US Military Tests Non-Lethal Heat Ray

URSpider writes "CNN and the BBC are reporting on a US military test of a new antipersonnel heat ray. The weapon focuses non-lethal millimeter-wave radiation onto humans, raising their skin surface temperature to an uncomfortable 130 F. The goal is to make the targets drop any weapons and flee the scene. The device was apparently tested on two soldiers and a group of ten reporters, which makes me wonder how thoroughly this thing has been safety tested. The government is also appealing to the scientific community for help in creating another innovative military technology: artificial 'black ice'. They hope to deploy the 'ice' in chase scenarios to slow fleeing vehicles." We discussed the military's certification to use the device last month.

Comments

Non-lethal, huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

What happens when somebody is subjected to this weapon for, say, 30 to 60 seconds? I'd imagine it'd be quite lethal then.

After the Abu Ghraib scandal, I think it'd be quite possible for groups of soldiers from Kansas, Alabama, Oklahoma and similar backwater American states to use these weapons repeatedly on prisoners or civilians they happen to encounter. And I don't doubt for a second that a very painful death would await such people, especially when the American soldiers hold down the trigger on this device for a minute or more.

Here it comes

[eebra82]

I'd love to use this on Al Gore during his sleep while playing the theme song from An Inconvenient Truth.