U.S. Army revealed the latest non-lethal weapon, which sends a millimeter-wave of electromagnetic energy that makes the enemy to feel intense heat. The wave penetrates the skin to 1/64 of an inch and causes a feeling similar to being on fire. A two second burst can heat the skin to 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54 degrees Celsius). Designed primarily for crowd control, the weapon is not lethal and, during the testing on 11,000 people, only two suffered second degree burns.
The new weapon is called Active Denial System (ADS) and, when activated, produces a high-frequency wave for targets at a distance of up to one kilometer, informs Daily Mail. Mounted on a military vehicle, the weapon produces such a discomfort to the people that their only answer is to flee.
Marine Col. Tracy Tafolla, lethal weapons centre manager, believes that the invention is the best tool in controlling crowds. “It is the safest non-lethal weapon we have. You do you see it, you will not hear it, you will not smell it. But you feel it”, he said. U.S. Navy Base at Quantico, Virginia, was the place where the ADS was presented. After the weapon was tested on journalists, they confessed that they felt like they were in a hot oven.
The ADS prototype was canceled in 2008, but two years later was used in Afghanistan. Tafolla believes that the weapon was much improved from the initial phase.
According to the press, the Pentagon also wants to produce the new weapon for use in flight. Tests have established that only two of 11,000 people that have done tests with ADS had second degree burns. The researchers also said that it does not cause cancer, fertility problems or defects in newborns. The weapon is intended to be an alternative that does not cause major injuries as rubber bullets or tear gas.
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