Technology. Researchers there have developed ways to manufacture solid and
hollow metal, silicon, plastic and glass microneedles that range in size from one millimeter to
one thousandth of a millimeter.84 An array of 400 microneedles can be used to pierce skin, and
such a micro array successfully delivered insulin to diabetic laboratory rats.85 An eventual goal
Genetic Weapons88
this small payload scale, chemical and biological weapons delivered by MAVs may represent an
attractive asymmetric capability to governments and groups that do not feel bound by
international treaties governing their development, production, and use. The world observed the
effect of small amounts of anthrax contaminating east coast postal service centers and closing the
Hart Senate Office Building. Historical reasons for banning these classes of weapons have been
that they are indiscriminate, difficult to control with unintended effects, may cause
disproportionate civilian casualties for their military effect, and therefore do not possess military
utility. Delivery of a small, powerful, precise kill mechanism potentially changes the paradigm.
An injector equipped MAV with effective sensing may change the nature of this
equation. Sandia National Laboratories has demonstrated a microscopic machine that uses gears
to deploy a probe that engages another adjacent microscopic machine. Its not much of a stretch
to conclude that very small toxin injectors could be created with similar technology and carried
22
protective suits that would otherwise filter agent that relied on atmospheric propagation or
contagion.
proper on-board ID, or the genetic weapon is effective only against an intended target, then the
notion that a UAV must search for only its intended target (and communicate with a network-
MAVs could be delivered to the approximate target area in a parasitic mode, then rely on
modest propulsion and heat sensing to deliver the genetic weapon payload to any target
encountered. The effect of precision targeting could still be achieved by a target- specific
Dr. William Nierman, director for research at the Institute for Genomic Research projects one
possible concept: Load a common virus with a destructive gene, then release the bug into the
wild. Designed to activate only in the presence of a single host, the pathogen could flit
its target.89 Dr. George Church, director of the Lipper Center, presents a scenario involving a
pathogen that targeted people with shared lifestyle traits.90 While discussed in the context of
genetically modified organisms intended to activate in the presence of STDs, illegal drugs, or
even prescription drugs (RU-486 abortionists), their appears to be significant potential for class-
specific targeting.
Other effects besides targeting individuals and groups of people are possible as well.
23
Dr. Mark Wheelis, a microbial biochemist and geneticist at the University of Calfornia-Davis
sees anti-agricultural bioweapons as within the reach of states, corporations, organized crime,
Since plant varieties are particularly inbred, and many domestic animals are very highly
inbred, although not to the extent that many plants are, this does mean that, unlike
humans, where there is a tremendous heterogeneity in any population, theres a very
high degree of genetic homogeneity. So you can travel for a hundred miles in the
Midwest and see thousands of square miles planted with exactly the same variety of
maize. And that means, using what one knows of the maize genome, and of this
particular variety of maize, it might be possible to develop a chemical agent that will
affect one variety of maize, but not another....And so this does raise the theoretical
possibility that one could tailor chemical or biological weapons to attack varieties of
domestic crops or animals that were used in certain parts of the world and yet these
chemicals or infectious agents would be harmless or much less harmful to other
varieties.92
Ramares notes the potential economic impact of such an attack by comparing it to a 2001
outbreak of foot and mouth disease in England during which 5.7 Million animals were
Given that the Human Genome has now been completely mapped, it is not inconceivable
that researchers will begin to understand the effects of sequence changes and other code
modifications during the next 10-20 years, especially factoring in technology acceleration trends
discussed earlier in this paper. There are several specific research thrusts already on such a path,
teams to advance genomic research for new medical therapies. Genentech now markets 12
protein-based products for serious or life-threatening medical conditions. They have created a
of molecular biology and are skilled in computational methods for mining genomic data and
software engineering.93 They have also made substantial investments in critical and innovative
24
biochemical and cell-based assay technologies that are fundamental for the discovery and
to this paper include Genentechs investigation of apoptosis, the mechanism by which cells self-
destruct, and HER pathways, the signal process by which cells are given their instructions to
divide, survive, die, or differentiate (i.e., turn into something else).95 Apoptosis is:
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have isolated two proteins, Bax and Bak, that are
this cancer research is that gaining an understanding of how to correct the regulation of these
processes may also provide the knowledge to interrupt these processes so that damaged or
