Army wants rapid-fire rubber bullets for crowd control

[n2doc]

17 February 2011 by David Hambling

THE US army is planning to field "rubber bullets" for machine guns. Military officials claim the ammunition will allow them to more effectively quell violent protests without loss of life, but human rights campaigners are alarmed by the new weapon.

The final design for the XM1044 round has not been selected, according to an order placed on the Federal Business Opportunities website last month, but the army's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate has been working on a ring aerofoil projectile for some years. The round is a hollow plastic cylinder 40 millimetres across, looking something like a short toilet-paper roll. In flight its shape generates lift, giving it a longer range.

The army's existing crowd-control rounds are single shots fired from handheld grenade launchers with a range of about 50 metres - the XM1044 would double this range. It would be supplied in belts for the Mk19 grenade launcher, a truck-mounted weapon that can fire almost six rounds per second. The Mk19 has been exported to some 30 countries, including Egypt.

"The US army has a requirement for a rapid-fire non-lethal capability," says Ken Schulters, project manager for close combat systems at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. "All currently fielded non-lethal ammunition is single shot."

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20927995.600-army-wants-rapidfire-rubber-bullets-for-crowd-control.html

[sadbear]

1. So we'll just make rubber bullet-proof vests

:sarcasm:

[Bozita]

2. At this particular time, I find this fucking scary!

[Matariki]

3. Indeed. Anything to protect the uber 'elite'. Fuck the rest of us.

[cutlassmama]

4. For the riots this spring/summer

[somone]

5. Crowd Control Is Job One

[Catherina]

6. For use here and for use by allies in Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen, Libya etc...

Lovely.

Rec'd with shame and disgust.

[demmiblue]

7. Reminds me of the anti-war protest in Oakland (graphic).

[GSLevel9]

that looks like it hurts... probably took a lot of ice. nt

[upi402]

15. I remeber her pic

I used to post it for freepers who HATED anti-war protesters. They still rfuse to admit they were wrong.

[kentuck]

8. Bunch of jackbooted thugs want permission to kill...

the average citizens. Fight or die!

[SDuderstadt]

12. Unrecced for phrase...

"jack-booted thugs".

[kentuck]

19. You have a better name for them?

??

[SDuderstadt]

20. Read the article in the OP again...

It says the Army is seeking better NON-LETHAL ways to subdue VIOLENT protests.

First of all, violent protests aren't legal. Secondly, if they were really "jack-booted thugs", why would they hesitate to use live ammo? This tendency that some posters here have to project an "us vs them" mindset by using emotionally-laden, demonizing terms like "jack-booted thugs' is truly appalling.

I swear, there are days I feel I have accidentally landed in Free Republic.

[CoffeeCat]

9. This is a shout-out to anyone who dares...

...to question our government.

Just a friendly little reminder that the government will use violence against you, if you
decide do something outrageous--like protest or speak out.

I'm surprised the article didn't include a friendly reminder about what the Patriot Act
enables them to do to us.

[EFerrari]

13. Yep. n/t

[Desertrose]

14. Yeah, bullets (rubber- so what) for use on American citizens.

This is just SO not right. How anyone can say it is needs to wake up and now!

[SDuderstadt]

21. Where does the article say...

"for use on American citizens"?

[OhioChick]

10. Rapid fire, yet?

Sounds like they're expecting a reason to use these.....

[GSLevel9]

11. SWEEEEEETTTTT!!!!!

Just wish I owned the rubber machine gun bullet factory getting the contract. Hmmm.... maybe $5 per bullet? Sound good?

[highplainsdem]

16. "human rights campaigners are alarmed by the new weapon" - and should be!

[IDemo]

17. "quell violent protests"

Is this really part of the mission statement of the US army, assuming such protests take place within our borders?

[Renew Deal]

18. Grenade launchers should be a pretty good crowd control devices.

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