While we at Whiteout Press can’t verify the legitimacy of this Pentagon guide, we can report on it now that it’s in the public domain. The Department of Defense “Directorate” is labeled “Unclassified/For Official Use Only”. However, it was leaked last week by PublicIntelligence.net. Also labeled, “2011 Reference Book”, the directory itself claims, “This document contains information exempt from mandatory disclosure under the ‘Freedom of Information Act’.

The DOD non-lethal weapons directory is broken up into four sections: ‘Fielded’ (in use), ‘Prototype’ (produced, available, not used yet), ‘Development’ (testing phase) and ‘Conceptual’ (ideas).

According to the Defense Dept guide, “The purpose of the NLW [Non-Lethal Weapons] Reference Book is to provide a single-source document that contains key information about NLW descriptions, effects, characteristics, concepts of employment, and associated operational parameters and considerations to enhance NLW education and training.”

In other words, when local, county and state law enforcement agencies reach out to the US military for weaponry to control, round-up or disperse groups of American demonstrators, this is the menu of available weapons local officials are going to be given.

History of the DoD Non-Lethal Weapons program

According to the Pentagon booklet, “The DoD NLW program was established to provide warfighters with NLW that support the full-range of military operations. The program began in 1996 as a Congressional Initiative. DoD Directive 3000.3 establishes policy and assigns responsibilities for the DoD NLW Program.” The history portion goes on to confirm that weapons aren’t required to be 100 percent non-lethal to qualify in the DoD’s eyes as ‘non-lethal’. The guide states, “NLW shall not be required to have a zero probability of producing fatalities or permanent injuries.” Nowhere in the materials does it the fatality rate for each weapon.

In fact, to qualify as an official ‘non-lethal’ weapon, the DoD guide defines the term ‘Non-Lethal Weapon’ as a weapon, “…designed and primarily employed to incapacitate targeted personnel, or material immediately, while minimizing fatalities.”

One ominous section of the Pentagon program manual is the Dept of Defense’s explanation of why their non-lethal weapons are manufactured to look exactly like their lethal counterparts. The DoD guide asks itself the question, “Are NLW identified by specific markings or colors?” The blunt answer in the guidebook, “No”.

The guide goes on to explain:

“The current U.S. policy is to not change the appearance of NLW to distinguish them from their lethal counterparts, but rather develop systems that have a dual capability in delivering both lethal and non-lethal munitions/effects as the situation dictates. Several U.S. Allies have expressed a desire to clearly distinguish NLW from lethal weapons by some method, such as coloring NLW blue or orange. While this may be preferable in some situations, including crowd control and to avoid mistakenly using a lethal weapon, this is not preferred by the United States. A NLW that is marked with distinct colors or markings would make it easy for an adversary to identify and counter that NLW.”

Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (PDF) from the Dept of Defense to be used against protesters

Fielded – Currently in Use

The following items are in-stock and available to local and state law enforcement personnel. They are supplied by commercial or government sources, depending on the item. These weapons are sold in kits, with each kit including additional items such as “face shields”, “spotlights”, “stingball grenade, vehicle stopping devises”, “inert pepper spray”, “mirrors” and “signs”. The exact make-up of each kit varies by weapon.

Green Lasers

Called a “Counter-Personnel” weapon, the ‘Green Laser’ is used to “Deny access into/out of an area to individuals, move individuals through an area, and suppress individuals.” The manual describes the effects of the laser as, “ocular impairment”. A light-emitting weapon, the guide admits that the ‘Green Laser’ has diminished effectiveness during fog and rain.

Counter Measures: Filtered goggles

Acoustic Hailing Devices (AHD)

Another “Counter-Personnel” weapon, AHD’s are used for the same reasons as Green Lasers – deny access, people-moving and personnel suppression. While the laser attacks a person’s eyes and vision, the AHD weapons attack an individual’s ears and hearing. The weapon can also be used to deliver audible voice commands at a distance of 500m. The effects are described as, “auditory impairment and/or intelligible audible tones.”

Counter Measure: Ear plugs

Enhanced Underwater Loudhailer

The EUL is another “Counter-Personnel” weapon. This weapon is similar to the AHD, only manufactured for use underwater. The weapon can attack a person’s hearing, as well as transmit voice commands underwater to a distance of 457m and at a depth of 40m. The effects are also described as, “auditory impairment and/or intelligible audible tones.”

Counter Measure: Ear plugs, neoprene wetsuit

X26 Taser

Another “Counter-Personnel” weapon, the X26 Taser is used to “disable an individual”. The weapon has a range of 35 feet and can penetrate up to 2 inches of clothing. Victims suffer “electro-muscular incapacitation”. The weapon’s intended use is, “Force protection and other operations that require the ability to totally disable an individual.”

