Washington, March 1
The Pentagon today revealed a weapon technology that projects a high energy beam to stun, incapacitate, disorient or stop, but not kill enemies.
The energy beam weapon could be mounted on a Humvee, such as in this artist's rendering. (Joint Concept for Non-lethal Weapons) |
The technology, called "Active Denial," seems like it's right out of Star Trek.
It uses a narrow beam of energy that heats up the skin of a target, causing pain one might experience when touching a light bulb that has been left on for awhile.
The Pentagon said the technology has no harmful effects, because low-energy levels are used, and the rays only penetrate less than 1/64 of an inch into the skin.
The energy travels at the speed of light and only needs to be on for a few seconds to work. It causes pain until the transmitter is shut off or the subject moves out of the beam, the Pentagon said.
The technology was designed for field commanders, who asked for options short of deadly force for missions like peace-keeping and humanitarian operations, said the Pentagon. It could also help avoid unwanted casualties or damage to property.
"A weapon like this could be particularly useful when adversaries are mixed with innocent persons," said Marine Corps Col. George P. Fenton.
The exact range and size of the beam is classified, as well as its intensity. "We want to have the beam high enough to motivate you to move," said Fenton, describing how it would work in the field.
At a Pentagon news conference today, Fenton demonstrated a small table top model of the beam, saying he hoped to convince senior officials to fund further work on the project and eventually approve buying and fielding the system.
The program is still in the conceptual phase. Marine and Air Force scientists have been working on it for 10 years, at a cost of roughly $40 million.
Initial testing has been conducted on animals as well as humans. Human testing has included 6,500 exposures for an average of less than 10 seconds, with only one accidental burn.
Fenton said the beam would not affect targets' eyes because the targets would close their eyes or turn and run if exposed to the sensation of pain. Further research is planned to look at to what extent clothing may shield a person.
Testing is expected to continue into the summer. Officials are currently trying to figure out the appropriate platform on which to mount the device that would transmit the beam (see photo, above).
The transmitter looks like a giant satellite dish, roughly 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Pentagon officials are currently considering mounting the weapon on a Humvee, but could be mounted on planes and ships.