marcus_crassus
04.03.04, 17:46
U.S. military armed to aim at the ears
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — U.S. military personnel in Iraq have new gear for dispersing
hostile crowds and warding off potential enemy combatants. It blasts
earsplitting noise in a directed beam.
The equipment, called a Long Range Acoustic Device, has been used on some
U.S. ships. Now the Army and Marine Corps have added the auditory barrage
dispenser to their arms ensembles.
The developer of the device, American Technology Corp. of San Diego, recently
got a $1.1 million contract from the Marine Corps to buy the gadget for units
deployed to Iraq. The Army also sent the devices to Iraq to test on vehicles.
The 45-pound, dish-shaped device belongs to a developing arsenal of
technologies intended not to kill but to deter. Another such weapon, expected
to be tested in the field soon, is the Active Denial System.
It seeks to repel enemies with a painful energy beam.
The sound devices can broadcast sound files containing warning messages.
They also can be used with electronic translating devices for what amounts
to “narrowcasting.” The sonic weapon can direct a high-pitched, piercing
tone. Carl Gruenler of American Technology said the shrill tone could be as
loud as about 150 decibels; smoke detectors are in the 80- to 90-decibel
range.
