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Photos: Researchers cook up microwave weapon

The military's Active Denial Technology uses a millimeter wave beam to replace bullets with less lethal heat.
By Bill Detwiler, Contributor
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1 of 4 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET

Active Denial Technology

The military's Active Denial Technology, being tested at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, uses a millimeter wave beam of energy that's intended to make people feel an intense burning sensation--without causing permanent injury.

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Mobile microwave weapon

The millimeter wave technology could go mobile on modified Humvees or other vehicles for use in crowd control. The so-called VMADS (Vehicle Mounted Active Denial System) rigs have been considered for deployment in Iraq.

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Smaller version of the Active Denial System

The technology is also being considered for use in protecting Department of Energy nuclear facilities. Here, two researchers at Sandia National Laboratories fine-tune a smaller version of the Active Denial System.

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4 of 4 Bill Detwiler/ZDNET

ADS: Up close and personal

A close-up of the small ADS gear. The directed-energy weapon uses a 95GHz electromagnetic beam that penetrates approximately 1/64 of an inch into the skin.

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