Plan for Progress  

The Active Denial System or as it also known ADS is a less-lethal, directed-energy weapon that was actualized by the United States military. It is a strong millimeter-wave transmitter typically utilized for crowd control. Some Active Denial Systems such as HPEM ADS are also put in place to disable vehicles. It is sometimes in informal settings refered to as the pain ray. Raytheon is at present marketing a reduced-range version of this kind of technology. There is a claim that the Active Denial System is presently being considered for usage in the Iraq War.

The Active Denial System functions by directing electromagnetic radiation, chiefly, high-frequency microwave radiation at a frequency of 95 GHz which is identical to a wavelength of 3.2 mm, at the intended subject(s). The waves cause a sharply, painful sensation of extreme heat on the outer most layer of the skin. It does not burn the skin during regular usage. The burning sensation that is experienced is almost identical to the feeling of an incandescent light bulb being pressed directly upon the skin. The beam that is released can be pointed at targets at a range in excess of 700 meters. The device is capable of penetrating thick clothing, however it is not yet able to penetrate the thickness of a wall. At 95 GHz, its frequency is obviously greater than the 2.45 GHz of a microwave oven.

A spokesman for the Air Force Research Laboratory had this to say about his experience as a test subject for the ADS: “For the first millisecond, it just felt like the skin was warming up. Then it got warmer and warmer and you felt like it was on fire. As soon as you’re away from that beam your skin returns to normal and there is no pain.”. Though the effects can be unpleasant, Active Denial System has been subject to extensive testing since it was put in place more than 12 years ago. Much of the research have remained undisclosed, making a thorough independent evaluation of the system an impossibility. The beam’s design makes it able to only affect an individual for a brief moment. This is achieved by safety presets and features which control the effects of ADS. However it is possible for these settings to be changed by the operator. A public release once declared that there have been more than 10,700 “shots” by ADS. The Active Denial System is presently restricted to being operated while mounted on a vehicle. The United States Marines and police are both working on portable versions for use.

A fully operational and mounted system was shown on January 24, 2007, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, United States. A Reuters correspondent who volunteered to be shot with the beam during the exhibition said it was “similar to a blast from a very hot oven – too painful to bear without diving for cover.”

The full effects of this radio frequency on humans have been studied by the military for several years, and some of the research has been published in peer-reviewed journals.

The principal objective for the development of this system is not entirely knownand as a result has been an area of controversy.

Army vehicles are generally divided into six categories. The development of new technologies has produced faster more efficient vehicles. Presently work is being done to develop vehicles that can be used unmanned for very dangerous missions. The use of these vehicles are exceedingly important. They aid soldiers and other military personnel to perform their routine functions and are instrumental in military campaigns as combat vehicles. The following demonstrates examples of the sorts of army vehicles that are currently being utilized by the United States military.

The upgraded HMMWV is representative of the up to 20,000 lb GVW wheeled vehicles (10,000 lb max axle) and is used extensively by the Army. Many vehicles in this weight range are quite often derivatives of commercially available vehicles and have almost identical performance characteristics to those in the marketplace (120 MPH).

The STRYKER family of multi-mission wheeled vehicles and the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), are representative of vehicles in the up to 80,000 lb GVW weight class (axle loads to 15,000 lb, speeds will eventually reach the 100 MPH range). The present objective is to make these vehicles and their off-shoots faster and more agile, as new technologies are instituted. This category of vehicle is expected to make up a large percentage of the Army’s vehicle fleet.

The M1120 HEMTT is one of the standard Army forward resupply vehicles in the up to 140,000 lb GVW weight class. The HEMTT is 66,000 lb GVW; it also has the option of being attached to a trailer which adds just under 37,000 lb of additional weight. Max. axle loadings are 20,000 lb which are within the present design parameters for Federal highways, as a result, these trucks are road legal throughout the United States.

The M916 M2/M3 Line Haul Tractor is another class of army vehicle which when used with a fully loaded trailer has a gross vehicle weight of about 130,000 lb. However, axle loadings remain within or very near the 25,000 lb general upper limit for over the highway travel as result the M915/M916 family of heavy line haul trucks are legal for use on Federal highways. These vehicles are essentially military by-products of commercially available line haul tractors. These, or equivalent, vehicles will likely remain as the Army’s standard over the highway resupply vehicles for many decades to come. These vehicles are presently the most speed capable of the heavy trucks (90+ MPH), when fully loaded they have the highest axle loads, and have the largest percent of paved road vs. unpaved road use.

The Army’s Heavy Equipment Transporter or HET with tank payload is another class of military vehicle. This class of vehicle (GVW >140,000 lbs) is not one that would be tested on the high-speed track, but would instead use the upgraded Dynamometer Course along with tracked vehicles.