Defense officials to boost budget for nonlethal weapons

When the White House unveils its fiscal 2005 budget proposal Monday, the Defense Department expects to see funding for a new science and technology program to develop nonlethal weapons to combat urban warfare and terrorism.

"The time has come now to develop new technologies," said Al Shaffer, the director of programs and plans for Defense research and engineering. Shaffer, with Susan LeVine and Col. David Karcher, top officials with the Joint Nonlethal Weapons Directorate, told National Journal's Technology Daily that the new program aims to give soldiers in urban environments or who are fighting terrorism more choices to make better decisions.

It will fill in the space "between the bullhorn and the bullet" for soldiers, said Karcher, whose division will house the program at the Marine base in Quantico, Va. Shaffer emphasized the need for "the young men and women in harm's way to have the tools that will allow them to react in a situation with appropriate force."

Shaffer, who declined to disclose how much the department proposed in the budget, said both Congress and the White House have expressed "universal" support for the program. He said in late 2002 when they recognized the need for developing and modifying existing technologies for nonlethal weapons, the Joint Nonlethal Weapons Directorate saw its budget jump from $25 million to about $44 million in fiscal 2004.

But Shaffer said he does not expect the budget for the overall directorate to double because of the new funding line. "Science doesn't cost as much to develop," he said.

He said the directorate -- operating since 1997 -- has utilized mostly existing technologies, but with the United States increasingly facing situations like urban warfare and terrorism, the directorate must develop new technologies.

Technologies currently under development include a microwave-like device that can be directed at a distance to heat moisture in a person's skin, causing an uncomfortable temperature increase designed to thwart a mob attack.

Another item is a rollout mat of slippery material designed to prohibit vehicles or airplanes from accessing areas around protected infrastructure. LeVine said the directorate wants to use the new program to make the anti-traction material more efficient and effective. They also want to study and test technologies using lasers, electric stunners and sound energy, she said.

The directorate includes officials from all military branches and the Coast Guard, which is now part of the Homeland Security Department. LeVine said the Coast Guard has supported the directorate's efforts to develop a "tangling rope" that can stop a small, outward-motor boat traveling 30-40 miles per hour.

All technologies must pass initial reviews and meet rules, regulations and protocols for animal and human testing before deployment. "We take this very seriously," said Shaffer, adding that those precautions increase the cost of the technology, but "we have to understand the impact."

The time it takes to test and study the technologies differs on a case-by-case basis. One technology may only take weeks, while another may take a couple of years, LeVine said.