Department of War Secretary and DUI hire Pete Hegseth has okayed a loan of its military-grade heat ray weapon to the Department of Homeland Security for potential use of crowd control at the US-Mexico border.
The memo was signed in September, and authorizes a seven-month loan of one Active Denial System, which according to internal discussions could be used to disperse crowds at the southern border. DHS can request a longer loan after the initial period.
The system “shall not be operated by DoW (Department of War) personnel,” leaving DHS solely responsible for employing the weapon and for developing the tactics, techniques and procedures governing its use.
What could go wrong?
The weapon had been shelved after originally being sent to Afghanistan, and brought home without ever being used in combat.
US officials had also considered deploying the system during moments of domestic unrest, including at the end of President Donald Trump’s first term when protests erupted over the murder of George Floyd, according to a former US official familiar with those discussions.
The weapon is built around an invisible beam of 95GHz millimeter-wave energy and has a range of more than half a mile.
The beam heats the surface of the skin, producing a burning sensation Pentagon officials have compared to opening a hot oven, along with an effect officials say lasts 10 to 15 minutes and creates a strong urge to move away.
Military officials have said the resulting “tingling effect” lasts between 10 and 15 minutes.