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AnonTechie [soylentnews.org] writes:

Is China trying to make its own version of Captain America? US intelligence has suggested so. But beyond the hype, the possibility of a super soldier is not so outlandish and one that not just China is interested in. With deep pockets, and a desire to get an edge, the world's militaries have often driven technological innovation, from the state-of-the-art to the humble.

Exoskeletons are just one of the promising technologies militaries are exploring to enhance their soldiers. Enhancement is nothing new - since ancient times, troops have been bolstered by advancements in weaponry, kit and training. But today, enhancement could mean much more than merely giving an individual soldier a better gun. It could mean altering the individual soldier.

"One may imagine that a man can create a man with some given characteristics, not only theoretically but also practically. He can be a genius mathematician, a brilliant musician or a soldier, a man who can fight without fear, compassion, regret or pain."
Last year, the former US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), John Ratcliffe, went further with a blunt accusation against China. "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," he wrote in the Wall Street Journal [wsj.com]. China called the article a "miscellany of lies".

Having a super soldier in the ranks is a tantalising prospect for militaries - imagine a soldier who could withstand pain, extreme cold or the need to sleep. But as American attempts to build "Iron Man" show, technological restraint can drag ambition down to earth. A 2019 paper from two US academics [jamestown.org] said that China's military was "actively exploring" such techniques as gene editing, exoskeletons and human-machine collaboration. The report was based primarily on comments from Chinese military strategists.

"Even though militaries around the world may have quite a lot of interest in the possibility of super soldiers... at the end of the day, what is feasible within science does impose a constraint on any actor that is trying to try to push the frontiers."

China and the US are not the only countries seeking an advantage. France's armed forces have been given approval to develop "enhanced soldiers" [bbc.co.uk]with a report laying out ethical boundaries for the research.

BBC News [bbc.com]

Is it time to welcome our UNIVERSAL SOLDIER overlords ??

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