Not all military projects are tanks, ships and aircraft. For DARPA, some are...bugs

DARPA has a project called Insect Allies. The intent is to use insects, initially aphids, to see if plants can be infected with a virus to genetically engineer them. The stated intent would be to deploy a virus carried by the aphids to alter crops if there was a disease or bioweapon unleashed on our food supply. Needless to say, there has been something of an outcry: the fear is the technology is really actually meant as or will be perceived as a bioweapon.

Aphids are little rabbits of the insect world and breed crazy fast. The idea here is the virus would be carried by the aphids and spread to new aphids are they breed. That way a whole field can be inoculated or engineered in a very short time frame after releasing the bugs. Just stop spraying bug spray for a few days and then the field ought to be taken care of.

However, remember, this is DARPA. That means this is borderline achievable at best - they like to brag about what they are doing is DARPA hard, meaning near impossible. So there is a very real chance this will never work. For decades, at least, or even ever.

OTOH, this has freaked out a lot of scientists. The potential for the technology to be a bioweapon is huge, from their point of view. Or perhaps, the perception this technology would be a great bioweapon is as much their concern as the actuality. People get worried about their food supply and what industry is putting into already, just imagine what people would think if the bugs themselves were carrying something. or could.

Or...

There are lots of ways this could get weird. or be perceived as such.

Just look at the mess the whole 'chemtrails' thing does online with conspiracy theories. And these are creepy crawlers. And most people have some little itchy not-so-comfortable feeling about them. And now the military wants to...

Enjoy, folks. Enjoy.

phys.org...

I'm a proponent for the use of genetic technologies, but man this just sounds like a really stupid idea. As a military man and science literate American, I am against the use of genetic manipulation in any form be it offensive or defensive, by any military power.

Edit:

Excellent post.

a reply to: anzha

From the article...

That would mark a departure from the current widely used procedure of genetically modifying seeds for crops such as corn and soy, before they grow into plants.

The military research agency says its goal is to protect the nation's food supply from threats like drought, crop disease and bioterrorism by using insects to infect plants with viruses that protect against such dangers.

Read more at: phys.org...

Ok so in lamens... they are designing viruses to be delivered by bugs that they infect in order to destroy food sources.

That sounds like a genuinely TERRIBLE idea. One needs to spend some time in the city and then spend some time in the woods to see just how f-ed up the ecosystem is ALREADY as a direct result of our meddling.

I mean how in the world are you supposed to CONTAIN an unleashing like that? Presumably you would need thousands if not tens of thousands of infected bugs. These would most certainly spread nearly immediately. Unless they also program in a life cycle or they simply deny them that ala Jurassic Park.

Relman said DARPA is trying to use the bugs' own biology to "recruit them as allies" in spreading protective traits.

That's impressive technology, but from a naturalists perspective I'd be real weary about making deals with the insects at this point in time. Insects like to be free and crawl around and do their own thing separate from us. Insects don't make deals. They are controlled by a different order that is alien to us.

But I digress... I think worrying about it being weaponized is really not the right angle. They've maybe hit on some really high level tech but meddling with the natural of order of things hasn't really ever proved to be a good thing has it? Weren't we warned about doing that somewhere in time?

I mean maybe we have drought free corn in some areas, but maybe that corn gives you the $hits.

a reply to: anzha

Entomological warfare has been around for thousands of years. It's scary, because it's so easy.

Look at recent threads here on ATS about invasive beetle species being caught by TSA, apparently multiple times.

The US has done extensive research into it as well, and probably used it secretly as well.

Invasive insects can devastate entire crop fields in days it seems.

Read somewhere that a long game bio-weapon is to destroy the nematodes in the soil of a target so that over time crops deplete the soil and production dwindles. Fertilizer can only do so much.

a reply to: Vector99

There was talk back in the 80s about unleashing genetically engineered coca eating caterpillars on Colombia...obviously, it didn't happen.

More info:

www.thedrive.com...

www.sciencemag.org...

originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: Vector99

There was talk back in the 80s about unleashing genetically engineered coca eating caterpillars on Colombia...obviously, it didn't happen.

More info:

www.thedrive.com...

www.sciencemag.org...

I seem to recall some programs aimed at Cuba’s sugar cane fields back in the ‘50/60s. Scary stuff indeed especially using such a small and invasive critter as the vector for the attack. Great post OP!

a reply to: BigDave-AR

vector for the attack

I didn't do it!

Here is a fun list of instances entomological warfare was mixed with bio-warfare.

Scary how easy it is to unleash such a weapon without any warning.

originally posted by: Vector99
a reply to: BigDave-AR

vector for the attack

I didn't do it!

Here is a fun list of instances entomological warfare was mixed with bio-warfare.

Scary how easy it is to unleash such a weapon without any warning.

Are those plague fleas in your Tupperware?

I read this as an attempt to stop the coming invasion of a robot that destroys crops.

On the other thread I wondered when the elite will enact their plan of depopulation that is cut into the GA Guidestone's?

um! they can and will use the bugs like bed bugs.
to attack the enemy and civilians.
to infect them with diseases to make them sick and kill them.

Small drone flys over and drops them.
they hunt out heat and inject.
they would need some kind of wifi?
so they dont all go to the same target.
only move at night.
so you dont see them.