The mass protests, which turned into full-fledged riots in the American town of Ferguson, became a testing ground for testing the latest special means to disperse the protests, including long-range acoustic cannons (LRAD). Riots in this American city broke out after a black teenager was shot and killed by police. It should be noted that in recent years, in different countries of the world, police have been using the most advanced developments to disperse protesters. Previously, for these purposes, mainly stun grenades, batons and water cannons were used. Now in the arsenal of the police there are mobile complexes that are able to influence an aggressive crowd with sound, light, microwaves and even various smells.
LRAD
LRAD sonic cannons are a product of the corporation of the same name. They are able to make a directional loud sound that a person cannot tolerate. Military modifications of the LRAD 2000X device are able to transmit sound at a volume of 162 dB at a range of up to 8, 85 km, while the devices have an angle of action of about 30 degrees. Today, modern acoustic cannons are installed on some civilian and military ships. There is even a known case when with the help of an acoustic installation LRAD in 2005 it was possible to drive away the Somali pirates who surrounded the passenger cruise liner Seabourn Spirit. The brigands could not withstand the sound of such a force. But most often, such installations are used to disperse crowds of demonstrators.
The prototype for the LRAD installation was a series of acoustic weapons created a little earlier by the American Technology Corporation: mobile installations with a power of 130 dB, which were installed on jeeps and armored personnel carriers, as well as manual installations similar to conventional megaphones with a power of 120 dB. The latter can be used quite boldly in urban areas: after a few tens of meters, the sound power decreases, and the roar reflected from the dense urban development is no longer dangerous for plant operators. The power of such a sound is known by comparison. For example, the noise from the operating engines of a jet aircraft taking off is 120 dB, and the sound above 130 dB is physically difficult to bear, it can damage the human hearing aid.
At the same time, LRAD was originally created as a more powerful and long-range installation with an eye to military use. The primary task was to equip ships, and later to create a helicopter installation with a range of several kilometers. Modern LRAD emitters are able to transmit audio information to alert groups of intruders, both independently and through the built-in microphone, and purposefully emit very powerful audio signals that have a very negative effect on human hearing. Exposure to such a powerful sound stream leads to the fact that objects fall out of people's hands, people instinctively bend, plug their ears and begin to abruptly run to the right or left, and when leaving the affected area of the device - back.
In the city of Ferguson, the American police used weakened versions of the devices. So, the police used the LRAD 500X model. The range of this installation under ideal conditions does not exceed two kilometers. In the city, it is heard at a distance of about 650 meters, and the sound that leads to a severe headache begins to be felt at a distance of 300 meters. At the same time, these non-lethal installations are planned to be used for civil and military purposes, and their use can be very practical. For example, they are already installed in some airports, where they are used to keep birds away, which pose a threat to passengers if they hit the aircraft turbine.
ADS
The system, designated ADS (Active Denial System), is manufactured by the defense company Raytheon. This non-lethal device is a directional microwave generator. The device works on the same principle as ordinary home microwave ovens, instantly heating the skin of a person and causing unbearable pain in him within 5 seconds after the start of exposure to the device. During the tests, some volunteer soldiers received second-degree burns; no more serious injuries were recorded during the tests.
The installation was also tested on inmates of American prisons. Inmate Michael Hanlon, who agreed to participate in the experiment, compared his ADS exposure to touching a bare wire. According to Hanlon, the pain disappeared as soon as the person left the area of the device. At the same time, he noted that tingling in the fingers remained even several hours after the end of the tests.
The idea of creating a new non-lethal "humane" weapon - a microwave gun arose in the mid-90s of the last century, after the American military was forced to leave Somalia in disgrace under the pressure of the local population. Then the main problem was that, in addition to armed militants, crowds of angry local residents, who were armed only with sticks and stones, also attacked American soldiers. At that time they feared widespread use of weapons against angry crowds - the United States still listened to the opinion of the world community and treasured its role as a "peacemaker".
At the moment, there is no conclusive evidence that ADS installations have ever been applied in the field. But in 2010, John Dorrian, the spokesman for the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, confirmed the information that the systems of the Active Rejection System were deployed in the country. A month later, the installations left the territory of Afghanistan without explanation. Also, ADS installations were seen in Iraq and Somalia, but Washington did not officially confirm this information.