Counter Measure: Plywood or hard/shatter resistant shield

FN-303 Air Gun

The FN-303 is a “Counter-Personnel” weapon that uses compressed air to fire 0.68 caliber non-lethal projectiles. The weapon is intended to fire a wide array of non-lethal ammunition including rubber bullets, liquid bullets and paint balls. The effects of the weapon are listed as, “Blunt trauma, marking, irritant”. The manual warns that wind, high humidity and rain can negate the weapon’s effects.

Counter Measure: Plywood, aluminum or other shatter-resistant shield. For “irritant” projectiles – protective mask.

Grenades (percussion and smoke)

Grenades used for “Counter-Personnel” measures include “Smoke”, “RCA munitions”, “Flash Bang”, and “Blunt Trauma”. Weighing a quarter of a pound, when projected from a launch tube, the grenades have a range of up to 100m. Like the FN-303, grenades can have a reduced effect from rain, wind or high humidity.

Counter Measure: Protective, hardened shields and face masks

Vehicle Non-Lethal/Tube-Launched Munition System (VENOM)

The Venom is a weapons launching system rather than a weapon itself. Constructed of 3 banks of 10 launch tubes each, the 40mm grenade launcher can shoot multiple projectiles up to 130m.

Counter Measure: None

Modular Crowd Control Munitions

Another “Counter-Personnel” weapon, the MCCM is basically a replica of the standard 8-inch, 6-pound, Claymore Mine. Each MCCM contains 600, 0.32 caliber, rubber balls. The effective range of the mine is 15m. The mine is, “used at entry control points, for crowd control and other defensive actions. The DoD manual warns of “significant injury” if engaged within a 5-foot area of the victim.

Counter Measure: Protective, shatter-resistant shield.

Joint Non-Lethal Warning Munitions

These “Counter-Personnel” munitions contain a payload consisting of, “pyrotechnic airburst flash bang” rounds. Each kit comes with three 40mm rounds to be used with grenade launchers and two 12-gauge shotgun rounds. Range is listed as up to 300m depending on the specific round. Effects include, “Flash bang, ocular and auditory impairment”. Excessive injuries, including eye damage and burns, can occur if discharged too close to the target.

Counter Measure: None

Stingball Grenade

These non-lethal, “Counter-Personnel” grenades are similar to a typical hand grenade. Each cartridge contains, “a fuse, a separating fuse body, a black powder separation charge, a pressed black powder delay, a bursting charge of flash powder, at least 100 rubber pellets, and a rubber grenade body.” The preferred use of the “Stingball Grenade” is, “to clear rooms and closed-in spaces and to break up unruly crowds by dissuading, disrupting, or delaying their actions.”

Counter Measure: Plywood, aluminum or hard, shatter-resistant shield.

That concludes the list of crowd-control, non-lethal weaponry already deployed into local law enforcement agencies nationwide. These are the most-likely weapons that protestors and demonstrators are likely to come up against.

‘Prototype’ weapons, already tested and available for deployment, include a weapon that fires an energy beam that impacts the victim with high heat. Also included is an audio-visual weapon similar to the above, except it impairs hearing and vision at the same time. “Developmental” weapons include a “safer” version of the flash grenade. This one emits a brighter light for a longer period of time. Another developmental weapon is the “Airburst Non-Lethal Munitions”. These bullets include an “enriched pyrotechnic payload, proximity air burst and settable delay option fuse.”

The remaining Non-Lethal weapons in the manual include a wide array of various laser beams and audio weapons. Other impressive weapons still in the “Developmental” phase include the MK19 – a bullet with a “High Explosive 40mm round”. Each round delivers “Ring Air Foil Projectiles” and has a duration of between 30 and 60 seconds. Another developmental weapon is the “HEMI – Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation Projectile”. The HEMI is basically a Taser in the form of a bullet. Used to “Disable individuals”, the 40mm HEMI has a range of up to 250m and a electrocuting duration of up to 3 minutes.

Red, White and Blue Star Cluster

One Non-Lethal Weapon in the guide that would appear to be used against hostile, military adversaries rather than peaceful protesters, is the “Red, White and Blue Star Cluster”. Resembling a fireworks display made up of red, white and blue skyrockets, the new “developmental” weapon would actually be a modified white star cluster round. The new 40mm round would also include red and blue pyrotechnics and would be fired to, “Hail and warn a perceived friendly unit to prevent blue on blue or blue on green fratricide.”

The remainder of the Defense Dept guide contains concepts and ideas for a wide array of weapons. Many of the designs are nets, collapsible fencing and launchable “arresting” devices used to subdue individuals or stop moving automobiles. Some of the final ideas include weapons that fire microwave beams and pulses and other devices capable of stopping moving ships and controlling the steering of in-flight airplanes.

The take-away from this report is that the current generation of Non-Lethal Weaponry employed by US government agents against peacefully protesting US citizens is much more powerful and lethal than the generation before. Audio weapons are louder, visual weapons are brighter, bullets and grenades have a larger payload, range and duration, and the non-lethal weapons of the future will be able to attack not just individuals and small crowds, but entire cities.

Special thanks to PublicIntelligence.net for providing the Pentagon guide.