Thursday, June 21, 2012

Why Russia Will Be The First To Use The Pain Ray

Airmen from the 820th Security Forces Group are currently evaluating the Active Denial System at Moody Air Force Base, Ga.. Airman 1st Class Gina Chiaverotti/US Army

Why Russia Will Be The First To Use The Pain Ray: Analysis -- Popular Mechanics

The U.S. has had its Active Denial "pain ray" system in development for more than a decade but has refrained from using it for political reasons. Now Russia is building its own and may not have such qualms.

Russia's Defense Ministry is testing a new nonlethal ray gun for use on protesters, which looks like a close facsimile of the American system in development. The difference could be that the Russians are willing to use it.

Eleven years ago, the Pentagon unveiled the Active Denial System, a nonlethal crowd-control device firing a beam of 94-Ghz microwaves (known as millimeter waves) developed by Raytheon. The beam has a much shorter wavelength than a microwave oven and very different effects. The waves penetrate only about 1/64 of an inch, and anyone caught in the beam experiences painful but harmless heating of their skin. It causes what developers call a repel effect; nobody can stand it more than a few seconds before having to get out of the beam.

Read more ....

My Comment: It usually comes down to political will. The U.S. government does not have it .... the Russian government has .... hence they will use this weapon system (and others) if they have to.

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