WTF?
So what are bullets too expensive now?
Who would this get used on in Afghanistan?
It's not like the Taliban would care.
F


US army heat-ray gun in Afghanistan

Page last updated at 13:27 GMT, Thursday, 15 July 2010 14:27 UK

BBC - Newsbeat - US army heat-ray gun in Afghanistan
By Dan Cairns
Newsbeat reporter Active Denial System The ADS heats up a person's skin 'intolerably' says the US military

A newly-developed heat-ray gun that burns the skin but doesn't cause permanent injury is now with US troops in Afghanistan.

The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal weapon designed to disperse violent crowds and repel enemies.

It uses a focused invisible beam that causes an "intolerable heating sensation", but only penetrates the skin to the equivalent of three sheets of paper.

The discomfort causes whoever it's pointed at to immediately start moving away. They often scream but the US military says the chance of injury from the system is 0.1%.

It's already been tested more than 11,000 times on around 700 volunteers. Even reporters have faced the heat-ray.
Limit deaths

Lt. Col. John Dorrian, a US military spokesperson, says the kit is now in Afghanistan but no decision has yet been made on its use.

There's been much talk about the need to keep civilian casualties in Afghanistan to a minimum. The heat-ray gun could help.

The beam produced by the ADS can travel more than 500m (1,640ft) and is seen as an important new way to limit unnecessary deaths and minimise war zone casualties.

Developers also say it could also be adapted to other operations, like fighting drug smuggling at sea and general peacekeeping operations.

Research is continuing to make the system smaller, lighter and less expensive, says the Pentagon's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program.
ADS graphic

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I dunno. I was pretty much against cops being given tasers from the start, because it was entirely obvious that they'd pretty much never get used in situations where the alternative was shooting people and instead be used prolifically on shoplifters, grannies, four year-olds and anyone suspected of being black in the vicinity of a policeman. I don't think this presents those risks, partly because it's being used in entirely different circumstances and partly because it doesn't serve the same purpose.

On the other hand I can't really see what the use of this would be in Afghanistan. I didn't think that they had many riots needing to be broken up, and afaik they're still aiming to kill Taliban fighters rather than just make them scream and run away.

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Yes. But if the Taliban become kinder and gentler, and take to formenting riots to embarass us (as opposed to trying to kill as many of us as they can), we'll be ready!

Truth is, this stupid thing is being deployed in the hopes of getting to do a 'live fire*' test.


*well, something on the continuum leading to fire....


ON EDIT: You know, I do see a use. You've got a bunch of young dudes in Moslem hoodies hanging around on the street. Are they Taliban, about to throw grenades and stuff, or just nice young local chaps? How the heck can we know? Now, rather than just shoot them, or wait until they throw grenades first, we could clear the street with the non-lethal heat rays. That way we don't get killed if they are Taliban, and they don't get killed if they're not. The sting is taken out of both sorts of errors, though we loose the bigger payoffs available if we were to guess right, either way....

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Quote:

Are they Taliban, about to throw grenades and stuff, or just nice young local chaps?

If you heat ray the hell out of them they may decide that you are just a pack of arseholes, and that it is worth joining the Taliban to get rid.

Originally Posted by roadkill

If you heat ray the hell out of them they may decide that you are just a pack of arseholes, and that it is worth joining the Taliban to get rid.

Good point.

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Originally Posted by FredFredson

A newly-developed heat-ray gun that burns the skin but doesn't cause permanent injury is now with US troops in Afghanistan. The Active Denial System (ADS) is a non-lethal weapon designed to disperse violent crowds and repel enemies

the bastards!.....how are we supposed to maintain a suitable level of collateral damage with something like this in play?.......at the very least, it had better cause cancer twenty years later or the left will be left out in the cold by the heat........

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