Miltary Shows Off New Ray Gun

[Dr. Snubnose]

Military Shows Off New Ray Gun
Associated Press | January 25, 2007
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Georgia - The military's new weapon is a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they will catch fire.

The technology is supposed to be harmless - a non-lethal way to get enemies to drop their weapons.

Military officials say it could save the lives of innocent civilians and service members in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

The weapon is not expected to go into production until at least 2010, but all branches of the military have expressed interest in it, officials said.

During the first media demonstration of the weapon Wednesday, Airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters and acting out other scenarios U.S. troops might encounter.

The crew fired beams from more than 500 yards (450 meters) away, nearly 17 times the range of existing non-lethal weapons, such as rubber bullets.

While the sudden, 130-degree Fahrenheit (54-degree Celsius) heat was not painful, it was intense enough to make participants think their clothes were about to ignite.

"This is one of the key technologies for the future," said Marine Col. Kirk Hymes, director of the non-lethal weapons program which helped develop the new weapon. "Non-lethal weapons are important for the escalation of force, especially in the environments our forces are operating in."

The system uses millimeter waves, which can penetrate only 1/64th of an inch of skin, just enough to cause discomfort. By comparison, common kitchen microwaves penetrate several inches of skin.

The millimeter waves cannot go through walls, but they can penetrate most clothing, officials said. They refused to comment on whether the waves can go through glass.

Two Airmen and 10 reporters volunteered to be shot with the beams, which easily penetrated various layers of winter clothing.

The system was developed by the military, but the two devices currently being evaluated were built by defense contractor Raytheon.

Airman Blaine Pernell, 22, said he could have used the system during his four tours in Iraq, where he manned watchtowers around a base near Kirkuk. He said Iraqis constantly pulled up and faked car problems so they could scout out U.S. forces.

"All we could do is watch them," he said. But if they had the ray gun, troops "could have dispersed them."

I find it interesting that Raytheon built this system as they were the first to produce Micro-Wave Ovens way back in 1947... My dad worked with Raytheon Scientist Inventer Percy Spenser and a team of others on the invention and we had a prototype installed in our home in 1952 later distributed by Tappan called the Radar-Range... It was cool!... If my dad was alive today he would get a big charge out of how the technology he was involved with from way back when is going to be used today....I'm wondering if you have to put the people you direct your ray gun at on one of those revolving glass plates....Doc

[Jordan]

Bout time, now if they could only get cracking on those flying cars...

[The Deacon]

The problem with non-lethal weapons in a military situation is that they don't terminate the threat, they just postpone it. Not sure how useful it would be against folks whose idea of a military engagement is to crash a car into a building and blow it, and themselves, to bits.

Might be more useful in a domestic or hostage situation here at home.

BTW Doc, I could swear that Amana is the one who markets RadarRanges, IIRC, they are, or were, a division of Raytheon.

[Piet.S]

So in short, you get large groups of people who get the overwhelming sensation that their clothes are on fire.
Resulting in having them to undress as fast as possible or even rip their own clothes of.
Naughty, naughty.

Is this for real or is it one of your better ones Doc?

[Dr. Snubnose]

The problem with non-lethal weapons in a military situation is that they don't terminate the threat, they just postpone it. Not sure how useful it would be against folks whose idea of a military engagement is to crash a car into a building and blow it, and themselves, to bits.

Might be more useful in a domestic or hostage situation here at home.

BTW Doc, I could swear that Amana is the one who markets RadarRanges, IIRC, they are, or were, a division of Raytheon.

