US military demonstrates new toy: heat ray

[Bounty]

The US military has given the first public display of what it says is a revolutionary heat-ray weapon to repel enemies or disperse hostile crowds.

The weapon - called the Active Denial System - projects an invisible high energy beam that produces a sudden burning feeling, but is harmless.

Military officials believe the gun could be used as a non-lethal way of making enemies surrender their weapons.

Officials said there was wide-ranging military interest in the technology.

"This is a breakthrough technology that's going to give our forces a capability they don't now have," defence official Theodore Barna told Reuters news agency.

"We expect the services to add it to their tool kit. And that could happen as early as 2010."

'Blast from an oven'

The prototype weapon - called Silent Guardian - was demonstrated at the Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.

A beam was fired from a large rectangular dish mounted on a Humvee vehicle.

The beam has a reach of up to 500 metres (550 yards), much further than existing non-lethal weapons like rubber bullets.

It can penetrate clothes, suddenly heating up the skin of anyone in its path to 50C.

But it penetrates the skin only to a tiny depth - enough to cause discomfort but no lasting harm.

A Reuters journalist who volunteered to be shot with the beam described the sensation as similar to a blast from a very hot oven - too painful to bear without diving for cover.

Crowd control

Military officials said the weapon was one of the key technologies of the future.

"Non-lethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in," said Marine Col Kirk Hymes, director of the development programme.

The weapon could potentially be used for dispersing hostile crowds in conflict zones such as Iraq or Afghanistan.

It would mean that troops could take effective steps to move people along without resorting to measures such as rubber bullets - bridging the gap between "shouting and shooting", Col Hymes said.

[Big Orange]

I wonder if you can catch cancer from this thing? Anyway this form of crowd control seems more efficient and far less messier than tear gas.

[Magus]

Maybe I'm just strange like that, but upon reading the article I immediately began considering all of its interrogation applications.

[Shroom Man 777]

How long an exposure would it take to kill someone?

[Losonti Tokash]

I remember this. They've been fucking around with this thing since I was 12, I think. I'll be impressed when they have a rifle they point at things, which subsequently explode for no apparent reason.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I wonder if you can catch cancer from this thing? Anyway this form of crowd control seems more efficient and far less messier than tear gas.

Don't be dense. Aside from the fact you won't be in the beam's LOS for more than a second (unless a masochist), the most you'll get is a slight burn, if that. Microwaves aren't anywhere near as dangerous as UV, for instance.

This device has been in the testing stage for ages, it's nice to see it finally deployed though. Much to the chagrin of those who want totally harmless weapons.

[Mr Bean]

How long an exposure would it take to kill someone?

How long does it take one to die standing in front a 150*F degree oven? Some time I think.

[Sikon]

I wonder if you can catch cancer from this thing? Anyway this form of crowd control seems more efficient and far less messier than tear gas.

Microwaves are non-ionizing radiation, in that regard like the infrared radiation received if one moves one's hand a few centimeters above a red-hot burner, not causing cancer. As Admiral Valdemar implied, even much of the UV spectrum is different. And, yes, this weapon does sound relatively good compared to the alternatives for handling mobs, apparently even better than the very miniscule rate of fatality involved with TASERs.

[Big Orange]

OK, it's me being terribly dense again, but this sounds like a potentially helpful tool - what does it look like and is it portable enough to be mounted on armoured cars or APCs?

[Admiral Valdemar]

OK, it's me being terribly dense again, but this sounds like a potentially helpful tool - what does it look like and is it portable enough to be mounted on armoured cars or APCs?

Ta-dah!

Eagle eyed viewers will know that this was the basis for a weapon in C&C:G too. The planar array looks fragile and overly large - necessary too, given the basic operating principles behind MW beams - though you'd likely get burned long before you managed to do anything about it. Someone capable of mission killing such a machine is in a mob that demands harsher force to be applied in the first place.

[Azazal]

Hopefully this can get deployed quickly. I can see where this would have been useful in Somalia during the Blackhawk Down incident.

Fact check, has there been any luck in the development in bullet tracking? I remember seeing something a few years ago where work was being done on a vehicle mounted system that would use radar to backtrack a sniper by following the bullet's path. Could couple that with this as an instant response unit. Unfortunately it would not stop the sniper's first shot, but could be used to smoke him out before he redeploys, and be used to minimize collateral damage. Bit of you're doing that, might as well tie it to a .50 cal select fire system, never mind.


