Is the future of the soldier that of the augmented man?

This is the second part of an article published in the Revue Defense Nationale. The first article can be found here. It will not be reproduced because it deals with the genetic modification of super soldiers.

The 21st century will see changes in the theater of operations with the deployment and use of cybercombatants, the rise of asymmetric warfare and the advent of the use of technology. 

However, even if the soldier uses new tools (autonomous weapons or drones), the soldier himself is still made of flesh and bone. 

In this article by Éric Pourcel, the author explains the various technologies available to physically enhance the soldier of the future. 

This begins with the use of an exoskeleton to increase the soldier's strength and endurance on the battlefield. For a smoother transition, the author details the possibility of implementing reversible prostheses. 

The author concludes with the implementation of more invasive prostheses, such as neural sensors that act as an interface, allowing the soldier to connect "live" with an appropriate interface to sources of communication or information. Or even artificial limbs.

All of these modifications, with the exception of the exoskeleton, raise the question: 

• What will become of the modified soldier in peacetime? 

• Which of these soldiers will be willing to undergo permanent, intrusive modifications to their personal lives?

Finally, movie fans will remember Major Steve Austin (The Six Million Dollar Man, 1973), Alex Murphy / Robocop (Robocop, 1987) and Luc Deveraux / GR44 (Universal Soldier, 1992) for their cybernetic and bionic sides.