Overview of Nanotechnology and Its Applicability to the Department of Defense

by A. Hernandez, R. C. Stevens, & K. J. Thorson Proceedings of SPIE, August 2005 Advances in a wide variety of nanotechnologies are expected to substantially benefit future military weapon systems. The technology development cycle for military platforms requires a given technology to reach a defined state of maturity before its use in a deployable system. Nanotechnologies such as quantum dots and carbon nanotubes, while showing great promise of performance benefits, are still considered too immature for immediate use. Defense contractors are in active research of applications of nanoscale engineered materials and devices and are beginning to engage nanotechnology suppliers for future military platforms. Read more