Other though that came to mind, how long till we hear of the first fatal MRE heating experiment?

[Admiral Valdemar]

There was a device the MoD here was testing out that used vector plots of bullet shock waves as they zipped by. It helped calculate a general area of shots fired by the report of each incoming round. No idea how far they went with it, and if successful, it'd be the first thing an enemy would hit along with any other sensors.

[Coyote]

As big as it is, the device is good for fixed-installation defense. A smaller version (probably with less range) would be needed for practical vehicle mount. Unless you don't mind operational radius being limited by the first overpass-- or the amount of low-hanging wires common in Iraqi suburbs.

Although, a device this size mounted either under a helicopter facing straight down, or, on the side of a C-130 doing some circles over large crowds, would do well.

[Luke Starkiller]

As big as it is, the device is good for fixed-installation defense. A smaller version (probably with less range) would be needed for practical vehicle mount. Unless you don't mind operational radius being limited by the first overpass-- or the amount of low-hanging wires common in Iraqi suburbs.

Although, a device this size mounted either under a helicopter facing straight down, or, on the side of a C-130 doing some circles over large crowds, would do well.

From that picture it looks like the plate is hinged at the bottom, allowing it to be folded flat for transport.

[Admiral Valdemar]

The emitter can be retracted and stowed for any low clearance areas or transporting aboard a C-130 or ferry.

[Coyote]

It would have to be-- but transport stowage means no immediate use in case of need. It becomes a race-- your speed at cranking up the array and getting it powered up vs. the speed at which an angry mob can form!

To be truly practical, it would need to be portable while in deployed configuration for immediate use as needed.

[Kristoff]

I just hope they actually checked it would not permanently damage eyes of exposed people, it is known microwaves can cause cataract (also delayed). More energy can also cause loss of muscule control and tissue necrosis.

BTW - How much is 300mW/cm2 for 20 minutes?

[Luke Starkiller]

BTW - How much is 300mW/cm2 for 20 minutes?

I make it 360J/cm^2 unless I had a brain fart. If you meant 300MW/cm^2 it would be 360GJ/cm^2.

[Beowulf]

The weapon does look large, but the integrity of the plate is probably not too important for the actual usage of the weapon. It looks like the plate is just a reflector, and the emitter for the weapon is on the front of the boom in front of it. It's probably not too difficult to make a smaller version, but you'd end up with a smaller beam from it, possibly.

[Vanas]

IIRC, the reflector is bulletproofed. The thing's still hilariously huge, but at least it won't get shot to bits as easily as you may think.

[Lord of the Abyss]

Maybe I'm just strange like that, but upon reading the article I immediately began considering all of its interrogation applications.

The same. I also had a immediate vision of the thing being used on crowds that have no means of escape or cover; basically, as a means of long range mass torture.

[Stile]

I just hope they actually checked it would not permanently damage eyes of exposed people, it is known microwaves can cause cataract (also delayed). More energy can also cause loss of muscule control and tissue necrosis.

BTW - How much is 300mW/cm2 for 20 minutes?

OSHA limits are 10mW/cm2 for 6 minutes for safe PEL (Permissible exposure limits). http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/multimedia.html#r

[Aaron]

The same. I also had a immediate vision of the thing being used on crowds that have no means of escape or cover; basically, as a means of long range mass torture.

And what would be the motivation of the military to subject the crowd to an relenting beam of this weapon? The present riot control SOP consists of various steps that escalate the level of force and don't require you to subject the crowd to that force longer than needed. For example we don't just fire rubber bullets or tear gas the crowd until we feel like stopping, why would we "beam" them excessively?

[Lord of the Abyss]

And what would be the motivation of the military to subject the crowd to an relenting beam of this weapon?

Terror tactics, the desire to use a new toy, or simple sadism.

[Lonestar]

The same. I also had a immediate vision of the thing being used on crowds that have no means of escape or cover; basically, as a means of long range mass torture.

"Mass Crowds with no means of escape or cover".

Okay, in what situation could that happen, exactly?