The Active Denial System, the Pentagon's "pain ray," is a millimeter wave nonlethal weapon that has been at the center of controversy since it was publicly revealed in 2001. This is the second part of an interview with the Air Force Research Laboratory's Diana Loree, the ADS project manager, who has been with the program since 1993. (Here's the first part.) In today's entry, we focus on "System 2," the latest version of the weapon, which could eventually be sent to Iraq.
Q: Where is System 2 is terms of testing?
The government is doing a little bit of testing on System 2 for the first time right now. Until this time, Raytheon was still manufacturing it. It’s just now starting a little bit of government testing. Just measurements right now.
Q: With System 1, the Humvee has to stop when it’s in use, correct?
With System 1 the power also turns the vehicle’s tires. System 1 is electrical; it’s a hybrid-electric Humvee, so that same power that's powering up the transmitters also turns the tires. We just couldn't quite fit on enough power to do both at the same time. The next system, you could absolutely do it. For System 1, the second you pull the trigger, unfortunately, it needs some of the wheel turning power.
Q: But System 2 can shoot and move at the same time?
It’s not tied to a vehicle. It's in boxes. If it’s on a truck, the truck could be in motion. We don’t quite have the antenna stabilization for really ‘shoot on move.’ Even for System 2, that’s a lot of vehicle motion, and we don’t quite have the level of antenna stabilization. To stabilize an antenna to a moving vehicle, you have to tie it to gyros, and use that in your computer loop, so it will help hold it still. We don’t have a communications link between System 2 and the vehicle it’s on. That is simple and could be added in the future. We just don’t have it on the current one.
Q: ADS still hasn’t been used operationally, are you concerned about accidental overexposure in a real world seeting, for example, if someone trips and can't move away?
The current systems – any I’m sure any future systems – absolutely have hardware and safety limitations even beyond the operator’s control. The system is designed to make sure so we don’t defeat the blink response, no matter where somebody pops in. The system is designed with software that aids in range and aids in limiting how long it can be on, even if the operator holds the trigger down. Then, the operator in the loop here. They are being trained in tactics, techniques and procedures and the law of armed conflict and how to use this to engage someone, stop and gauge reaction and use it within the mission set. I think the combination of hardware, software and people in the loop, and someone watching the person in the loop, is going to be quite good.
Q: How long does it take for the automatic cutoff to kick in?
It can vary. But, again, I’m talking about the technology demonstrator system, the simple crawl, walk, and run approach. We’re probably at the crawl stage. Even these transmitters can only be on for 1,2,3,4,5,6 seconds. We do have a CW setting, but we don’t use it. The CW testing is mostly for measurement. This is still an assessment. The warfighters are still figuring out how to use it. We need to give them the flexibility. That type of setting can be disabled, if necessary, for other use.
Q: There was an April report of a test subject getting second-degree burn; can you provide any more details?
No, we have to stick with the public release statement. There’s going to be another one.
Q: What sort of improvements to the system do you envision making in the future, beyond System 2?
We have some small business innovative research projects going on to work on more rapid cool down magnets. Also, the compressor, the refrigerator we’re using to cool it down, has a harsh temperature limit. It’s this commercial product. It’s made to be in a nice hospital or a nice laboratory indoors with air conditioning. We have it sitting in the back of our humvee. It really hates hot weather. It’s something we didn’t have to fix for the [advanced concept technology demonstration] ACTD. The warfighter would like something that doesn’t mind hot weather. Another thing we’re trying to do in our innovative research is to get a more ruggedized compressor that doesn’t mind high temperature limits.
Q: Are you optimistic the weapon will be used eventually?
It’s been used 10,600 times.
Q: Yes, but what about operational use? It seems like there’s almost a psychological barrier, particularly because of its stigma as the “microwave weapon.”
It’s the millimeter wave weapon. I don’t control use. There are only a couple of these things, it’s up to the services to decide to use, or decide to buy, and get it into a program of record. This is just an advanced concept technology demonstration for the ground-based system. There are no established programs of record. There are some services looking at it, trying to make documents and do some planning. There’s not a real program of record. I think it’s a great success story for how far we’ve been able to advance and prove the capability. It does exactly what we say, now it’s simply the services’ time to decide.
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