unneeded cells are allowed to uncontrollably replicate, or that healthy cells are instructed to
A genetic weapon would also require a means to insert itself into the targets genetic
codea process referred to as Gene Transfer.99 Present methods that study gene therapy in
clinical trials involve the modification of viruses to remove disease-causing agents and insert the
gene to be transferred, then take advantage of the viruss biology to deliver the gene to human
cells.100 This method carries risks such as toxicity, immune and inflammatory responses, and
gene control and targeting issues.101 To mitigate these risks, researchers are experimenting with
directly introducing DNA into human cells via Human Artificial Chromosomes (HAC)because
25
of their construction, the bodys immune system would not reject them.102 A potential
unintended consequence is that the use of HACs in genetic weapons may render the bodys
Payload Summary
Significant progress has been made in DNA detection and genetic research to enable
improved medical diagnosis and treatment methods. A potential unintended consequence of this
research is that it may provide the means to create the target detection, weapons delivery, and
genetic weapons components of the projected threat system. The 15-20 year timeline projected
in this paper is reasonable. A 1999 report by the British Medical Association predicted the
allowing another 10-15 years for proliferation and integration with MAV delivery methods
presents this potential weapons system arriving within our existing planning horizon. Its
important to emphasize that rogue genetic weapons designers unconcerned with undesirable
side effects are not constrained by typical medical research schedule drivers such as establishing
and following extensive research protocols and receiving FDA approval to market.
Even with this assessment, trying to accurately forecast the arrival of this hypothetical
threat is not the crux of issue. Instead, it is important to understand the unintended potential of
these efforts and take direct steps to prevent/delay/mitigate negative outcomes. Even partial
26
IV. Responses
If one agrees with the premise of this paper that MAVs with genetic weapons represent a
paradigm-changing construct of military power, the next question becomes how to prevent or
delay its onset. The first step is to evaluate current counter-proliferation and defense
conventions, theories, and capabilities. This chapter will discuss the applicability of existing
legal conventions, the difficulty with non-proliferation, applicability of deterrence theory, and
defense/consequence management.
The 1972 Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention (BWC) is the current cornerstone of
non-proliferation; the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Self-Defense doctrines
also lend insight as to whether the hypothetical threat system is banned by existing legal
conventions. The first relevant convention was the Geneva Protocol of 1925 that prohibited the
use of both poison gas and bacteriological methods in warfare following extensive use of poison
gas in World War I.104 By the late 1960s, a desire to separate treatment of chemical and
biological weapons was favored in order to make faster progress on eliminating existing
stockpiles and stopping further research/production programs that were not banned by the 1925
conventionit was thought that parties would agree to the biological conventions well in
advance of ironing out differences on chemical stockpiles.105 These efforts resulted in the 1972
Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention. Article I of this convention states: Each State
Party to this Convention undertakes never in any circumstances to develop, produce, stockpile or
otherwise acquire or retain: 1) Microbial or other biological agents, or toxins whatever their
origin or method of production, of types and quantities that have no justification for prophylactic,
27
designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict.106 At first
glance, this seems like a fairly broad ban applying to the hypothetical threat system; however,
upon deeper examination, a few shortcomings are noted. The preamble and additional articles
continually use the word bacteriological and toxin to reinforce what is banned. Use of the
term bacteriological also reinforces the same term used in the 1925 Geneva convention. The
word toxin is defined to be a substance falling between biologicals and chemicals in that they
act like chemicals but are ordinarily produced by biological or microbic processes.107 This
language simply does not appear to cover the aforementioned potential application of artificial
chromosome insertion of modified genes that could affect apoptosis or HER pathway regulatory
processesno infectious bacteria, virus, or toxin (as defined by the convention) is involved. Is
this semantics or a legitimate case of novel discoveries presenting scenarios that could not
have been considered when the conventions were formed? One must also consider the example
of Germanys first use of asphyxiating gas in WWI. Though apparently banned by the Hague
conventions of 1899 and 1907 that prohibited asphyxiating gases delivered by projectiles,
Germany claimed they were not in technical violation since they delivered it by releasing it from
containers on the ground when wind conditions were favorable enough to blow it across enemy
lines.108 It would be prudent to address any emerging loopholes in the 1972 BWC Convention.
