DIRECTED ENERGY DEVICES
Directed energy weapons, also known by the brand name Active Denial System, are a new technology
developed by the U.S. military. This technology delivers very high-frequency millimeter-wavelength
electromagnetic rays that heat skin on contact, causing a painful burning sensation. These weapons have
not been used on protests to date but are actively in development for crowd-control purposes, and they
are being marketed to law enforcement as well as military agencies.
HISTORY
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the U.S. Department of
Defense’s Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate initially funded the
development of an electromagnetic heating weapon in 2002. By 2004,
private manufacturers such as Raytheon were funded to continue
research. The first prototype, Active Denial System I, underwent some
testing and was deployed in Afghanistan in 2010, but was recalled a
few months later and has never been used since then against enemy
combatants in military settings. Since 2011, the updated ADS II and
the Silent Guardian, a smaller mobile device, have been demonstrated
on military personnel and volunteers. The Silent Guardian is marketed
directly to civilian law enforcement agencies and other security providers.
Directed energy weapons project a focused beam of electromagnetic waves at a high frequency
HOW THEY WORK and short wavelength, making them capable of penetrating superficial skin layers to cause pain and
burning without causing ionizing radiation that can alter cellular structure. The electromagnetic beam
is invisible and can travel distances of up to one kilometer. There are truck-mounted versions and a
newer, more transportable version being considered.
POTENTIAL FOR INJURY Areas of thin and delicate skin, such as on the
face and eyes, could be more at risk for injury.
Little is known about the health effects of Capable of penetrating about 0.5 mm into
directed energy weapons because of limited the body, the electromagnetic waves could
publicly available data about their military potentially access skin past the dermal layer,
testing. However, based on the little data which contains blood vessels, nerves and glands.
Although the electromagnetic waves produced
that is available, there are some serious The skin on eyelids, for instance, is 0.2 mm deep.
by directed energy weapons are touted as a non-
concerns. Testing on military volunteers
ionizing type of radiation, long-term studies of
identified several cases of skin burns,
Increased exposure times can produce skin cellular-level impacts have not yet been conducted
blisters or prolonged pain.
burns and dermal damage. and there may be a risk of this kind of damage.
CONSIDERATIONS & POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS
DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS HAVE NOT YET BEEN TRANSPARENTLY AND
APPROPRIATELY TESTED, AND THERE ARE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR
SHORT- AND LONG-TERM MEDICAL IMPACTS.
The weapon’s long-range capabilities limit opportunities for the user to assess on-the-ground
conditions, potentiating the risk for its inappropriate or disproportionate use.
For more information, see Physicians for Human Rights and INCLO, “Lethal in Disguise: The Health
Consequences of Crowd-Control Weapons.” (March, 2016).
