U.S. Military Looks To 'Black Ice' Weapon

The U.S. military has appealed to scientists to help develop a novel weapon - artificial black ice. The plastic-like substance, the brainchild of the U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), would be used to force slip-ups from enemies. The "polymer ice" would be designed for hot, arid environments, "as found in Iraq and Afghanistan", it said. A spray-on "reversal agent" could be incorporated into boots and tyres to prevent friendly forces sliding around. In a document published on the agency's website, officials point out that "to get from point A to point B, one must have sufficient traction with the ground". Darpa believes a polymer-based compound could replicate the properties of black ice - a thin, translucent slippery coating, typically found on roads in winter - to reduce traction. The agency's wish list for the "Mobility Control System" includes the polymer ice or raw materials to produce it very quickly, a spray-on reversal agent and a means to clean the ice up. "Such a system will provide unprecedented situational control and sustained operational tempo," said Darpa. "It would degrade the ability of our adversaries to shoot and chase us."