The Active Denial System. A Revolutionary, Non-lethal Weapon for Today's Battlefield

Since the end of the Cold War, U.S. Armed Forces have participated in many operations that combine military operations against combatants in situations where the civilian population is at risk. Such complex operations, as they are now called, necessarily place troops in close contact with local civiliansand sometimes in confrontations that lead to violence. Use of force against civilians can create local tensions that undermine efforts to rebuild a society and, thanks to the globalization of communications, widespread condemnation that can jeopardize the entire mission. Non-lethal weapons provide an additional set of tools for our troops engaged in complex operations. Research efforts to advance the types and efficacy of non-lethal weapons available to our warfighters is producing novel capabilities. One such capability is the Active Denial System ADS. ADS can provide our troops a capability they currently do not have, the ability to reach out and engage potential adversaries at distances well beyond small arms range, and in a safe, effective, and non-lethal manner. The ADS can immediately compel an individual to cease threatening behavior or depart through application of a directed energy beam that provides a sensation of intense heat on the surface of the skin. The effect is overwhelming, causing an immediate repel response by the targeted individual.