Blinding Lasers Replace Guns for Peacekeeping

[dipsydoodle]

The laser’s emerald beam is so piercingly brilliant that it temporarily blinds and disorients a would-be assailant. Few attackers would push on toward the Marine wielding the light-based weapon.

The laser is a new tool for the military as its mission shifts from combat to nation-building and humanitarian aid in Iraq and Afghanistan, activities that can require controlling crowds, distributing food and policing checkpoints. Marines are researching and testing similar devices for all services through a Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate that began in 1996.

The Pentagon’s budget for non-lethal weapons research and procurement was about $120 million in fiscal 2010, which ended Sept. 30, according to the directorate’s annual report. The military is buying spotlights, flash-bang grenades and electric shock weapons to stun instead of kill, and handheld translators and extra-loud speakers to warn away attackers.

“Non-lethal weapons can help defuse potential hostilities by filling the gap between verbal commands and the use of lethal force,” said Kelley Hughes, spokeswoman for the program, in an interview at the Quantico Marine Corps Base in Virginia on July 19. The program is run from Quantico.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-27/blinding-lasers-replace-guns-for-peacekeeping.html

[nomb]

1. That's begging to be coupled with a rifle and used for combat operations, and -

Sounds nice at first - temporary and non-lethal. But the obvious utilization is to temp blind the opposing force in order to move/shoot on them.

That's a bigger question, the one the Marines have put out above is just sugar coating the tool.

It's a hammer, it pounds nails. Even if you sometimes use it as a paper weight on the kids water coloring book at a picnic.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

2. Can This Be Far Behind?

But we're only going to set them on "stun"!

[theophilus]

3. Nation building? I'm all for it if we start with the U.S. Nation building begins at home, no? n/t

[Union Thug]

4. Just wait until the police are handed this "gap" ... but on a lighter note-

What if one were to carry a mirror? :-)

[Motown_Johnny]

5. while wearing sunglasses

[CanonRay]

6. Mirrors as defense?

just wondering...

[dipsydoodle]

7. Probably

Sunglasses a different colour than the laser or a large parabolic mirror as in "take that sucker" .

And whilst on the subject - sprayed water or bubble wrap also work against acoustic weapons.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

11. What do you do when...

they try to cook you with the microwave "non-lethal" weapon?

I'll take my old football helmet, put bubble wrap inside the ear holes. Put on a dark visor and hold up a mirror at the next protest I attend. When everyone else around me drops to the ground or runs and I'm still standing there, will they will just shoot me? ;)

[kenny blankenship]

8. The police state invents more weapons of non-lethal force, just so it can use more force

And listen to fewer protests.

We were told Smart Bombs meant "fewer have to be dropped" and "fewer civilians will die" - and yet they drop them more often!

War has become almost a casual affair for a technological military that cloaks its motives in humanitarian missions and hides its globalized violence behind a feigned concern for "innocent civilian lives."

[obxhead]

9. Coming to a police department near you soon! nt

[Tesha]

10. The funny part...

...is that if you point what is probably a lower-power version of this
very laser at an airplane from a mile away, you could "permanently
blind the pilot" and you will be arrested and thrown in prison for a
long, long time.

But if a soldier or a police officer aims (a probably much higher-
powered version of) this laser at a combatant or civilian a few
feet away, he'll only temporarily dazzle that combatant/civilian
and the person will be fine soon. No war crimes, etc.

Sometimes the bullshit flies so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Tesha