‘Pain Ray’ First Commercial Sale Looms
Source: Wired
The military isn’t about to deploy its pain ray to the battlefield. But someone in the commercial sector is about to one. We don’t know who. The sale is mentioned in a presentation by Raytheon, who built the microwave weapon for the Defense Department.
The so-called “Active Denial System” works by heating the outer surface of the target’s skin using millimeter waves — short wavelength microwaves. The effect is painful, but generally harmless, and forces the target to get out of the beam. Recently, it’s been proposed as a possible defense against pirates; last month, Raytheon gave a presentation on Active Denial at a NATO workshop on anti-pirate equipment and technologies.
This presentation mentions an “Impending Direct Commercial Sale” of a commercial version of the Active Denial system known as Silent Guardian (pictured). This is Active Denial in a box, a 10,000-pound containerized system that can be mounted on a ship, a truck, or a fixed installation. It’s got an effective range of about 250 meters. The beam has a power of around 30 kilowatts.
The anti-pirate presentation shows how a set-up with two antennas could achieve almost 360-degree coverage for a small container ship.
The Active Denial System was first unveiled in 2001, but a series of delays have prevented it from being fielded in spite of requests for it in Iraq. Danger Room reported the wrangling in 2006 and in 2008, with the Defense Science Board conclusion that deployment was “not politically tenable” because of a possible association with torture. This would be particularly true if the weapon was used at detention centers, and a recent Government Accountability Office report indicated that the attempts to get the ADS to Iraq have now been discontinued.
Paradoxically, it seems that the controversial “pain beam” may be more acceptable in the civilian market than in the military — depending on how the weapon is used.
Certainly, few people would object to the Active Denial System being used for zapping off pirates. The Long Range Acoustic Device, which produces an intense beam of sound, was used to fend off pirates attacking the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit in 2005. But it might be received differently if it was used in a prison or to repel intruders (or protesters) from company property.
But we don’t know who it’s being sold to.
“Raytheon’s non-lethal Silent Guardian system has attracted widespread interest, but it would be premature for us to discuss any sales until contracts are signed.” a Raytheon spokesperson told Danger Room.
In the longer run, Raytheon believe that Active Denial might have all sorts of applications in law enforcement, prisons and protecting installations – not to mention chasing geese away from airports. One day a domestic version might even repel burglars.
Of course, not everyone is enthusiastic about the prospects.
“For now the high price tag should restrict potential customers,” says Neil Davison, author of the book ‘Non-lethal’ Weapons. Raytheon won’t quote a price, but Silent Guardian is likely to set you back several million. “However, as the costs and size drop, expect police forces to become more and more interested. This is where function creep will become a problem. With current controversies over the misuse of the Taser, the spread of new military weapons technologies to the civilian realm does not seem like a very sensible way to go.”
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