Developing Non-Lethal Weapons: The Human Effects Characterization Process

Abstract

As these examples highlight, non-lethal weapons provide options to commanders on the escalation and de-escalation of force continuum, enhancing their capability sets in various environments. While the benefit of these options maybe seem self-evident, it may not be as obvious how the Department of Defense (DoD) defines a non-lethal weapon and procures systems which meet that definition. The need for non-lethal weapons was recognized with the 1996 establishment of the DoD Non-Lethal Weapons Program. This followed the asymmetric warfare experience in Somalia. Here, rock- and Molotov-cocktail-throwing crowds and open looting of military equipment were undeterred until U.S. forces adopted non-lethal weapons during the 1995 United Nations withdrawal from Somalia.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2015
Accession Number
AD1015792

Entities

People

  • Scott M. Mckim
  • Shannon E. Foley
  • Wesley A. Burgei

Organizations

  • Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Asymmetric Warfare
  • Business Administration
  • Department Of Defense
  • Employment
  • Health Care
  • Lessons Learned
  • Marine Corps
  • Military Equipment
  • Nonlethal Weapons
  • Personnel Management
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Tool Kits
  • Warfare
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Theoretical Analysis.