Deacon:In 1947, Raytheon demonstrated the world's first microwave oven and called it a "Radarange," the winning name in an employee contest. Housed in refrigerator-sized cabinets, the first microwave ovens cost between $2,000 and $3,000. It cooked food so fast that meat for instance did not even change color and looked raw but was cooked thru and thru... a special browning unit had to be made and was installed at that time to color the meat so the original units had a cooking and separate browning mode incorporated into the oven controls.Tappan originally produced the units to be installed in luxury cruise ships around 1951 so everyone on board could be fed in one sitting as opposed to multiple sittings times to accomendate all passengers who took the cruise. This way everyone could be fed at the same time ( or within the same hour)instead of the customary 4 different hours of seatings for meals. Then someone got the bright idea to make a home model.....Sometime between 1952-55, Tappan introduced the first home model priced at $1295. In 1965 Raytheon acquired Amana Refrigeration. Two years later, the first countertop, domestic oven was introduced. It was a 100-volt microwave oven, which cost just under $500 and was smaller, and was supposed to be safer and more reliable than previous models. But don't you beleive that one for a second....the countertop units according to my dad emitted much more radiation than the original units and we were never permitted to own one....1991 after my father's death my mother bought my wife and I our first countertop unit for our anniversary (which would have made my dad quite mad) the only use it ever saw was to melt hagen daaz ice cream enough to be able to dish it out...LOL...presently we stand back a full four feet from any microwave oven...my suggestion....never put you face against the window to watch your food cook Doc

Piet: This ones for real!.Doc

[The Deacon]

Ok Doc, that makes more sense, knew Amana came into the picture somewhere, still have that "If it's not Amana, it's not a Radar Range" slogan banging around in my skull from my TV watching days.

Let's see, smoked cigarettes for over 45 years. Shot at least 100k rounds of .22 rimfire, plus lesser amount of .38 and .45 wadcutters on poorly ventilated indoor ranges for 20 or so. Did my own brake jobs back in the days of asbestos linings. Built plastic models for years using both tolulene and MEK. Spent WAY too much time in the sun. Have sat with my face less than 2 feet from a VDT at least 6 hours a day for the past 15.

Worry about watching a cup of hot water in the nuker to see when it boils? NOT!

[snuffaluff]

The problem with non-lethal weapons in a military situation is that they don't terminate the threat, they just postpone it. Not sure how useful it would be against folks whose idea of a military engagement is to crash a car into a building and blow it, and themselves, to bits.

Might be more useful in a domestic or hostage situation here at home.

BTW Doc, I could swear that Amana is the one who markets RadarRanges, IIRC, they are, or were, a division of Raytheon.

it could be used in a more close range situations to disarm the enemy and giving the troops a much easier fight to win. If this weapon was being used now, Pat Tillman might not have died due to friendly fire.

[Bodieism]

Bout time, now if they could only get cracking on those flying cars...

http://www.moller.com/

[flyguy]

If it helps the military, great. However, it sounds like it would better at breaking up mobs of drunk college kids. You know, the ones that get sprayed with tear gas? Would be a much nicer way of controling American riots.

Hope it becomes mainstream for miltary / police uses.

[dedguy]

Hah! My dad works for Raytheon.

[java]

[/B]

Deacon:In 1947, Raytheon demonstrated the world's first microwave oven and called it a "Radarange," the winning name in an employee contest. Housed in refrigerator-sized cabinets, the first microwave ovens cost between $2,000 and $3,000. It cooked food so fast that meat for instance did not even change color and looked raw but was cooked thru and thru... a special browning unit had to be made and was installed at that time to color the meat so the original units had a cooking and separate browning mode incorporated into the oven controls.Tappan originally produced the units to be installed in luxury cruise ships around 1951 so everyone on board could be fed in one sitting as opposed to multiple sittings times to accomendate all passengers who took the cruise. This way everyone could be fed at the same time ( or within the same hour)instead of the customary 4 different hours of seatings for meals. Then someone got the bright idea to make a home model.....Sometime between 1952-55, Tappan introduced the first home model priced at $1295. In 1965 Raytheon acquired Amana Refrigeration. Two years later, the first countertop, domestic oven was introduced. It was a 100-volt microwave oven, which cost just under $500 and was smaller, and was supposed to be safer and more reliable than previous models. But don't you beleive that one for a second....the countertop units according to my dad emitted much more radiation than the original units and we were never permitted to own one....1991 after my father's death my mother bought my wife and I our first countertop unit for our anniversary (which would have made my dad quite mad) the only use it ever saw was to melt hagen daaz ice cream enough to be able to dish it out...LOL...presently we stand back a full four feet from any microwave oven...my suggestion....never put you face against the window to watch your food cook Doc

