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2004-06-09 Home Front: Tech

Invisible beam tops list of nonlethal weapons

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Posted by Mike 2004-06-09 2:51:37 PM|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Its Microwave a Mullah time!
al-Sadr better worry about the sound of engines approaching, then the ringing in his ears that became a splitting headache before he loases consciousness.

Posted by BigEd 2004-06-09 3:17:39 PM|| 2004-06-09 3:17:39 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 But remember, it's for purely peaceful purposes. All who can should try to get hold of MST3K's version of Danger: Death Ray! (not available in stores).

Bop di-dop di-dah-dah, everyone!

Posted by Angie Schultz 2004-06-09 3:41:45 PM|| [http://darkblogules.blogspot.com] 2004-06-09 3:41:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 The first thing I thought of was interrogations.

I wonder if they could build some big ones, put them on satellites, point them down at the Middle East and then go home for a long weekend.

Posted by Laurence of the Rats 2004-06-09 3:41:55 PM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2004-06-09 3:41:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 sends out a column of millimeter-wave, electromagnetic energy at the speed of light.

My God! How ever did they manage to emit light at the speed of light!

(Are journalists required to take a special course that clears their minds of all knowledge they may have ever had about science?)

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-06-09 3:45:55 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com] 2004-06-09 3:45:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 And they thought that panties on the head was bad?

Posted by BigEd 2004-06-09 3:46:04 PM|| 2004-06-09 3:46:04 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 It's always painful when journalists who can barely balance their checkbooks try to write about science. If this sounds like Star Trek, it's probably because the device reminded the writer of an episode he had seen and so he described it in terms he could understand. Directed energy weapons have been around a long time (LASER, MASER, particle beam, et. al.). What's new and nifty here is that the device is non-lethal and CAN be used for crowd control. This is part of a continuing effort to come up with nonlethal weapons that can control an enemy's actions with a minimum of collateral damage.

Posted by RWV 2004-06-09 4:02:08 PM|| 2004-06-09 4:02:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 true RWV, but "killing them dead" works well IMHO, and seems to be irreversible. See: 'Mahdi Army'

Posted by Frank G 2004-06-09 4:05:10 PM|| 2004-06-09 4:05:10 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Ah, but it's from the Sac Bee - which means it's got about a 60-70% chance of being bullshit.

Posted by mojo 2004-06-09 4:14:06 PM|| 2004-06-09 4:14:06 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Robert - what makes you think the LLL-schooled journalists ever had any knowledge of science? ;-)

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2004-06-09 6:19:48 PM|| 2004-06-09 6:19:48 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Actually, I prefer the THEL http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/missile_systems/systems/THEL.html. As you recall, although designed as an anti-missile, anti-artillery, anti-aircraft weapon, it has also been successfully tested against "ground targets." Crispy critters.

Posted by RWV 2004-06-09 6:23:44 PM|| 2004-06-09 6:23:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 What's the deal here? They've been testing the heck out of the thing and it works. So how come it is STILL "years from deployment?"
If this thing works as advertised, I would want an enormous fleet of Humvees ready to deploy at a moment's notice. Especially in the middle east and Asia, where "rent-a-mobs" are pro forma.

Posted by Anonymoose 2004-06-09 8:20:00 PM|| 2004-06-09 8:20:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Possibly issues with power sources ... these things probably draw a fair amount of power & for operational deployment you'd want to make sure they can operate without an extension cord LOL

Posted by rkb 2004-06-09 8:32:15 PM|| 2004-06-09 8:32:15 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 Robert - what makes you think the LLL-schooled journalists ever had any knowledge of science? ;-)

At SOME point they had to have watched some PBS. I can't imagine them skipping the science shows and just watching Ken Burns and Nova.

Posted by Robert Crawford 2004-06-09 8:33:08 PM|| [http://www.kloognome.com/] 2004-06-09 8:33:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Might be used for torture? Seems like a lighted cigarette butt would be a cheaper way to create a burning sensation. BTW the laws of physics dictate that the intensity is not the same at any distance, even with the high gain antenna, because of spreading. Millimeter waves also experience absorption in the atmosphere. However the range should be farther than bullets.

Posted by virginian 2004-06-09 8:52:59 PM|| 2004-06-09 8:52:59 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 I think I'm with Frank G, if I understood him correctly. I'm for lethal weapons. Very lethal. 100% lethal. All Lethal, All the Time.

Posted by .com 2004-06-09 10:24:08 PM|| 2004-06-09 10:24:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 This is one of those science projects championed by those too far away from the action. The first time this is used, the targets will respond with bullets and RPGs.

This brings us no closer to victory, but sucks up resources that could better be used elsewhere. The $50M would have been better spent on 250K artillery shells or 500M bullets. Or take the money and buy arms for Africans who are undergoing slow genocide.

Posted by ed 2004-06-09 10:41:11 PM|| 2004-06-09 10:41:11 PM|| Front Page Top

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