If the LRAD installations helped at one time to stun and drive away pirates, then with the help of ADS, their boats could also be set on fire. Also, more powerful models could defuse a suicide bomb from a distance or stop a car with criminals. And the main difference is that the acoustic installation is practically useless in a collision with a serious enemy, while ADS can still be used not only for "peaceful", but also for quite combat purposes - to combat enemy equipment. Electromagnetic fields have been used for a long time to disable the enemy's electronic devices, with which any sophisticated military equipment abounds today. Even during the tests of the first nuclear bombs, the military got acquainted with the effect of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), which later brought a large number of problems to the creators of military equipment and objects.
At the same time, there are some problems on the way of introducing ADS as a non-lethal weapon that can call the humanity of such weapons into question. The fact is that during the tests, the volunteers were carefully prepared. All metal objects and contact lenses were removed from them, their eyes were covered with special glasses. The tests were carried out under complete control. Now imagine the impact of ADS installation on the average crowd of demonstrators. Many of them will definitely have bracelets, chains, gold crowns, some may have a pacemaker. At the same time, the skin of such people can get serious burns, the eyes can face serious injury, and people with failed pacemakers will simply die.
It is for this reason that some American and British scientists insist on conducting more serious tests of ADS in order to identify all the negative physical and psychological consequences of such an impact, including those that may appear only after a certain time. However, they are in no hurry to listen to their opinion, since a huge amount of money has already been invested in the project, which can outweigh any principles of humanism.
Skunk
"Skunk" is an Israeli development, with which everything is clear already from its name. This is a kind of analogue of the domestic "bird cherry". This tool is actively used by the Israeli army in the fight against Palestinian demonstrators. Skunk is a special mixture with a very unpleasant specific smell. Today "skunk" can be equipped with special armored tank trucks with water cannons, which simply spray this liquid over the heads of the crowd of protesters. The need to use new non-lethal weapons arose after Palestinian demonstrators learned how to cope with spraying ordinary tear gas. It is worth noting that the Palestinians gave this new Israeli weapon an even more capacious unprintable name, calling it just "crap."
According to David bin Garoche, who is the head of the Israeli police’s technology division, Skunk contains only natural ingredients. It can even be drunk, he says - it's a great protein shake. Haroche is absolutely confident that the liquid is safe, claiming that Skunk contains yeast, baking powder and flavors. "Skunk" is actively used by the Israelis to disperse protests not only by Palestinians, but also by left-wing Israeli activists. The development of the fluid began back in 2004 and was first used in 2008. It is worth noting that the Israeli police are armed with an analogue of LRAD - the "Scream" acoustic cannon, capable of transmitting high-frequency sound waves.
Non-lethal laser rifles
Also, as a non-lethal weapon, law enforcement officers can use laser rifles that can cause temporary blindness in people. After the riots in London and other major cities in England in August 2011, which, like in Ferguson, were caused by the murder of a suspect in an attempted arrest, British police began to think about using non-lethal laser devices that resemble conventional rifles. The August pogroms raised the question of the effectiveness of the actions of the British law enforcement agencies and prompted the creation of samples of humane weapons that could temporarily neutralize a person without causing damage to his health in the long term.
The weapon that meets this requirement was designed by one of the former employees of the Royal Navy of Great Britain. He originally planned to use his device to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia. The device received the designation SMU 100. In appearance and size, it is very similar to an ordinary rifle, in fact, it is a laser emitter that can blind and temporarily disorient any person in a crowd. This non-lethal weapon is effective at a distance of up to 500 meters.
UK law enforcement experts have yet to conduct detailed studies of this device for possible long-term health problems that cause (or, conversely, do not cause) human blinding with a laser. According to the developer, such devices are safe, which is confirmed by the first tests of the SMU 100. According to him, the effect of radiation from such a rifle is comparable to looking at the sun with the naked eye. It is quite unpleasant, but relatively safe, if you quickly close your eyes and turn away from the source of radiation. The announced value of the SMU 100 was £ 25,000.
