Obviously the US Military are all over the news at the moment following the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. But the death of Bin Laden, though it may bring an iconic end to the narrative of 9/11 will not bring peace and warfare is unfortunately by no means over. But let's not get miserable on a bank holiday. Let's look at a more cheerful side to war, the cool technology!
As well as bombing Libya and dumping Laden in the sea, The United States Air Force has also been developing a new type of tracking technology in which a small drone can paint the target with a signal emitting powder or liquid.
As wacky as it sounds, apparently the dust is already feasible and so the vehicle to deliver it is now being planned. The surveillance dust (no I'm not joking) can be used to track anything from an individual to a vehicle or even an aircraft.
The tech has a wide range of applications from highlighting enemy targets, to marking friendly armour/infantry and even the much lovelier option, tracking wildlife. Well, critical endangered wildlife, but still, it's a more pleasant use than tracking things so they can be blown to bits.
The Pentagon is said to have invested millions of dollars in the tech and it could be up and running in the near future.