RAND to US Army: embrace nanotechnology

from the look-who's-paying-attention dept.
Senior Associate Calvin Shipbaugh, RAND physicist, writes in Army Logistician, the official professional bulletin of U.S. Army logistics: "If a full assembler actually can be developed within the next 10 to 20 years, and a useful replicator follows shortly thereafter, then an impressive capability for logistics sustainment will arrive during the third decade of the new century. It is critical that the Army become aware of breakthroughs in assembler developments as they occur. Lack of vigilance by the Army in monitoring developments could create big problems in a short time…In the Army's Science and Technology Master Plan, nanotechnology is identified as one of the Strategic Research Objectives (SRO's) of the AAN [Army After Next initiative]…In order for the coming revolution in technology to be applied smoothly to the Army, the RML must embrace these developments.