(INTELLIHUB) — A Directed-energy weapon prototype commissioned by the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004 to be designed under the codename “MEDUSA” has been exposed by several sources on the Innerweb.
The leaks list WaveBand Corporation as the recipient of a $99.965 contract between the effective dates of November 2003 and May 2004 under the NAVY’s SBIR program.
Documentation archived on the web shows that the “Remote Personnel Incapacitation System,” also known as “MEDUSA” or “Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio,” was to be developed by the program during Phase I of the project.
“This non-lethal weapon is based on the well established microwave auditory effect (MAE),” states information provided on the award summary. “MAE results in a strong sound sensation in the human head when it is irradiated with specifically selected microwave pulses of low energy.”
“Through the combination of pulse parameters and pulse power, it is possible to raise the auditory sensation to the ‘discomfort’ level, deterring personnel from entering a protected perimeter or, if necessary, temporarily incapacitating particular individuals.”
After completing the first phase, program officials decided on an operating frequency and established hardware system requirements that likely catapulted the program forward. The system would use a commercial magnetron, a high-voltage pulse former designed and built to special confirmed pulse parameters. The entire project was experimental but operational.
“Potential applications of the MEDUSA system are as a perimeter protection sensor in deterrence systems for industrial and national sites, for use in systems to assist communication with hearing impaired persons, use by law enforcement and military personnel for crowd control and asset protection,” documentation suggests. “The system will: be portable, require low power, have a controllable radius of coverage, be able to switch from crowd to individual coverage, cause a temporarily incapacitating effect, have a low probability of fatality or permanent injury, cause no damage to property, and have a low probability of affecting friendly personnel.”
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