While genetic research holds the promise of advanced vaccines, treatment of disease, and
repair of damaged cell structures; the same knowledge has a dual-use dark side in that it could
be applied to selectively target crops, individuals, and groups of people with genetic
pathogens.109 The BWC convention permits peaceful research which, given the potential dual
use nature of genetic research may take you right to the point of actual weaponization, leaving
little time for inspection regimes to uncover any violations or for a response to nations exercising
28
their article XIII right to withdraw: each party to this convention shall in exercising its national
sovereignty have the right to withdraw from the Convention if it decides that extraordinary
events, related to the subject matter of the Convention, have jeopardized the supreme interests of
its country.110 Its important to note that the Peoples Republic of China has not signed this
important convention, using the rationale that it is a sham since it does not include chemical
weapons.111
Even if treaties banning such weapons applied, non-proliferation in this area is problematic.
Former Soviet biowarfare leader Ken Alibek concisely describes the non-proliferation challenge:
If somebody decides to develop biological weapons, youre not going to detect itmaybe our
only response is defenseall the information you need you can get from the scientific
When the World Health Organization was preparing to eradicate smallpox, Alibeks team
sequenced the viruss genes for future studiesthe work was legal and open, but conducted for
the true purpose of engineering chimera viruses that could evade vaccines or treatments.113
Other investigators support that the existing conventions are unsatisfactory. The British
Medical Association published a 21 Jan 99 report stating that the Biological and Toxin Weapons
Several signatories of the 1972 BWC, including Iraq and the former Soviet Union,
have participated in activities outlawed by the convention. These events
demonstrate the ineffectiveness of the convention as the sole means for
eradicating biological weapons and preventing further proliferation. Ultimately,
the most effective deterrent to their use has turned out to be the fear of retaliation.
During the Gulf War, it is believed that Iraq was deterred from using biologicals
and chemicals because Saddam Hussein feared nuclear or otherwise
overwhelming retaliation. We cannot be sure that future enemies will be so
intimidated. Certainly, non-state terrorist actors will not be deterred as easily.
Biotechnology has made it possible to inflict mass casualties using only small
29
scale special operations that can evade detection in attempt to avoid retribution.
In asymmetric warfare, biological weapons are seen as a great equalizer.114
To Ainscoughs conclusion we can add that pairing genetic weapons with MAVs and DNA
detectors may be precise enough to argue that these are not terror weapons at all, hence
increasing the potential for future use. This potential may be reinforced by considering whether
National Security Strategy justifying at least pre-emptive war doctrine and potentially (as seen
by others) a preventive war doctrine, its not unreasonable to expect potential adversaries to
perceive a more imminent threat to their own security. Unable to match conventional power,
they may see the necessity for an asymmetric response. Precision effects made possible by
synergistic application of MAV and genetic weapon technology would allow proportional
responsesin their minds, the paradigm that these are terror weapons with no military utility
As the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has been determined to apply to larger
UAVs such as Global Hawk, its worth considering what might apply to restricting MAV
rocket and unmanned air vehicle systems capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction and
their associated equipment and technology.116 The increasing payloads, ranges, and
weaponization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are leading to assessments of whether they are
subject to this control regime. For example, the category I Annex of controlled technologies
applies to complete rocket and unmanned air vehicles systems capable of delivering a payload of
at least 500kg to a range of at least 300km.117 Equipment subject to the controls tends towards
30
reentry vehicles, boosters, cruise missiles, large UAVs, and the equipment needed to
manufacture, support and operate them. The majority of technologies described for the
hypothetical threat system in this paper would not be subject to the MTCR in its current form.
Precision navigation may be the only restricted area; however, commercial technologies and
swarm delivery methods would be sufficient to get systems close enough for a hand off to
onboard sensors.
Finally, several discussion fora on ethics in genetic research, including the DOEs Genome
Project web-site, omit the topic of genetic weapons, choosing instead to focus on ethical issues
of privacy rights, human test subjects, and designing traits in future generations.118
Deterrence
should also be considered. One can look to nuclear deterrence theory for foundational concepts,
though much of it is not likely to apply directly in practice. Counterforce doctrines are
unlikelythe small size of these weapons and potential delivery methods (one example being
plain shipping containers of virtually any size) would preclude the existence of a sizable
signature that could be targeted by other means. Countervalue doctrines may also be ineffective
since the country of origin may not be initially obvious. If extended forensic and investigative
effort is required to determine country of origin, will the contest have already been decided?
