Chinese-made ZM-87 Laser Blinder that has been shown off at military exhibitions in Manila and Abu Dhabi
Posted on 12/12/2004 11:33:50 PM PST by FairOpinion
As airlines gear up for a heavy travel holiday season, a new FBI threat assessment suggests terrorists may use military-grade laser blinding systems to down planes The Federal Bureau of Investigation is warning airline pilots to look immediately away from unexpected sources of light in a new alert that suggests terrorists may use military-grade laser blinding systems to down planes.
As airlines gear up for a heavy travel holiday season, a new FBI threat assessment suggests terrorists may use military-grade laser blinding systems to down planes “Although lasers are not proven methods of attack like improvised explosive devices and hijackings, terrorist groups overseas have expressed an interest in using these devices against human sight,“ states a security bulletin issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“Severe eye injuries can result when individuals are exposed to these devices… In certain circumstances, if laser weapons adversely affect the eyesight of both pilot and co-pilot during a non-instrument approach, there is a risk of an airliner crash.“
The bulletin, obtained by The Asian Pacific Post, is dated Nov. 22, 2004 and titled ‘Potential Laser Threat‘.
It is understood that the FBI is investigating at least three recent lasing incidents in the United States. It, however, does not believe that the incidents are terrorist-related.
The first was on Sept 22, 2004 where a beam of green light hit an aircraft approaching the Salt Lake City airport in Utah. The incident caused retina burns on a first officer who has been temporarily removed from flight status.
The second occurred on November 7, 2004 at the San Diego Airport where three commercial airliners reported observing green lights coming from a direction northeast of the runway after departure.
The third occurred two days later near Houston International Airport where flight crews on four aircraft observed a green laser light shining into the air near the Conroe, Texas area, about 25 miles northwest of the airport.
The lasing incidents have prompted the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Missile and Space Intelligence Center to study what happens when a laser beam strikes the cockpit of a Boeing 727 aircraft.
A security consultant who advises Canada-based airlines said he is aware of the bulletin but stressed that the intelligence community has no credible or specific threat regarding the use of lasers.
“All airlines and the pilot community are aware of lasing and potential threats..the threat is listed as low,“ he said in a telephone interview from Toronto.
“It is unfortunate that this is getting media attention during the peak holiday travel season,“ he added.
The FBI said it has no indication that terrorist groups have obtained military-grade laser blinding systems or that such a potential weapon is available on the black market.
However, American intelligence officers have been monitoring the production and exhibition of military-grade laser blinding systems in several countries.
Chinese-made ZM-87 Laser Blinder that has been shown off at military exhibitions in Manila and Abu Dhabi One such laser weapon is the Chinese-produced ZM-87 laser blinder which is designed to blind optics such as night vision equipment and the human eye. It has been displayed at defence exhibitions in Manila and Abu Dhabi.
The FBI also noted that that Japanese terrorist cult Aum Shinrikyo, which gained infamy for its 1995 Sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway, had experimented with the use of lasers as weapons.
Cult members apparently obtained laser design information from Russian institutes they visited and built a laser weapon mounted on a truck. They had planned to use the laser against Tokyo policemen but the plan failed when the laser malfunctioned during the testing stage.
The FBI states that terrorists with access to substantial financial resources are more likely to obtain laser hardware from commercial off-the-shelf industrial sources rather than military sources.
“These devices are used in medical, industrial and educational facilities and are more susceptible to theft. The commercial off-the-shelf lasers are not designed for use as weapons, but they can be easily modified for such purposes.“
Providing a conceptual terrorist attack using a laser system, the FBI said that a small lightweight laser system could be hidden indoors or outside with relative ease until and during the time of an attack.
“For example, a terrorist/criminal could be perched on an elevated platform and target pedestrians below at will… Of greater concern would be a laser system used to target drivers hauling hazardous materials or fuel tankers,“ said the FBI, which estimated that such a weapons system could be put together for about US$50,000.
Exposure to laser light can produce an effect known as flash blindness, which leads to temporary loss of vision, disorientation and discomfort.
Serious eye injuries can occur when the light is so intense that the retina is perforated resulting in hemorrhage.
The human eye is most sensitive to green light and lasers which emit light in the green wavelength is thought to be the most effective for “blinding applications“.
