Weapons are not lethal

The US is developing "non-lethal" weapons ("non-lethal"). This weapon is primarily intended for police in preserving social security. Concerned, they can still be deadly.

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) of the US Department of Justice is funding a study of three 'less dangerous' weapons to equip the national police force to defeat suspects and test crowd control.

In theory, these weapons are less dangerous for objects that need to be suppressed as well as passersby compared to current weapons, such as tear gas or rubber bullets. But the secret is that outsiders cannot recognize whether these new weapons are truly dangerous or 'less dangerous' as the name suggests.

" Non-Lethal " - Weapons are not lethal!

In a document provided to New Scientist , NIJ has limited description of all three new weapons.

The first was developed by Raytheon Company in Palo Alto, California, and seems to have come from the same technology as the manufacturing technology of ' Non-Dangerous Oriented Energy Weapon System - ADS ' that Raytheon has set designed for the US Navy in 2001.

This military-derived gun was built to heat the skin with ultra-short waves of 95 gigahertz. With a distance of 600 meters, it causes severe pain but, according to Raytheon, does not hurt the shot.

Non-dangerous directional energy weapons system (ADS) of the US military (Photo: ABC)

NIJ has signed a contract with this company to make such a model for police to use, because it is a highly mobile gun, uses less energy and has a shorter range.

The second type described by NIJ is the " first mobile thermodynamic gun of this type ". It uses semiconductor lasers to ' protect forces, dominate crowds and prevent intrusion '.

Although the Air Force Research Laboratory in Kirtland, New Mexico, has contracted to produce a test system for this weapon, there are no such weapons yet, even for purposes. military or other purpose. Therefore, the effect and effectiveness of this weapon is only speculated by public opinion.

Deeper clues about the characteristics of the two weapons can be seen slightly from a NIJ research department report in November 2004. In this report, expert Joe Cecconi of The NIJ has described a pistol-sized energy-oriented weapon model, capable of producing intense heat in a contact area of ​​15 cm diameter. This weapon has a range of 16 meters, has 12 rounds of ammunition, and the speed of each shot is less than 1 second.

NIJ does not confirm it, nor does it deny it is a weapon that uses heat or radio frequency to identify the target.

The third type that NIJ produces is a low-risk weapon, using lasers, capable of detonating ' plasma blind grenades' (plasma flash bangs) at the point of contact, stunning and losing victims. complete direction.

This type is similar to the Pulsed Energy Projectile System, which has been built for the US Navy. This system uses chemical lasers and weighs about 200 kg. NIJ commissioned Sterling Photonics in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to produce a " technology launcher " that uses electric and convenient energy as a version of this system to equip the police.

Public opinion requires public information

US 'blind grenade' (flash state) XM84(Photo: Big-ordnance.com)

All three research programs have a deadline of September 2007. But the information provided by NIJ has so little detail about factors such as wave length and energy level that one cannot judge how safe these new weapons are.

There is currently no publicly available information about the effects of ADS weapons or ' plasma blind grenades '.

Because there are no less dangerous directional energy weapons allowed by the authorities, it is only possible to compare them with police shocking weapons, in which The most famous is Taser.

Taser is a weapon that was born in the 1970s and became popular in the United States in the 90s. Recently, critics accused Taser of causing the deaths of many suspects and weapons. This is very easy to abuse. These warnings raise concerns that the introduction of new weapons will recur similar cases.

Neil Davison, of Bradford's Non-Dangerous Weapons Research Project of the University of Bradford (UK), thinks that more detailed information about these weapons must be publicly available.

He said: 'The production of non-dangerous weapons always complains about the criticism in the press. But if there is no clear information about what weapons are being developed and how they affect people, then of course everyone must be suspicious. '

According to him, after being used, these weapons did not leave any identifiable marks, when there was a weapon abuse, what did the victim get to prove that he was a victim? multiply?

He also noted that there has long been a public opinion about increasing or decreasing the energy output of these weapons. He warned: 'Some of them could be dangerous weapons.'

In this regard, Jane's Police and Security Equipment magazine said: 'There is little possibility that these new weapons are deployed for practical use, when they have not been proven to be safer than existing weapons. now - like batons, taser and tear gas guns'.

Taser is controversial

Taser is rapidly becoming a non-dangerous weapon chosen by the police in the US and UK, despite widespread concerns about its safety.

This hand-held weapon fired two prongs connected by electrical wire to an energy source capable of generating an electric shock at the point of contact with an intensity of up to 50,000 volts. A person who is attacked with this gun will lose his ability to control his muscles completely and collapse immediately.

Taser - the type of electric shock weapon that US and British police are using.(Photo: CBC News)

Many police officers welcomed this kind of gun as an alternative to dangerous firearms. But in May, Amnesty International said it had counted 103 cases in which the person who was shot by Taser died later.

Amnesty International has called for a 'comprehensive and independent medical research' on the safety of Taser. According to this organization, drug intoxication, heart disease and so on are serious risks of death in people who are attacked by Taser.

Meanwhile, Taser International Company, in Arizona - the maker of Taser - said tests on Taser and the use of Taser in practice showed that the weapon was safe.

Experimental attempts to influence the impact of the shock on the heart of pigs have been criticized by animal rights groups. They consider it a cruel act, and such experimental results cannot be seen as typical for real effects on people.

Quang Thinh