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| DARPA Goal: Foodless Fighters |
| 2004-02-17 |
| caught via instapundit Soldiers’ moms will no doubt be horrified. But the Pentagon is looking into ways for GIs to fight for up to five days -- without eating a single meal. During a mission, soldiers in the field typically don’t have the time, or the inclination, to chow down. That lack of food can affect their battlefield performance. So Darpa, the U.S. military’s far-out research arm, wants scientists to figure out if soldiers can operate at top levels -- without lunch breaks. "The question is: ’Are there temporary biochemical approaches we can use to squeeze the last ounce of performance out of soldiers when they’re already worked to exhaustion?’" said a Darpa life sciences consultant, who asked not to be named. The agency has a couple of ideas on how this might be done: A cocktail of nutrients or so-called "nutraceuticals" could help build endurance. Lowering soldiers’ core body temperature might keep them from overheating. Or, perhaps, the change could be made at the microscopic level, by turbo-charging mitochondria --the cell’s energy suppliers. The Darpa project, called "Metabolic Dominance" or "Peak Soldier Performance," is part of a wider, future-facing Pentagon research push to develop grunts who are pretty much immune to normal human demands. the DefenseTech link has links to other articles about same |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #17 Then what would all the BAMs in the Corps do if they're not cooking? |
| Posted by: Rawsnacks 2004-2-17 8:32:29 PM |
| #16 The thing is, the human brain might not be able to cope with the changes. It could also be addictive. Very fine line they're treading. |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-2-17 6:03:02 PM |
| #15 Peanuts. |
| Posted by: Bobby Lee 2004-2-17 5:47:50 PM |
| #14 Mitochondria produce heat as well. There are a whole lot of variables to address. I would hate to have a test subject spontaneously combust. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2004-2-17 5:25:53 PM |
| #13 Great article, Frank. Turbocharged mitochondria---great term. I read this article during my lunch break. LOL! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2004-2-17 4:10:46 PM |
| #12 Um, I'm not too sure about that Rhodesiafever. It seems to be more of an appetite suppressant. There are times when thats useful, but not really in combat situations. Average soldier needs around 3500 calories a day, the body's caloric need doesn't change even with hoodia. The need to INTAKE those calories gets suppressed though. What the DoD is looking for is a combo of a suppressor and a way to get the body those caloric numbers it needs at the same time. |
| Posted by: Valentine 2004-2-17 3:52:54 PM |
| #11 Hey! Just like the North Koreans! Not that they have a choice... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2004-2-17 3:42:31 PM |
| #10 Foo Fighters....foodless fighters without the less? |
| Posted by: john 2004-2-17 2:49:40 PM |
| #9 would they have a big junk truck thing to blaze about in too like in Universal Soldier? |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-2-17 2:49:09 PM |
| #8 The enemy can expect to see a whole bunch of Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren lookalikes coming after them.... |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-2-17 2:33:45 PM |
| #7 I dunno... I think the time it takes to eat an MRE is more than made up for when you consider that you won't be having a bowel movement for the next whole week. |
| Posted by: BH 2004-2-17 2:01:18 PM |
| #6 From The Telegraph magazine, 14/02/04, entitled "Slim Pickings", concerning the appetite suppressing plant, hoodia gordonii: "The men could go out and hunt for days and return with plenty of food...because the hoodia gave them stamina to keep them going. They didn't feel hungry or thirsty". And this is in the Kalahari. However, the article misses the stamina point and promotes the plant as a cure for obesity. |
| Posted by: Rhodesiafever 2004-2-17 1:59:38 PM |
| #5 imagine the free'd up logistical chain - no food to deliver = more free men and equipment, lets hope they can pull this one off, wish i could not eat for a week - save lots of cash. |
| Posted by: Jon Shep U.K 2004-2-17 1:42:11 PM |
| #4 not having to take lunch or potty breaks would certainly be helpful to seals and delta types hiding in plain sight. I wouldn't mind being able to skip meals when I'm busy. I think it's a good idea - as long as they don't take it too far. |
| Posted by: B 2004-2-17 1:21:01 PM |
| #3 As far as I know, methamphetamines ("speed") work well for short periods... and the military's been using it for years! Or I could be wrong. Can anyone confirm or deny? |
| Posted by: Scooter McGruder 2004-2-17 1:16:28 PM |
| #2 In a related story... has anyone seen the new kitchen in a box? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-2-17 1:15:21 PM |
| #1 Ummm... Have a Snickers. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2004-2-17 1:15:05 PM |