Squids. Not to eat, to make camouflage clothing. Yes, yes, it sounds like the delusions of some madman, but a U.S. general has confirmed that there are squid-inspired camouflages that are also capable of making soldiers appear invisible on the battlefield.
You are not the only one surprised, according to the testimony, he personally witnessed how a group of soldiers disappeared from sight thanks to this technology, like Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, and it mixes marine biology, science and artificial intelligence, but if what this man says is real, we would be facing a radical change in terms of defense. Military technology is advancing in directions that until recently seemed impossible!
How does this camouflage work?
Squids, cuttlefish and octopuses have the ability to change the color and texture of their skin to blend in with the environment, right? And these animals have an ability, based on special cells called chromatophores, which is what makes them change color and is what scientists have sought to replicate in synthetic materials.
It was researchers from the University of California, Irvine, together with the U.S. Marine Biological Laboratory, who adapted the material to make camouflage clothing. And this makes soldiers completely invisible to drones and infrared sensors, allowing them to integrate into any space (jungle, desert or urban environments) going completely unnoticed.
Strategic and ethical implications
Yes, this technology gives armies a tactical advantage, but it also opens an ethical debate. Let’s think about it for a while, the possibility of making soldiers or military equipment “invisible” raises doubts about the balance of power and the risk of abuses in armed conflicts, and this could be a big problem for all.
- Preventive attacks, sabotage or invasions with very little risk for the aggressor (wars, which are never fair, would become even less so)
- If you cannot see a soldier, you also cannot identify him, judge him or hold him accountable for his actions. This could facilitate human rights violations, extrajudicial executions or attacks on civilians without consequences.
- International laws of war are based on certain principles of visibility and distinction: it must be possible to distinguish between combatants and civilians.
- This technology could also be used outside the battlefield, for example, for espionage, internal repression or covert operations in other countries, without declaring war or assuming responsibilities.
The idea of facing invisible enemies could have a devastating psychological impact on any adversary. Modern warfare is not only fought with weapons, but also with control of fear and perception.
Not just for war
Researchers are already thinking of other uses for this technology, such as conserving and protecting wildlife, for example, protecting endangered species from poaching, to clothing that changes color or buildings that blend in with the landscape. Don’t you think this technology has many applications?
The future of military camouflage
Although the technical details remain confidential, everything indicates that the U.S. military is investing in turning this technology into a real and functional tool for the battlefield. It would not be the first time that an advance inspired by nature revolutionizes the military world and, later, ends up being applied in civilian uses, as happened with radar or GPS.
An invisible war?
Everything points to it, although there is still no official date for deployment, they will still have to carry out more tests and field trials, but everything indicates that extreme camouflage is already on the table and very soon will be a trend. Thus, armies will be able to deploy lighter equipment and soldiers able to move without being captured by thermal cameras, operations will have to be planned in another way and wait.
A few years ago it seemed like science fiction, but today it is a reality in the process of being perfected. Marine biology and military technology have come together to create a camouflage that challenges the limits of what we understand as invisibility, incredible but true. If it gets officially deployed, the world could be entering a new era of invisible warfare, how scary!