“Deadly noise weapons that can kill or maim may soon be part of America’s firepower.”

So read the first sentence of an article in the Daily Mirror, one of England’s largest newspapers on December 8, 1997. The article is entitled: “Horrific noise gun set to go into battle.” It further states: ” About 20 US Government laboratories and military bases are working on acoustic weapons which can rupture organs, inflict burns and cause death. They are now so highly developed that they could be deployed at any moment, according to American expert William Arkin. A blast from a rifle, helicopter or mine would release an energy beam varying from a 90 to 120 decibel low-frequency to “shockwave” levels at more than 170 decibels. Very low frequencies could cause internal bleeding while the highest would destroy human flesh. Writing in the quarterly journal Medicine, Conflict and Survival, consultant Mr Arkin calls for international curbs on the new weapons on humanitarian grounds.”

Please take note of how this class of weapon “that could be deployed at any moment (as of 1997)” operates. It targets victims with a “very low frequency beam” that, with enough intensity, can “rupture organs, inflict burns and cause death.” Very low sound frequencies cannot be heard by the human ear. They can only be felt. Therefore, these are silent weapons that emit an invisible beam.

Who is the “American expert” credited as the source of this article? Is he qualified to comment on the development of acoustic weapons? William M. Arkin (warkin@igc.org) is a writer and consultant specializing in national security affairs. He writes a bi-weekly column Dot Mil for washingtonpost.com on national security and the Internet, and is a long time columnist for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Arkin is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic Education at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University. He serves as a consultant to a number of non-profit and academic organizations on military and Internet matters, and is a news contributor and consultant to MSNBC, MSNBC.com, NBC News, Defense Daily, and Stars and Stripes Omnimedia (http://www.stripes.com). He has conducted Internet research training for news media organizations, the U.S. military, and private organizations and foundations.

From the Military to Law Enforcement
Have acoustic weapons, like through-the-wall surveillance technology, migrated from military applications to civilian law enforcement? The following piece of evidence may help answer that question. On Nov. 18, 1998, the Synetics Corp. was awarded Department of Defense contract #DAAE30-99-C-1003 for developing the “Difference Acoustic Wave Generation System“. This weapon generates a tightly focused ultrasound beam that “may be remotely directed towards the target. With sufficient energy, the resulting infrasonic waves (very low frequency sound) can be disabling or lethal.” Who is the intended customer for these weapon systems? According to the contract, these are “…for police and personal use”. These units are also designed to be “man-portable”.*See footnote for links to contract information.

Please note that these weapons were designed to target a single individual remotely with a focused acoustic beam. The designer’s intent is to make them light and portable enough to be carried by one man. And, law enforcement (police) are among the intended customers of this weapon. Synetics Corp., the above mentioned weapon developer no longer has an active website. However, an archived version of the website is still available online (if unavailable, an image of the page can be seen here). It gives further insight into how this weapon is controlled by the user. It states: ” The remote station (for weapon control) is hosted entirely on a Panasonic “Tough Book” (laptop computer) and includes all of the system control software, a real time live video display, and a joystick to direct the acoustic beams.” In essence, targeting a person remotely with a harmful acoustic beam is as easy as playing a computer video game.

The evidence provided above discusses the development of a prototype acoustic weapon. Is there evidence that acoustic weapons are being manufactured and purchased by law enforcement agencies? Yes. During the Republican National Convention held in New York in 2004, numerous respected news agencies reported on the presence of a weapon system named LRAD (Long Range Acoustical Device). This unit, purchased by the New York Police Dept., was part of their crowd control arsenal during that event. ABC News, in their article “RNC To Feature Unusual Forms of Sound” made the following statement regarding the capabilities of LRAD: “When in weapon mode, LRAD blasts a tightly controlled stream of caustic sound that can be turned up to high enough levels to trigger nausea or possibly fainting. The operators themselves remain unaffected since the noise is contained in its focused beam.” In commenting on how the weapon is operated, it further stated, “The sound beam is even equipped with a viewfinder so the operator can precisely target the audio by finding a person in cross hairs.” The weapon is tunable so that it can deliver audio messages or painful acoustic beams. And, that acoustic beam will only be heard or felt by the person it targets.

A similar acoustic device named the LDAP (Low Dispersion Acoustic Projector - see photo at top of this article) claims to have a longer range for its focused acoustic beam than the above mentioned LRAD. The manufacturer, called Wattre Corp., says its “HyperSpike” technology “is able to deliver high Sound Pressure Levels (SPL) and pinpoint beamwidth over distances never before possible.” The resulting sound is so intense that it wards off anyone approaching it. “Your cranium hears it,” the president told one newspaper. “The blast won’t sound like a baby crying or a scraped chalkboard,” the paper added. “But it will make a person feel the hyper-discomfort that comes with those noises.”

Wired Magazine recently discussed a ultrasonic / infrasonic weapon that was in development by American Technology Corp., best known as the the makers of LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) in 2002. How does this weapon affect humans? “ . . . they keep getting this uncomfortable effect and they can’t brace themselves to get away from it . . .“ - Where’s My Acoustic Bazooka? - Wired Magazine Blogs

Scientific Applications and Research Associates, Inc. (SARA) is a leading defense contractor for acoustic devices with less-than-lethal weapons applications. According to The Independent, a leading newspaper in the United Kingdom, SARA has developed a a gun that can “fire shock waves that hit people “with enough force to knock them off balance. [It] feels like having a bucket of cold water thrown on to your chest” - according to a quoted SARA spokesperson.

Clearly, we see evidence of the development of acoustic weapons for civilian and law enforcement applications. The next question we can logically ask is: Can deadly sound weapons be used in concert with through-the-wall surveillance to target people sleeping in their homes? If so, how are they being used?

Find out in our next chapter! Don’t miss it!

Footnote:
*Difference Acoustic Wave Generation System: To see the Dept. of Defense contract referenced awarded to Synetics Corp, go to the Dept. of Defense Small Business Innovation Research website. Using their online search tool, search for the following phrases: “Parametric Difference Waves for Low Frequency Acoustic Propagation,” and “Difference Acoustic Wave Generation System.” The search results will show the two contracts awarded for prototype acoustic weapons designed by Synetics Corp.
Dept of Defense Solicitation Abstract Referencing Synetics Corp. “Parametric Difference Waves for Low Frequency Acoustic Propagation”
Prior research indicates that an array of ultrasonic sources operated with an offset in frequency will produce infrasonic or very low frequency energy. This energy is useful because it is omni-directional, and it propagates well with little absorption. With sufficient energy, the resulting infrasonic waves can be disabling or lethal. Synetics proposes an approach toward developing infrasonic waves that can ultimately be incorporated into future man-portable small arms weapon systems. This approach utilizes modernized pneumatic technology which produces an extremely high-powered ultrasonic source. The resulting frequency generated is precisely controlled such that the desired high power infrasound frequency can be generated at the target by beating two focused ultrasonic sources. BENEFITS: The potential post applications of the parametric difference wave generator include non-lethal crowd control, non-lethal self defense units for police and personal use, and soot and crustacean removal devices for commercial industries.

Additional Reading

Information on formerly top-secret research in the 1990’s on Microwave based weaponry and it effects on humans released through Freedon Of Information Act
New York Magazine article commenting on the presence of LRAD during the Republican National Convention in New York, 2004.
American Technology Corp. manufacturer of LRAD website.
NPR Radio “All Things Considered” Discussion of Acoustic Weapon used by Israeli Army
New York Times Article on Woody Norris, Inventor of LRAD Acoustic Beam Technology
Article: Israel May Use Sound Weapon on Settlers