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SALT LAKE CITY — In another example of Hollywood come to life, the U.S. military is developing electronics that would self-destruct on command, much like in the "Mission: Impossible" TV series and movies.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is working on developing next-generation military technology capable of just such a feat, preventing it from falling into enemy hands or harming the environment.
Electronics are ubiquitous on the battlefield, but it is nearly impossible to track down every device. DARPA is worried the electronics can be captured by the enemy and repurposed, or else studied to compromise the Department of Defense's military strategy.
"What if these electronics simply disappeared when no longer needed?" the agency asked. The Vanishing Programmable Resources program seeks to answer exactly that, developing self-destructing electronics that would maintain or improve devices' current functionality.
Jackson said the destruction of such devices could be triggered by a signal sent from command, or by a number of environmental conditions, including temperature.
The agency has a Proposal Day planned for Feb. 14 to discuss the project with researchers and companies.
"There's lots of room for innovation by clever people with diverse expertise," Jackson said.
This is the second futuristic announcement made by DARPA in as many weeks. Last week, the agency announced its intention of having lasers mounted on jets by 2014.
