Photo By Kelley Hughes | Douglas A. Allison, deputy assistant secretary of state for High Threat Programs,...... read more read more
QUANTICO, Va. - The Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate continues to advocate the use of non-lethal capabilities in U.S interests at home and abroad. On June 18, the directorate hosted approximately 50 staff members from the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The day-long event included collaboration on each organization’s non-lethal weapons capabilities as well as a non-lethal weapons live familiarization fire on Range 14C here.
With temperatures soaring into the 90s, Douglas A. Allison, deputy assistant secretary of state for High Threat Programs, was first on the firing line, pulling the trigger of the FN-303. The directorate's instructors included Air Force Lt. Col. David J. Osterman, Army Maj. Jason V. Sama, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joseph D. Hart, and Marine Corps Capt. Stephenson S. John - all members of the Directorate's Capabilities and Requirements Division.
Allison and his staff members fired non-lethal weapons to include FN-303, M32A1, and the stand alone M203. The non-lethal rounds fired included the FN-303 marking round, oleoresin capsicum round, and glycol round (white liquid), the 40 mm sponge round and the crowd dispersal round. The Stingball grenade, which has a body made of rubber that fragments upon detonation, was also thrown by Allison and staff members. An inert oleoresin capsicum canister grenade and the 360 degree vehicle-mounted Long Range Acoustic Device system were demonstrated by the Diplomatic Security staff.
"The utility and relevance in less-than-lethal capabilities continues to be recognized within today's complex environments," Allison said.
"The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Interagency collaboration, to include exchanges with the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, assists us in these efforts," Allison added.
The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is the security and law enforcement arm of the U.S. Department of State. The Bureau of Diplomatic Security is recognized as a world leader in international investigations, threat analysis, cyber security, counterterrorism, security technology, and protection of people, property, and information.
"Hosting DS provided tremendous insight for both organizations," said Marine Corps Col. Michael A. Coolican, director of the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate.
"By sharing the work that the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons program has done over the years, we can assist State Department in their missions. That is why we exist as an organization," Coolican added.
Coolican also highlighted the importance of the DOD Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program as it assists the services in funding science and technology, research and development, as well as test and evaluation of non-lethal weapons.
"By doing so, we are assisting the services so that our forces have more time to make critical decisions," Coolican explained.
The U.S. Department of Defense Non-Lethal Weapons Program provides U.S. operating forces escalation-of-force options that minimize casualties and collateral damage. The commandant of the Marine Corps serves as the Department of Defense Non-Lethal Weapons executive agent. As a part of that role, the commandant of the Marine Corps stimulates and coordinates non-lethal weapons requirements of the U.S. armed services and allocates resources to help meet these joint requirements. Located at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate serves as the Department of Defense Non-Lethal Weapons Program executive agent's day-to-day management office.
The U.S. armed services work with the combatant commanders and the executive agent through a joint process to identify requirements and coordinate the planning, programming and funding of non-lethal weapons research, development and acquisition. Within the Department of Defense Non-Lethal Weapons Program, the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate and the services fund science and technology, research and development, as well as test and evaluation of non-lethal weapons.
Some examples of currently field non-lethal capabilities among the services include: optical distractors or "dazzling lasers" which provide non-verbal warnings to deter approaching individuals at a ranges from 25 to 1,000 meters; acoustic hailing devices which produce focused, directional sound waves with pre-programmed foreign phrases to deter individuals a range of up to 500 meters, pending ambient conditions; vehicle-entangling nets can be deployed in less than one minute to puncture and lock up the front tires of an approaching vehicle (which assists in determining intent.) One in particular, the Vehicle Lightweight Arresting Device, can stop a 5,500 pound vehicle moving at 30 mph. In addition, non-lethal flash bang warning shots are effective up to 300 meters.
"Non-lethal weapons, munitions and devices are employed in conjunction with lethal capabilities to enable immediate, precise and proportionate force application across a myriad of scenarios for short-of-lethal response," said Kelley Hughes, spokesperson for the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate.
"Non-lethals demonstrate our intent to protect civilians to local populace, allies/partners, and domestic/international audiences," she added.
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2014 15:14 |
| Story ID: | 134541 |
| Location: | QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 1,203 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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