In addition to advising pilots to look immediately away from unexpected sources of light, the FBI is also recommending that airlines consider installing laser warning devices on their planes and that more explicit warnings be attached to commercially available lasers, including the small hand-held ones used for briefings.
One of the most high-profile cases involving the use of a laser on an aircraft occurred on April 4, 1997 off the coast of British Columbia.
Lt. Cmdr. Jack Daly hit by laser beam from a Russian ship off B.C.
In the incident former U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jack Daly and Canadian Coast Guard Capt. Pat Barnes were in a helicopter on a routine intelligence-gathering mission. Barnes was the pilot, Daly the observer as they photographed the Russian merchant ship Kapitan Man in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The freighter was suspected of gathering intelligence on U.S. nuclear submarines transiting through the strait to and from the Trident submarine base in Bangor, 20 miles west of Seattle. On that day, it was believed to be shadowing the USS Ohio.
Daly and Barnes recall seeing a bright flash of light from the ship and felt pain in their eyes.
Both men were not believed by their governments. Barnes after a long battle got the Canadian government to eventually recognize his eye injuries as service-connected.
The U.S. Navy not only denied Daly medical treatment as a veteran, it this year rejected a Pentagon recommendation that the former officer be given the Purple Heart — a military award to soldiers who have been killed or wounded in combat.
Navy officials rejected the Purple Heart recommendation because the ship was from the former Soviet Union which is now not considered a “hostile foe” of the United States.
Chinese-made ZM-87 Laser Blinder that has been shown off at military exhibitions in Manila and Abu Dhabi
I think this article is and should be of interest to more people.
"Providing a conceptual terrorist attack using a laser system, the FBI said that a small lightweight laser system could be hidden indoors or outside with relative ease until and during the time of an attack.
“For example, a terrorist/criminal could be perched on an elevated platform and target pedestrians below at will… Of greater concern would be a laser system used to target drivers hauling hazardous materials or fuel tankers,“ said the FBI, which estimated that such a weapons system could be put together for about US$50,000. "
Imagine a couple of those units rearward mounted in a vehicle trunk.
Instant 90 mph pileup on the 15 to Vegas.
China may not do it, but they would sell it to Iran, who would be more than likely to give it to the terrorists.
Wade Smith, deputy director of this program for Raytheon, has voluntarily felt the beam during testing. "This is an effect that literally gets under your skin," said Smith, "I can assure you, once you come in contact with the beam, you will be inclined to stop whatever you are doing."
Active Denial Technology uses a transmitter to send a tight beam of 95-Ghz millimeter waves; the energy reaches the subject and penetrates less than 1/64th of an inch into the skin. A two-second burst can heat the skin to a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The sensation is like that experienced when touching an ordinary light bulb; the flesh does not burn, however, because of the low levels of energy used. Exposure of at least 250 seconds would be required before burns would result.
Neat! Great for crowd control, but isn't it's range somewhat limited?
Not quite a good terrorist weapon.
Tom Clancy wrote a book about 15-30 years ago about when Clark lit up some bad guys with a 'light cannon' that permanently blinded the bad guys. Clark tapped, the peprps looked in the direction of the sound source. Clark fired the 'light cannon', the perps were done. Then Clark and his team moved on towards completing their mission. I wish I could remember the book. I've read so many over the last 20 years, cannot discern exactly the title.
That book was "Debt of Honor". Clark and Ding use the light cannon on a Somali warlord and his henchmen, some Yakuza-types holding a politician prisoner, and then use it to crash two AWACS aircraft on landing. It did not cause permanent blindness.
Tom Clancy claims that this gadget is real and that he actually saw it demonstrated.
What do we think would cause more injures. Remember the DC sniper?Buying one $50,000 machine is not a very efficient way of causing mass terror.
Sometimes the obvious is just too obvious. Good call.
Debt of Honor, IIRC
The FBI may as well also warn pilots to duck bullets which already hit them...
The airline could hand laser-resistant glasses out to all passengers along with the brown bag lunches. Or maybe they could sell them as an added-cost option like the movie headphones.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We are experiencing some unexpected infrared laser radiation aimed at our aircraft and I've turned on the overhead 'Laser' warning light. Please put on your laser-resistant glasses until the threat is over. Thank you for your cooperation."
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