Defense/Consequence Management
Economics do not favor the defense in this scenario. The cost ratio to defend against the V-1 in
WWII was almost 4 to 1.119 Though smaller, the V-1 was similar in scale to manned aircraft. In
a MAV scenario, we would be looking at how to defend against a delivery mechanism several
31
orders of magnitude smaller. Even if they had a measurable Radar Cross Section, increasing
surveillance radar sensitivity in order to detect MAVs would result in overwhelming clutter.
Even if detected, engaging high numbers of small MAVs is challenging. Since it would
presumably take some measure of time for a genetic weapon to achieve its intended effect, the
only effective response may be to develop a rapid assessment and antidote capability.
Response Summary
Sole reliance on existing bans is insufficient as there are emerging loopholes in the face
of novel technologies, and the historical record of nonproliferation conventions contains mixed
results. The BWC should be strengthened, but US policy options should also include a
deterrence component. The particular form of this deterrence component requires careful
thought. Counterforce doctrines are largely inapplicable, and countervalue strategies may be
against swarms of such small systems is also problematic. A very comprehensive approach
involving experts from many functional disciplines is required to formulate this approach. This
32
V. Conclusions/Recommendations
This paper began with the premise that technology trends in multiple disciplines may
enable feasible low-cost, very small (inch or less) MAVs carrying powerful and precise genetic
weapons within 20 years, with the ability to create precision effects that may challenge existing
paradigms that ban existing biological weapons. Adversaries looking to asymmetrically counter
technologies will be problematic, as will defending against the envisioned threat, thus creating
significant potential for technological surprise that may fundamentally shift current constructs of
national power and who possesses such powerat a fraction of the budget required to create and
The basic science for key enabling technologies has already been demonstrated. Applied
research and system demonstration of potential platforms and payloads are underway in response
to other requirements such as around the corner reconnaissance and novel medical diagnosis/
requirements and other industrial demand. Projected timelines for key enabling technologies are
listed in Table 1. There are multiple competing paths for many of the enabling technologies that
also increase the likelihood of success. The dual use nature of these enabling technologies and
the potential for moral claims to genomic research for the benefit of all nations are likely to make
these enabling technologies available to potential adversaries sooner than we might otherwise
expect. The totality of these observations provides strong support for the premise of this paper,
33
The principal recommendation of this paper is for NORTHCOM to engage the Joint Staff
Defense, to begin a dialog in that committee on responses to this potentially emerging threat.
Due to its role in Homeland Security, NORTHCOM is well-suited to work across the many
military, government agency, and private sector participants that should be involved in these
discussions. The Defense Science Board should be tasked to support this activity through an
independent verification of the technical feasibility of MAVs carrying genetic weapons, and to
1) Protect DNA databases as a matter of national security, not just personal privacy.
34
3) Seek to strengthen the biological weapons ban treaty to specifically ban the
development, production, fielding and use of genetic weapons, including direct
injection and artificial chromosome delivery methods that do not require the use of
infectious vectors.
4) Deliberately include the need to prevent using genomic information for weapons
research in ethics materials related to genetic research. Work with the international
medical community to create and administer appropriate oaths to genetic researchers.
6) Institutionalize a red team process to look across the broad spectrum of emerging
technologies to predict where interaction among them presents paradigm changing
asymmetric opportunities for potential adversaries. Today, what red teaming is
done tends to focus on advances to existing systems, or is stove-piped within a
technology area. Use the red team to independently assess the veracity of claims
made in this paper with panels of experts in related disciplines.
7) Task DARPA to investigate potential defenses against the envisioned threat, such as
evaluating the effectiveness of Radio Frequency (RF) weapons engaging swarms of
prototype MAVs or Berkeleys Mechanical Flying Insect (MFI), and evaluating the
potential effectiveness of existing chemical/biological protective gear against
microneedles. Investigate novel concepts such as equipping forces with bug
zappers that attract/trap/destroy MFIs.