Piet: This ones for real!.Doc

Raytheon introduced an early commercial model microwave oven in 1954 that generated 1600 watts and sold for $2,000 to $3,000. Raytheon licensed its technology to the Tappan Stove company in 1952. They tried to market a large, 220 volt, wall unit as a home microwave oven in 1955 for a price of $1,295, but it did not sell well. In 1965 Raytheon acquired Amana, which introduced the first popular home model, the countertop Radarange in 1967 at a price point of $495.

Microwave ovens are overengineered to adhere to safety standards set down by the government. Unless you damage the oven door itself there is NO leakage. Early fears regarding the Amana Ranges proved false but prompted extra engineering controls, testing, and government safety standards. The screens in microwave glass doors make it physically impossible to be exposed due to the fact that their perfforations are smaller than the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves produced by the low power magnetrons found in microwave ovens. To pass the microwave energy through the door screen, the holes would have to be larger than 12 cm. The microwave cavity or cooking chamber is a Faraday cage and coducts the microwave energy that is not absorbed by the food safely to ground.

However there is a booming business in feeding off the fears of the public and several companies will sell you "microwave leak detectors" and relieve you of your hard earned cash. Federal standards permitt no more the 5 mW/cm squared at 5 cm.....far less than that cell phone you're sticking up to your ear. Try and find even one documented case for overexposure from microwave ovens where the operator has not damaged the door or the microwave cavity and opeated it in violation of the user manual. It doesn't happen. I work with airborne radar and have access to more sensitive field strength meters than you will find at any of the paranoia dealers and routinely check our ovens to disprove the claims of the microwave paranoia peddlers to new employees.



J

[Dr. Snubnose]

Raytheon introduced an early commercial model microwave oven in 1954 that generated 1600 watts and sold for $2,000 to $3,000. Raytheon licensed its technology to the Tappan Stove company in 1952. They tried to market a large, 220 volt, wall unit as a home microwave oven in 1955 for a price of $1,295, but it did not sell well. In 1965 Raytheon acquired Amana, which introduced the first popular home model, the countertop Radarange in 1967 at a price point of $495.

Microwave ovens are overengineered to adhere to safety standards set down by the government. Unless you damage the oven door itself there is NO leakage. Early fears regarding the Amana Ranges proved false but prompted extra engineering controls, testing, and government safety standards. The screens in microwave glass doors make it physically impossible to be exposed due to the fact that their perfforations are smaller than the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves produced by the low power magnetrons found in microwave ovens. To pass the microwave energy through the door screen, the holes would have to be larger than 12 cm. The microwave cavity or cooking chamber is a Faraday cage and coducts the microwave energy that is not absorbed by the food safely to ground.

However there is a booming business in feeding off the fears of the public and several companies will sell you "microwave leak detectors" and relieve you of your hard earned cash. Federal standards permitt no more the 5 mW/cm squared at 5 cm.....far less than that cell phone you're sticking up to your ear. Try and find even one documented case for overexposure from microwave ovens where the operator has not damaged the door or the microwave cavity and opeated it in violation of the user manual. It doesn't happen. I work with airborne radar and have access to more sensitive field strength meters than you will find at any of the paranoia dealers and routinely check our ovens to disprove the claims of the microwave paranoia peddlers to new employees.



J

Cool Java..now I want to stick my face smack up against the oven door....Doc

[java]

Cool Java..now I want to stick my face smack up against the oven door....Doc

LOL!! .......Just don't inhale!








J