If You Can't Take the Heat - New US Raygun
 

Military Shows Off New Ray Gun

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AP) - The military calls its new weapon an "active denial system,'' but that's an understatement. It's a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire.

Apart from causing that terrifying sensation, the technology is supposed to be harmless - a non-lethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons. Military officials say it could save the lives of innocent civilians and service members in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The weapon is not expected to go into production until at least 2010, but all branches of the military have expressed interest in it, officials said.

During the first media demonstration of the weapon Wednesday, airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters and acting out other scenarios that U.S. troops might encounter in war zones. The device's two-man crew located their targets through powerful lenses and fired beams from more than 500 yards away. That is nearly 17 times the range of existing non-lethal weapons, such as rubber bullets. Anyone hit by the beam immediately jumped out of its path because of the sudden blast of heat throughout the body. While the 130-degree heat was not painful, it was intense enough to make the participants think their clothes were about to ignite.

"This is one of the key technologies for the future,'' said Marine Col. Kirk Hymes, director of the non-lethal weapons program at Quantico, Va., which helped develop the new weapon. "Non-lethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in.''

The system uses electromagnetic millimeter waves, which can penetrate only 1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort. By comparison, microwaves used in the common kitchen appliance penetrate several inches of flesh. The millimeter waves cannot go through walls, but they can penetrate most clothing, officials said. They refused to comment on whether the waves can go through glass. The weapon could be mounted aboard ships, airplanes and helicopters, and routinely used for security or anti-terrorism operations.

"There should be no collateral damage to this,'' said Senior Airman Adam Navin, 22, of Green Bay, Wis., who has served several tours in Iraq. Navin and two other airmen were role players in Wednesday's demonstration. They and 10 reporters who volunteered were shot with the beams. The beams easily penetrated various layers of winter clothing.

The system was developed by the military, but the two devices currently being evaluated were built by defense contractor Raytheon.

Airman Blaine Pernell, 22, of suburban New Orleans, said he could have used the system during his four tours in Iraq, where he manned watchtowers around a base near Kirkuk. He said Iraqis constantly pulled up and faked car problems so they could scout out U.S. forces. "All we could do is watch them,'' he said. But if they had the ray gun, troops "could have dispersed them.''

Plenty soon enough to be used by our troops in Iraq.... unless they have been pulled out by then and we allow it do descend into tribal and criminal bloodshed.

I just wonder about the long term effects of such things. Perhaps, and perhaps it only penetrates clothes and the skin. But what, if in 20 years time he develops melanoma, or cataracts. The volunteers at Porton Down were young, eager and believed they were immortal as well.

You can do quick tests with bullets, but there are veterans who can tell you the long term effect even of kinetic rounds. Who tests these, and for how many years?

and

:}

See MoD UK’s Defence Industrial Strategy, Section B7 (Complex Weapons), page 113 (Directed Energy Weapons).



Directed Energy Weapons (DEW)

We judge that Directed Energy technologies (lasers and radio
frequencies) could be highly significant in the future, particularly for
protecting our Forces from a range of threats, including Improvised
Explosive Devices. They could also offer the UK non-kinetic and
/ or less-lethal options to replace, enhance or complement
traditional kinetic weapons, such as missiles, and offer significant
opportunities to reduce collateral damage, notably in urban
areas. Due to the reusable nature of the technology and some of
its potential applications, there is also potential for a significant
reduction in the logistic footprint and whole life costs compared
with conventional weapons. We are assessing the potential
military utility of DEW technology through a number of research
programmes. Aspects of these programmes include technology
development, user requirements and concepts of operations.

Wasn't it the Air Ministry's keenness on research into Direct Energy Weapons in the 1930s that led to the development of RADAR?

"I say, Carruthers, I saw a smashing wheeze in a magazine the other day, Flash Gordon, I think it was called..."

CNN News is reporting thousands of mirrors being illegally smuggled into Iraq.....
Just a thought.

Ah, the Ol Shiney Shield Trick.:ok:

Wouldn't be surprised if a well aimed one of these wouldn't 'fix it' good'n'proper...http://surplus.msu.edu/ebay/images/b...halfbrick3.gif

I'm getting into tin foil suit production pronto, unless you end up basted like the Sunday roast?!:eek:

Is that why the combat underpants have silver threads woven into them?:\

"if in 20 years time he develops melanoma, or cataracts"

News events have a finite life span of what, a week or two?
Likely never to know if there are any long term problems.

What about a leather jacket then eh?

I bet they never thought of that :ugh:

Don't bet on it, in the modern world things like that come back to haunt you. Cigarettes, asbestos...and hazardous military experiments on your troops....

MoD pays out over nerve gas death

I bet they have a GT version

[quote]The military calls its new weapon an "active denial system,'' but that's an understatement. It's a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire. [\quote]

So now they know their clothing won't catch fire, because they have read this report, they'll be okay then....just a little discomfort to handle... point a load of AK's at the Humvee and let loose at the dish....fire enough rounds at 500yrds.... no dish.

[QUOTE=Razor61;3090871So now they know their clothing won't catch fire, because they have read this report, they'll be okay then....just a little discomfort to handle... point a load of AK's at the Humvee and let loose at the dish....fire enough rounds at 500yrds.... no dish.[/QUOTE]

One would think that if the intended crowd responded with potentially lethal force to this, then the ON/OFF switch would go to OFF and the good old fashioned lead reply would come into play.

Details of this 8 Foot Radar Array "Dispersal" tool being "harmless" coming a day before some Boffin says that tests (again) indicate that prolonged cell phone usage has led to increased instances of brain tumours. If only there was some connection between cell phones and Radars....

Ouch
 

The problem with non-lethal weapons is, when those they are used against have only lethal ways to respond then their response will tend to be...well, lethal.

A couple of years ago a chap from AFRL demonstrated a mini-version of the ADS for me on my hand – it was most alarming.

Shine one at your average unhappy chap with an AK and you can be pretty sure you'll get a full clip back for your trouble, so what exactly does this achieve?

You can't point it everywhere at once and keep it on for half an hour, which is what's needed. And all you have done is really pish off the people you just attempted to broil, who won't make the same mistake twice.

What a waste of money – and, yes, what about leather coats??