Posted on 01/25/2007 12:43:49 AM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu
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 gun - called Silent Guardian - projects an invisible high energy beam that produces a sudden burning feeling, but is actually harmless. The beam can be fired as far as 500m (550 yards), much further than existing non-lethal weapons like rubber bullets. The gun should be in use by the US military within three years. The prototype weapon uses a large rectangular dish mounted on a Humvee vehicle. The waves can penetrate clothes but not walls, suddenly heating up the skin of anyone in its path to 50C.
Journalists who volunteered to be zapped during the demonstration on an air base in the US state of Georgia described the sensation as similar to a blast from a very hot oven - too painful to bear and forcing them to dive for cover. Military officials say the so-called "active denial system" is harmless, but could prove invaluable in the increasingly complex situations they face. The marine colonel in charge said it was an alternative to going straight from shouting to shooting and could save lives. The system could be used both for dispersing hostile crowds during peace time, or in conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan.
|
>>>It appears to me that it makes an easy target for a terrorist with a rocket propelled grenade.
That's not the point. You expect a first generation prototype to be large. Later models will be reduced in size and increased in power assuming the M 1 meets expectations.
Note, what can hurt on a low setting will kill at a high enough setting.
Heat-ray? This is a microwave spallation weapon, surely?
I can hardly wait for them to start the human trials!
I heard this on the radio this morning here. They had audio clips from the miltitary volunteers being "shot." Absolutely hilarious.
Gezz #&*$%^ that hurt!! Son of ^&*(%&^%**(. It was great.
Not going to critcize Jame Westhead too much. What separates the two?
James.....
Should have called it the Ronald Ray Gun. :)
|
Let's see...50 C...50 x 9 = 450...450 / 5 = 90...90 + 32 = 122.
So, used to control anyone south of the Mason Dixon line will be as much control as a heat wave.
And, it won't work in Iraq, where it may work as an airconditioner, bringing the temp down a few degrees.
Any possibility this was designed to control Ted Nugent when he goes wango tango after finding out Hitlery Clinton is president?
The semideaf hippies were all for it because they thought it was the, "Hate Reagan".
Exactly. It's definitely gotta be a microwave based weapon. So, hook it up to a large enough energy source, and you have insta-boiled 'insurgents'...erm... 'terrorists'. Can you imagine a focused microwave beam strong enough to boil any water/liquid it hits ? That'd make for a fantastic anti-personell weapon. No ballistics (can't miss, really), direct fire, zero travel time.
it was down here at Moody, outside of Valdosta.
we cycle a LOT of folks out to the front, which might be why it was unveiled here.
If they got RPGs you don't need non-leathal weapons. It's gonna be killin' time.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.