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Jordin Olinger
Ms. Amanda Eakle
AP Language and Composition
24 November 2014
New Military Technology
Since the earliest of city- states that evolved into nations and nations that evolved into
countries, the presence of armies has always been the key in becoming a dominant world power.
These world powers wouldnt be what they presently are today without the innovation of military
strategy and technology. This technology can range from weapons, to improving ways to protect
our own troops on the front lines. We can help protect our troops on these lines of battle by using
new technologies such as the M13 Virus, and drones such as Ariel and Ground drones.
According to the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, M13 virus is a piezo electric
virus capable of allowing bacteria within human beings to emit a small electric charge through
the mechanical motions of the human body (JOCB #3). The M13 emits voltage strong enough
to impact the body in a measurable way. The virus attacks by infecting bacterial on ones skin,
thus pairing itself with that bacteria when spread throughout the body (JOCB #4-5). In order to
infect you must have access to a infrared optical payload that can be mounted on a UAV, infrared
goggles, and a wireless recording device. This virus is not an actual health attacking virus. It
enables one to be tracked using the electrical impulses it emits.
There is one ethical and diplomatic consideration to take into effect when releasing the
M13 virus. The upmost important is the fact that this, although not deadly, is closely related to
what many call biological warfare. Biological warfare is considered to be the building up of toxic
weaponry being any any disease causing organism that can be used to inflict death (JOCB #17).
While this is what classifies as biological warfare, M13 is non-lethal and is only used for
tracking. Under conditions listed M13 technically would not qualify as biological warfare. This
technology can be used to identify, track, and differentiate individuals. It will make a tremendous
difference in the way we currently conduct and view war.

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Over the past decade and since their creation, drones and autonomous vehicles have
become a major part in the protection and transport of our troops. Innovations to be done soon to
the drones are as follows: more advance capabilities in navigation, aerial refueling,
reconnaissance, maneuvering electronic warfare, and aspects relating to force (Horowitz 57).
Along with innovations there are also a variety of drones.
They are unmanned drones, Ariel drones, and ground drones. An example of an
unmanned drone is the Israel Harpy. This drone is programmed to attack a particular types of
radar in a given area without human operation (Horowitz 58). The next drone is an Ariel resupply
drone. This drone can reduce delivery times, the demand for ground convoys and their security
escorts (Smith). Ariel resupply units remove the restraints that roads and other barriers present
making resupply faster and more efficient. Finally we have the autonomous ground resupply
drone:
Imagine a 12 vehicle convoy comprising three gun trucks,
eight sustainment vehicle and one recovery vehicle. This convoy
currently requires at least twenty seven soldiers. The implementation of
AMAS will potentially reduce this requirement to as few as nine
soldiers. (Smith)
This can be done due to the fact that it will reduce constraints related to soldier stamina, reduce
soldier expose to vehicle accidents, and reduce fuel usage by resupply efficiencies. Using these
types of drones listed above will overall bring out the best qualities of our forces while being
innovative and efficient at the same time.
Using the tracking quality of the M13 Virus, alongside the resupply drones, the quality of
our military operations will be improved greatly. They will improve our military because it will
increase the efficiency and speed with which we complete resupply missions. The drones will
reduce the number of people required on the battlefield. The M13 virus will affect the speed of

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missions by enabling troops to identify and locate targets virtually undetected. In order to see any
of these used on our battlefields there are many obstacles that must be overcome. For the M13
virus, the conclusion of the world must rest that it is in fact not a biological weapon. Otherwise,
the M13 will never be used in real war due to ethics and diplomacy. When it comes to the use of
drones, it will have to pass much scrutiny in the US. There have already been negative reactions
to drones because of the uncovering of the killer drones the U.S. apparently has control of. The
public and decision makers in this country will have to be better informed on the M13 virus and
Ariel and ground drones to understand how they will help our military.