A Beam of Pure Pain.

The US Pentagon has unveiled a new `non-lethal' weapon designed to drive off adversaries with an energy beam that inflicts pain without causing lasting harm. Intended for riot control and peacekeeping missions, the weapon -- called `active denial technology' -- had been developed by the US Air Force research laboratories in New Mexico and Texas as a part of a multi-service programme run by the US Marine Corps. The `Pain Beam' is designed to stop people by firing millimetre-wave electromagnetic energy in a beam that quickly heats up the surface of the victim's skin. Within a matter of seconds that person is said to feel a pain that is similar to that received whilst touching a hot light bulb. Rich Garcia, US Air Force Research Laboratory spokesman said, "when it penetrates [the skin], it activates the pain sensors and you feel a lot of pain, But there's no damage. It truly is a nonlethal device". The US Marines are currently planing to mount a version of the microwave weapon atop Humvees, and the US Air Force and Navy are now studying the weapon for possible aircraft and shipboard applications.