A new book on nanotech security is out by the German physicist, Dr. Jurgen Altmann. It looks like an important contribution to the field, which is terribly lacking. But I wonder, can his analysis really be “comprehensive” when many of the applications of nanotech haven’t even been dreamed up yet? Anyway, here’s the description from Amazon:

This book is the first systematic and comprehensive presentation of the potential military applications of nanotechnology (NT). After a thorough introduction and overview of nanotechnology and its history, it presents the actual military NT R&D in the USA and gives a systematic description of the potential military applications of NT that may include in 10-20 years extremely small computers, miniature sensors, lighter and stronger materials in vehicles and weapons, autonomous systems of many sizes and implants in soldiers’ bodies. These potential applications are assessed from a viewpoint of international security, considering the new criteria of dangers for arms control and the international law of warfare, dangers for stability through potential new arms races and proliferation, and dangers for humans and society.

Although some applications (e.g. sensors for biological-warfare agents) could contribute to better protection against terrorist attacks or to better verification of compliance with arms-control treaties, several potential uses, like metal-free firearms, small missiles or implants and other body manipulation raise strong concerns. For preventive limitation of these potentially dangerous applications of NT, specific approaches are proposed that balance positive civilian uses and take into account verification of compliance.

This book will be of much interest to students of strategic studies, peace studies, conflict resolution and international security, as well as specialists in the fields of military technology and chemical-biological weapons.

Here are a few of the specific policy recommendations:

To contain these risks, preventive limits are recommended in seven areas. They do not focus on NT as such, but include NT applications in a broader, mission-oriented approach. Distributed sensors below several cm size should be banned. Metal-free small arms and munitions should not be developed, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces should be kept and updated as new weapons systems would arrive. A moratorium of ten years for non-medical body manipulation should be agreed upon. Armed autonomous systems should optimally be banned, with limits on unarmed ones; if the former is not achievable, at least for the decision on weapon release a human should remain in the loop. Mobile systems below 0.2-0.5 m size should be banned in general, with very few exceptions. A general ban on space weapons should be concluded, with exceptions for non-weapons uses of small satellites. The Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions should be upheld and strengthened.

10-20 years? Oh no! Better start planning. Too bad 99% of security analysts won’t take this book seriously until nanofactories are already on shelves, because it just sounds too far out, too much progress in too little time. As anyone who has been in futurism for a while knows, whether or not something sounds far out usually isn’t predictive of when it will actually be developed. Sometimes it’s harder than it sounds, sometimes it’s easier than it sounds, but rarely is it exactly as hard as it sounds at first glance. That would just be too much of a coincidence.