I know that IMC guidelines are against reposts of corporate matyerial, i found this article by chance and it describes how the US military/industrial complex is lobbying to deploy ''Active Denial Systems' , ie 'energy' weapons to control crowds. Testing is not complete but the project manager wants it issued to front line troops in Iraq for 'suppressing' the insurgency and dealing with prison riots.

or anything they don't like.

Extra: israeli forces are using something the palestinians call the 'Scream' - a sonic weapon - to disperse demonstrators.

also see 'Every journey by every car will be monitored '
 http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article334686.ece

and 'Surveillance UK: why this revolution is only the start '
 http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article334684.ece



START REPOST RE: ENERGY WEAPONS

see  http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,83376,00.html


title: 'Active Denial System' Sought for Iraq

The head of the Rapid Equipping Force has requested that a non-lethal, counter-personnel directed-energy weapon be rushed to the field to support military operations in Iraq.

In a memorandum to the deputy undersecretary of defense for advanced system and concepts, Army Col. Robert Lovett, the project manager for the Rapid Equipping Force, requested that activities related to the Active Denial System 1 advanced concept technology demonstration be suspended and redirected to support immediate deployment of the technology to Iraq.

A copy of the memo, obtained by Inside the Army, says that Col. James Brown, commander of the 18th Military Police Brigade, has requested ADS to help “suppress” insurgent attacks and quell prison uprisings.

“System 1 capabilities have, to date, been sufficiently demonstrated in the ACTD to prove its value to the solider,” Lovett says in the Oct. 11 document. “System 1 current operating constraints can be mitigated if used in Iraq during the November through March time frame without modification.

“Furthermore, with modifications, System 1 could be enhanced to allow its use in spring and summer months as well,” he added.

The Army did not immediately respond to questions about the memo.

ADS, under the management of the the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, works by using a transmitter that produces an energy frequency of 95 GHz and an antenna to direct an invisible beam at a target. Once the energy reaches the subject, the light beam penetrates the skin by less than 1/64th of an inch. Within seconds, the target experiences an intolerable heating sensation. The sensation would stop if the target moves or the system is turned off.

Results from a key milestone review of the Pentagon's vehicle-mounted ADS are currently being compiled to help the services decide if they want to further explore the technology, according to Susan Levine, deputy director for policy and resources in the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate.

In a Nov. 29 compilation e-mail to ITA , several program officials dove into the current status of the humvee-mounted version of the technology under development.

During two military utility assessments conducted by the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center -- the first conducted in early August at Creech AFB, NV, and the second in mid-September at Ft. Benning, GA -- more than 2,370 ADS shots were fired in a variety of simulated operational scenarios, according to Maj. Gabrielle Chapin, spokeswoman for the directorate.

“The evaluation of the testing results from the assessments has not been completed but will provide insight to the program's operational manager to define the tactics, techniques and procedures for this revolutionary new weapon,” Chapin wrote. “The MUA will also help refine operator training and assess ADS' capability within [the] rules of engagement. The results of these MUAs will also help determine the next steps needed to evaluate the military utility of ADS and active denial technology in general.”

Once the results from the MUAs are completed, plans call for “extended-user evaluations” by services interested in the technology, Levine wrote.

This spring, the directorate postponed the MUA phase to throughly test system I for reliability and correct any anomalies, according to Don Streater, deputy operational manager for the ADS advanced concept technology demonstration.

“As a one-of-a-kind technology demonstration article, it had a number of ‘bugs' from the factory that our technical manager had to work out of it,” Streater wrote.

In March, sister publication Inside the Pentagon reported that engineers had corrected several weight issues affecting the ADS system I.

In the e-mail to ITA, Diana Loree, technical manager for the ADS ACTD, said system I now meets all of the ACTD performance parameters.

“Because the system is a hand-built, one-of-a-kind technology demonstrator, it does not meet conventional humvee curb weight requirements,” Loree explained. “However, the technology team worked closely with AM General to ensure the safety of the system and its occupants.”


end repost