The descriptions and research status of the enabling technologies described in this paper
are completely available in open source materialPandoras Box is opened wide. Given the
potential for technological surprise and the difficulty in defending against MAVs carrying
genetic weapons, it is not too early to begin considering ways to prevent the need to do so. The
recommendations made here are by no means exhaustive, but represent a reasonable point of
departure to begin formulating a response. Strategy consultant Peter Schwartz states almost
every time we get the future wrong, its not because we didnt have good informationits
because we didnt want to see the answer.120 Regarding the scenario presented here, we should
35
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Notes
1
The following description of Pandora is from the 1989 Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia: In Greek Mythology,
Pandora (meaning all gifted) was the first woman on Earth, created by Zeus to plague mankind. The gods
bestowed on her such gifts as beauty and charm but also gave her great curiosity. Zeus, seeking to punish man for
accepting the gift of fire that Prometheus stole from heaven, gave Pandora a box containing all the troubles and
diseases that the world now knows. She was warned not to open the box, but her curiosity overcame her. Only
Hope remained inside the box as she quickly closed the lid again.
2
Iraqi Drones May Target U.S. Cities, Prophetic Times, Oakland, CA, 1 Mar 2003, available at
http://treybig.org/PropheticTimes/2003-0301-PT.pdf.
3
CBW Threats as an Asymmetric Strategy, Rand Corp, CA, p. 121, available at
http://www.rand.org/publications/DB/DB189.1.pdf/DB189.1.sec6.pdf.
4
Kaku, Michio. Visions: How Science Will Revolutionize the 21st Century, Anchor Books, New York, 1997, p. 5.
5
From Rand Lindslys Quotations, result of keyword search on technology at http://www.quotationspage.com.
6
Lorber, Azriel. Misguided Weapons: Technological Failure and Surprise on the Battlefield, Brasseys, Inc., Dulles,
VA, 2002, p. 2.
7
Kaku, p. 12.
8
Kaku, p. 151.
9
Kurzweil, Ray. The Age of Spiritual Machines, Penguin Books, New York, 1999, p. 22.
10
Kurzweil, p. 25.
11
Kaku, p. 14.
12
Huber, Arthur F. Death by A Thousand Paper Cuts, Occasional Paper No. 29, Center for Strategy and
13
Norton, Rob, Unintended Consequences, in the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, available at
http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/UnintendedConsequences.html .
14
Williams, Ian. The Law of Unintended Consequences: Will the War in Iraq Spur Proliferation? in Global
15
For an assessment of MAV applications in support of Air Force Missions, see Huber, Arthur F. Death by A
Thousand Paper Cuts, Occasional Paper No. 29, Center for Strategy and Technology, Air University, Maxwell
AFB, AL, July 2002; and Kloeppel, Kirk M., Pesky Little Critters, Professional Studies Paper
16
Goebel, Greg. Miniature UAVs, [email protected] / public domain, v 1.2, 1 Jan 03.
17
Excerpt from Goebel, Greg. Miniature UAVs, [email protected] / public domain, v 1.2, 1 Jan 03.
18
Lerner, Eric J. Insect Flight Elucidated, in The Industrial Physicist news briefs, American Institute of Physics,
October 1999, p. 6.
19
Physical Sciences, Inc. http://psicorp.com/aerospace_biomimetic.shtml.
20
Stone, Morley, Demonstration at Air Force Research Lab Materials Directorate, AFRL/MN, Wright-Patterson
21
Tobin, James, To Conquer the Air: The Wright Brothers and the Great Race for Flight, New York: Free Press,
2003, p. 54.
22
Syrgley, R.B., and A.L.R. Thomas, Unconventional Lift-Generating Mechanisms in Free-Flying Butterflies, in
23
Pae, Peter, Fly On Wall May Have An Engine, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2002.
24
Avadhanula, S., R.J. Wood, E. Steltz, J. Yan, and R.S. Fearing, Lift Force Improvements for the Micromechanical
Flying Insect, IEEE Int. Conf. on Intelligent Robots and Systems, Las Vegas, NV, Oct 28-30, 2003, p. 1.
25
Excerpt from http://www.robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ronf/mfi.html .
26
Sanders, Robert, Robotic Fly Gets Its Buzz, UC Berkeley News Release, June 2002.
27
Dickinson, Michael, transcript of interview on ABCs Quantum, 2 March 2000, produced by Andrew Holland.
Available at http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/stories/s103203.htm .
28
Ibid.
