Non-Lethal Weapon: DOD seeks to use lasers to create shouting will-o-the-wisp

[Judi Lynn]

Laser-Induced Plasma Effect can create sounds up close and personal to scare off crowds.
SEAN GALLAGHER - 3/22/2018, 6:15 AM

The Department of Defense's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Development Program (JNLWD) is closing in on a directed energy weapon that can literally tell people to go away—creating sound waves with laser pulses that can annoy, frighten, or otherwise send the message to people approaching a military unit that getting closer is not a good idea.

The Non-Lethal Laser-Induced Plasma Effect (NL-LIPE) system can be used to manipulate air molecules, creating a ball of plasma that oscillates to create sound waves with a stream of femtosecond-long laser bursts. A first laser creates the plasma ball, and a second then oscillates the plasma ball to create the sound. As Defense One's Patrick Tucker reports, the current Laser-Induced Plasma Effect implementation can only manage an indistinguishable mumble—though it can create a wide variety of very distinguishable sounds, as demonstrated in the video below.

David Law, JNLWD's Technology Division chief, believes that, within the next three years, the system will be able to create intelligible speech from a glowing ball of plasma hovering in the air at a distance. "We're this close to getting it to speak to us," Law told Tucker. "I need three or four more kilohertz."

While it can't talk clearly yet, NL-LIPE can create the equivalent of a stun grenade (or "flashbang&quot , and it could be combined with other non-lethal laser applications. NL-LIPE could also be used to scorch or burn clothing, as shown in this DOD video.


More:
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/03/non-lethal-weapon-dod-seeks-to-use-lasers-to-create-shouting-will-o-the-wisp/

[Stryst]

1. This will never see the field against a foreign enemy

Instead this will be used to disperse protests in the US that annoy the PTB.

[cstanleytech]

2. Actually it has potential for humanitarian missions as well as part of security at varies embassies.

[Stryst]

3. Oh, like the "Active Denial System" ?

Yep, miracle of modern engineering that was totally going to let us "safely" remove insurgents from brush and debris in the field, and now the LAPD is "exploring its use to break up prison fights".

I'm an Air Force veteran, and I spent six years seeing "less than lethal" products being continually pulled from the field without seeing combat, or after it's first combat engagement, but continually being redirected toward police use.

I personally know the effect of low frequency sound on the human body, and I don't want this used on me. Using it on people like us, though, I think is the long term plan.

Our country has a history of squandering potential.

[cstanleytech]

4. Note, I said it has potential for it and imo anything that does not kill like bullets can should

be explored.