Science is on a tireless effort to exhaust all spheres of technological application to human existence and the military is not left out. Coincidentally, science-fiction movies serve as a precursor to some of the scariest events we have seen yet. Soon enough, movies like Robocop and Captain America will not be limited to movie studios and plot settings but may also be actualized in military camps and real war situations. What remains to be seen and fully analyzed will be the consequences on our generation and those unborn. But China’s enhanced biological “super soldiers” might sound too ambitious for a country classified as a developing nation according to the United Nations. However, Washington thinks otherwise.
Are China’s Enhanced Biological “Super Soldiers” Too Far-Fetched?
Under the Trump-led administration, John Ratcliffe, the U.S. Director of National Intelligence (DNI) made an explosive comment indicting the Communist-led government of XI JinPing of carrying out biological tests on humans to enhance the performance of their army in their calculated strategy to dominate the U.S. and the rest of the planet technologically and militarily. In his speech which he says is the outcome of a “clear intelligence”, he considers China as the greatest threat to U.S. national security.
“China has even conducted human testing on members of the People’s Liberation Army in hope of developing soldiers with biologically enhanced capabilities. There are no ethical boundaries to Beijing’s pursuit of power,” says Ratcliffe as detailed in a Wall Street Journal report.
Although China has denied this accusation, a report that is attributed to China’s People’s Liberation Army Daily posits that “biotechnology will become the new strategic commanding heights of the future military revolution and the game of powers.”
Further in his speech, Ratcliffe says that the U.S. was allocating a whooping sum of $85 billion in annual intelligence budget to increase the country’s surveillance on China and not to lose any oversight on their activities. And America may as well be engaging in similar activity.
Former President Barack Obama was pragmatic when in his White House speech on February 26th 2014, made a passive yet thought-provoking revelation: “Today, I am joined by researchers who invent some of the most advanced metals on the planet… Folks from the Pentagon who help to support their work. Basically, I am here to announce that we are building iron man.”
After a knowing smile, he concluded by stating that the project “is classified”.
Exoskeletal System Reshaping The Style Of Combat
The exoskeletal system is one of the modern personal military protective gears that will reshape the style of combat in the infantry. The power suit is made of a passive and active exoskeleton that aids in the flexible movement and strength of the wearer. The electrical motors for clearer vision and battery-powered communication equipment give an added performance.
A simulation video of the exoskeleton showed that bullets are impenetrable and leave no harm on the wearer. The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (Talos) initiative undertakes the project to develop a robo-exoskeleton in America. But the biological super soldier uses a different engineering process.
Creating Biologically Enhanced Super-Soldiers With CRISPR
Creating a biologically enhanced super-soldier touches on the area of genetic engineering using CRISPR technology. The modern technological genius allows specific traits to be edited in an individual. While this practice is suspected to have been carried out secretly in laboratories on embryos and capable of creating next generations of superhumans and super soldiers, Ratcliff’s accusation suggests that China is doing this on adults. This biological enhancement could have the capacity to create new brain-controlling weaponry that can interfere with and control soldiers’ consciousness.
Ethical concerns on the impact on genetic enhancement on human existence has been raised, leading many countries to make an outright ban on the practice. A blanket ban of this practice in military weaponry remains to be seen as it operates a different law. Most of the military activities are deep-seated secrets and present the argument that the action was motivated in the interest of national security.
Ethical Consequences Of Biologically Enhanced Super Soldiers
Although the ethical consequences are yet to be thoroughly exhausted, biologically enhanced super soldiers are likely to place brain, life, and intelligence control at the mercy of warmongers and military generals. Its security consequences and threat to world peace remains unknown but when this has been fully achieved we may be on our way to creating something more dangerous than a nuclear bomb.
The question arises whether adult soldiers would consent to be biologically enhanced into a super-soldier. In a military setting, command, and control takes precedence. Super soldiers would have the capacity to last longer, further, and go faster in combat. Sadly, many world superpowers including Russia are on their way to creating these geniuses, the results of which will not only impact the military but the civilian in what may be an armageddon.