29
Ibid.
30
Ibid.
31
Sanders.
32
Sanders.
40
33
Dickinson.
34
Dickinson
35
Pae.
36
Sanders.
37
Interview with Ron Fearing, Principal Investigator, Micromechanical Flying Insect project, Department of
Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, 6 Feb 2004.
38
Shahinpoor, M., Y Bar-Cohen, J.O. Simpson, and J. Smith (1998). Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites (IPMCs) as
Biometric Sensors, Actuators and Artificial Muscles - A Review, Abstract, IoP Electronic Journals, URL:
stacks.iop.org/0964-1726/7/R15.
39
http://www.biomimetic.com/musclesh.html .
40
Ibid.
41
Ibid.
42
Cook, Michelle, The Future of Robots is Positively Buggy, University of British Columbia Press Release, 4 Sep
2003, http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcreports/2003/03sep04/robofly.html .
43
Wu, W.C., L. Schenato, R.J. Wood, and R.S. Fearing. Biomimetic Sensor Suite for Flight Control of a
http://robotics.eecs.berkeley.edu/~lusche/PAPERS/ICRA03_Sensors.pdf.
44
www.acad.carleton.edu/.../ant/Formicinae5.html .
45
http://casswww.edu/personal/ron/CVNC/bug-pics/crane_fly.jpg .
46
MEMS Clearinghouse, http://www.memsnet.org/mems/applications.html.
47
Bernstein, Jonathan. An Overview of MEMS Inertial Sensing Technology, available at
48
Ibid.
49
Ibid.
50
Ibid.
51
Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood Massachusetts, http://www.analog.com .
52
Ibid.
53
Worlds Smallest Microchain Drive Fabricated at Sandia, News Release, Sandia National Laboratories, NM,
54
Bridges, Andrew, Tiny Flying Robots: Future Masters of Espionage, Exploration, Associated Press article run
Bridges reports the Berkely MFI uses about a dimes worth of raw materials and that a single penny weighs more
than two dozen of the devices. Cook (cited earlier) reports the UBC dragonfly would cost about $1 in raw
materials.
55
Merkle, Ralph C. http://www.zyvex.com/nano/.
56
Feynman, Richard P. (1959). Theres Plenty of Room at the Bottom, Talk delivered to annual meeting of the
American Physical Society at the California Institution of Technology, transcript first published in 1960 issue of
Caltechs Engineering and Science, published on the Web with Caltechs permission at
http://www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html
57
Peterson, Christine (2003). Molecular Manufacturing: Societal Implications of Advanced Nanotechnology, 9
Apr Testimony to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science. Christine Peterson is President, Foresight
Institute.
58
Tour of Air Force Research Laboratory Materials Directorate, Sep 2003.
59
Practical Nanotube Fiber Near, in Technology Research News, www.trnmag.com, June 18/25, 2003.
60
Patch, Kimberly, DNA Assembles Nanotube Transistor, in Technology Research News, www.trnmag.com,
61
Practical Nanotube Fiber Near, in Technology Research News, www.trnmag.com, June 18/25, 2003.
62
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/carbon-01b.html
63
Newton, Tony, Insect Flight Has Provided The Inspiration For Research Into a Miniature Air Vehicle, Flight
International.com, London, http://www.byline.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk , 4 Oct 2002.
64
Huber.
65
Newton.
66
Newton.
67
Goebel.
41
68
Turner, A.P.F, and S.A. Piletsky, Biomimetic SensorsCurrent Status and Future Perspectives, Cranfield
69
Stone, Morley, Demonstration at Air Force Research Lab Materials Directorate, AFRL/MN, Wright-Patterson
70
SiGe Bolometer Basics, http://www.xenics.com/Products/Sige.php
71
Ghianni, F., T.O. Klaassen, W.Th. Wenckebach, Antenna Coupled Bi Microbolometers on Thin Si3N4 Membranes
for the Detection of THz Radiation, Department of Applied Physics, Delft Institute for Microelectronics and
Submicron Technology, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5046, 2600GA Delft, The Netherlands,
http://www.tn.tudelft.nl/ti/group/antenn.html.
72
Kaku, p. 139.
73
Levin, Carol, Health Care: Handheld DNA Detector, PC Magazine, 3 Sep 2002.
74
Ibid.
