U.S. Military Seeking Implantable Microchips in Soldiers

[marlonb]

The U.S. government is developing implantable sensor microchips for use in American troops, supposedly to monitor their health on the battlefield, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced earlier this year seeking proposals. But critics of the scheme are speaking out, warning that the new technology could just be a prelude to expanding the use of related devices among the general population — with dangerous implications for freedom and privacy.

According to news reports about the development, DARPA believes that being able to instantly receive updates about any potential medical problems among soldiers would give the U.S. armed forces an advantage over adversaries. Calling the implants "a truly disruptive innovation," the agency said the nanotechnology could revolutionize war — especially because most medical evacuations are a result of illness or disease rather than injuries sustained in battle.

But despite supposedly not being used for tracking purposes, at least initially, privacy experts concerned about the expanding use of such technology are sounding the alarm. “It’s always in incremental steps,” noted activist Katherine Albrecht, author of the book “Spychips” about the threat of rapidly increasing use of Radio Frequency Identification chips.

The New American: U.S. Military Seeking Implantable Microchips in Soldiers

 

[backwoods]

That is a really touchy subject I mean one one hand it has a benefit in military and the other it has the potential to get out of hand easily.[Mod edit: It is clear to the Mod team that you are not even trying to discuss the thread topic, other than to express an opinion that is total lacking substance and devoid of content.

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[RobWilliams]

Please expand, how is it beneficial and how has it got the potential to get out of hand, and why is that a detrimental effect?

Mate, I know you're new here - and it's good to have you here - but please make an effort to put a bit more actual content in your posts. Otherwise it just looks like you're trying to boost your post count fast.

 

[My2Cents]

I would be more worried about the enemy learning the code to get those chips to send an update. A little RDF and you have the location of every US soldier on the battlefield.

On the other hand, having preinstalled medical instrumentation that can only be accessed at extremely short range (a couple inches to 1 foot) would be highly advantageous for medics and remote medical support systems.

 

[Lobos82]

I bet they already do this and we just don't know about it. I got like 9 shots within 15 seconds in bootcamp, I bet one of those was a little tracking chip they stuck inside me.

 

[Lobos82]

I would be more worried about the enemy learning the code to get those chips to send an update. A little RDF and you have the location of every US soldier on the battlefield.

On the other hand, having preinstalled medical instrumentation that can only be accessed at extremely short range (a couple inches to 1 foot) would be highly advantageous for medics and remote medical support systems.

Yeah just imagine if the enemy got a hold of one of the tracking systems, everybody would be screwed. Another downside would be that the enemy could possibly use the chipped soldier as "bait". If they captured a person and held them hostage, they could easily place this person in a dangerous area to draw in more soldiers. I guess that would be where the people searching for the soldier would have to use their own common sense to not fall into a trap.

 

[StobieWan]

RFID systems have very short ranges and are unpowered - you'd have to be standing on the soldier to track them, by which time you could just bayonet them to death.

An implantable powered system with any range at all would be fairly large - take a look at a smartphone for an example - and it'd require frequent recharging - there's no way you're getting that into a living human being without them noticing (and probably protesting loudly)

An RFID chip which could immediately identify the soldier, and pass on data like blood group, allergies, life threatening conditions etc, that'd be sensible and doable with existing technology. Sticking what'd effectively be a blue force tracker into a human being ? Nah...