Biotechnology is a rapidly progressive field, currently transforming agriculture, healthcare, and life sciences. This rapid development comes with serious legal and ethical challenges as well as risks for human security and health. NATO has prioritized biotechnology and human enhancement technologies for defense, focusing on legitimate, defensive applications. This paper highlights four clusters of biomedical technologies with the potential to enhance warfighter performance: These technologies, progressing in civilian sectors, have significant potential to enhance military capabilities in the near future (5-10 years). Oversight and prioritization of human rights are essential to ensure responsible application, maintaining human dignity, bodily integrity, and personal autonomy even in wartime. As military innovation systems worldwide are advancing in strategic biotechnologies, it is critical for NATO countries to maintain synergistic intra-alliance collaboration in this intense field.
Keywords: Biotech; Biotechnology; Defense; Medtech; Military medicine.
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