75
Ibid.
76
Ibid.
77
Smalley, Eric, Chip Senses Trace DNA, Technology Research News, July 30/August 6, 2003,
www.trnmag.com .
78
Kaku, p. 155
79
Gene Bank article, in Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, New York, 1989.
80
Kaku, p. 143.
81
Jana, Michelle, Genealogy Goes High Tech, in Newsweek, 3 Nov 2003, p. 66.
82
Sandia National Laboratories, Pac-Man-like microstructure Interacts With Red Blood Cells, News Release, 15
Aug 2001.
83
Sandia National Laboratories.
84
Microneedles Give Painless Shots, in Technology Research News, www.trnmag.com, December 3/10, 2003.
85
Ibid.
86
Ibid.
87
Ibid.
88
This section focuses on potential military utility and the status of technology enablersfor a primer on Genomics,
see the U.S. Department of Energys Genome Program web site, www.ornl.gov/hgmis/pulicat/primer/, or the
89
Baard, Erik. The DNA Bomb: Modified Crops Are In The Crosshairs Now--You May Be Next, The Village
90
Baard.
91
Ramares, Kellia. Unholy Grail: The Quest for Genetic Weapons, 11 Mar 2003, available at
http://www.fromthewilderness.com.
92
Ramares.
93
Bioinformatics, Genentech Corp, www.gene.com/gene/research/biotechnology/bioinformatics.jsp.
94
Assay and Automation Technology, Genentech Corp, www.gene.com/gene/research/biotechnology/assay.jsp.
95
Apoptosis, and HER Pathway Expertise, Genentech Corp, available at
www.gene.com/gene/research/focusareas/oncology/.
96
Apoptosis, Genentech Corp, www.gene.com/research/focusareas/oncology/apoptosis.jsp.
97
Lester, Greg, Chemo, Radiation Trick Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct, in UniSci Daily University Science News,
98
HER Pathway Expertise, Genentech Corp, available at
www.gene.com/research/focusareas/oncology/herpathwayexpertise.jsp.
99
Gene Transfer, in Genetics Information, www.dnapolicy.org, Genetics and Public Policy Center, Washington
DC, posted November, 2002. Additionally, the first Human Artificial Chromosome was demonstrated at the Case
Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 1997see Harrington, J.J., G. van Bokkelen, R. W. Mays, K.
100
Gene Transfer, in Genetics Information, Genetics and Public Policy Center, Washington DC, November 2002
available at www.dnapolicy.org.
101
Ibid.
102
Ibid.
103
Ethnic-cleansing weapons, Agence France Presse, 23 January 1999. Available at
www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/27a/005.html.
42
104
Opening narrative of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of
Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and On Their Destruction, Signed at Washington, London, and
Moscow April 10, 1972, Ratification advised by U.S. Senate December 16 1974, Ratified by U.S. President January
22, 1975, U.S. ratification deposited at Washington, London, and Moscow March 26, 1975, Proclaimed by U.S.
President March 26, 1975, entered into force March 26, 1975, posted on U.S. State Dept web site:
105
Ibid.
106
BWC text, article I.
107
BWC State Dept narrative.
108
Lorber, pp 86-88.
109
Baard.
110
BWC text, article XIII.
111
BWC State Dept narrative.
112
Baard.
113
Ibid.
114
Ainscough, Colonel Michael J., Next Generation Bioweapons: The Technology of Genetic Engineering Applied
to Biowarfare and Bioterrorism, Counterproliferation Papers, Future Warfare Series No. 14, USAF
Counterproliferation Center, Air War College, Air University, Maxwell AFB, AL, April 2002.
115
Summary of Facts, Coalition Investigation Board (CIB) Report: Tarnak Farms Friendly Fire Incident Near
Kandahar, Afghanistan, 17 Apr 2002. United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, FL, 14 June 2002,
p. 20.
116
Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) Handbook Annex, p. i.
117
Ibid.
118
Human Genome Project Information, Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues, U.S. Department of Energy, available at
www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/elsi.shtml.
119
Werrell, Kenneth P. Evolution of the Cruise Missile, Air University Press, Maxwell AFB, AL, 1985. p. 61.
120
Schwartz, Peter, Peter Leyden, and Joel Hyatt, The Long Boom: A Vision for the Coming Age of Prosperity,
43