I beg to differ moose - looking at this with an historian's eye...

I beg to differ moose - looking at this with an historian's eye - most inventions once made can be and often are copied - the biggest hurdle has always been knowing whether it CAN be done - once a group of engineers know it can be done then they focus on HOW to make it happen rather than continually wondering whether it was possible at all.

As to the application you fear - sure the tech COULD be applied that way - but so could other tech's to produce the same result. I am more inclined to ascribe greater weight to the human elements and perceived demand and logistical implications.

Human elements - unless everyone can do it then there will be those who fear its introduction will reduce their share of business and so will use all means available to thwart a potential competitor. The humans making the buying decision for this sort of product are subjected to all sorts of conflicting advice and will tend to when unsure stick to established guidelines - one of which is that any such product must be at a certain development level as defined by their governments/board of directors and second must be safe to use. Thus the TRL level and certification go hand in hand..

Perceived demand - the first electronic computer when planned had a perceived demand of six units......Is there a huge demand for this sort of product? Plenty of interest but actual demand?

Logistical factors - ammo must be adapted, training systems must be adapted, tactical use needs a rethink, there is a lot more to it than simply handing a person a tool and saying go for it... i suspect that right now there is a lot of peddling going on under the water to address some of the issues I raise here.

Finally there is the confidence factor (human element again) - if the native countries DOD will not commit to a large scale trial why should any other?

Might need a first class air ticket and luxury suite accommodation to answer that last one....