This weapon, which is called the Active Denial System, has been developed by the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, in collaboration with Raytheon.

ECONOMIST: Electromagnetic weapons

This device, developed at the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate in Quantico, Virginia, is a microwave transmitter the size and shape of a small satellite dish that pivots on top of an armoured car.

ECONOMIST: Electromagnetic weapons

The sonic devices could prove less deadly than so-called "non-lethal" weapons such as Tazers and pepper spray guns that have actually caused some fatalities.

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Whether these weapons will be deployed in other, non-lethal ways or used primarily as deadly weapons in combat remains to be seen.

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Under the new agreement, NATO will ship only non-lethal supplies not weapons and ammunition through the routes.

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Here is why: Gun manufacturers that see their future narrowly as selling lethal weapons are leaving lots of money on the table for non-lethal personal protection devices.

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The battery-powered T3 NLRV comes equipped with semi-automatic weapons designed to launch up to 10, 000 rounds of non-lethal ammunition at the rate of 700 per minute to help quell uprisings and other public disturbances.

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Similarly, State Department lawyers have unilaterally determined that the utilization of riot control agents - non-lethal substances such as tear gas - by the U.S. military would violate the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention.

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After the meeting, the European Union announced changes to its arms embargo on Syria, allowing EU states to provide armoured vehicles, non-lethal military equipment and technical aid to the rebels, but not weapons.

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