Law Enforcement Technology Wins Justice Grant to Develop Long-Range, Less-Lethal Ballistic.Business Editors COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2002 The Detonation of the Ballistic Creates a Fireball Effect That is Ten Feet in Diameter Temporarily Blinding Bystanders Law Enforcement Technologies, Inc. (LET), a company that develops innovative products for police departments, prisons and the military, has been awarded a $285,400 grant by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ Noun 1. NIJ - the law enforcement agency that is the research and development branch of the Department of Justice National Institute of Justice Department of Justice, DoJ, Justice Department, Justice - the United States federal department responsible for ) to complete development of a highly sophisticated, long-range, less-lethal ballistic. Called a "variable-range less-lethal projectile projectile something thrown forward. projectile syringe see blow dart. projectile vomiting forceful vomiting, usually without preceding retching, in which the vomitus is thrown well forward. ," the ballistics ballistics (bəlĭs`tĭks), science of projectiles. Interior ballistics deals with the propulsion and the motion of a projectile within a gun or firing device. detonates in the air before hitting the target, temporarily incapacitating in·ca·pac·i·tate tr.v. in·ca·pac·i·tat·ed, in·ca·pac·i·tat·ing, in·ca·pac·i·tates 1. To deprive of strength or ability; disable. 2. To make legally ineligible; disqualify. potentially dangerous threats, such as hostage-takers, rioters or terrorists. Sandia National Laboratories Sandia National Laboratories, which is managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation (a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation), is a major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratory with two locations, one in Albuquerque, New , a Department of Energy facility in Albuquerque, NM, and Martin Electronics, a privately held munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. manufacturing company in Perry, FL, are also working on the grant. LET is serving as the grant manager and plans to commercialize the ballistic when development is completed in 2003. The Colorado Springs-based company is privately funding development of a shoulder-mounted launcher that will fire the ballistic. It is called "less-lethal" because it is designed not to kill or seriously injure the target of the round. Greg MacAleese, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Law Enforcement Technologies, said that the Phase II grant award represents a "major commitment from the federal government in the development of less-lethal technologies." "In today's environment, where homeland security has become of paramount importance, we think it is essential that new technologies be developed that will give law enforcement more options so they can do their jobs safer and more efficiently," he said. "We are proud to be part of this effort." "We call this project the 'Variable-Range Less-Lethal Projectile' because the round can be fired at a target anywhere between 20 yards to 100 yards away and detonated with extraordinary precision," he added. "There isn't anything like it in today's less-lethal arsenal." The grant award is the second phase in the development of the 37.5mm or 40mm ballistic. NIJ, a division of the Department of Justice, provided $108,300 for the Phase I, or design, portion of the grant last year. The ballistic is unique in many aspects, MacAleese said. "It never hits the target. It actually airbursts in front of the target, creating a very disorienting dis·o·ri·ent tr.v. dis·o·ri·ent·ed, dis·o·ri·ent·ing, dis·o·ri·ents To cause (a person, for example) to experience disorientation. Adj. 1. and intimidating effect," he said. "This will be the first shoulder-fired, less-lethal ballistic that uses radar fuzing for precise detonation." Radar fuzing, he explained, uses a transponder in the round, which is tracked by a small radar system mounted on the launcher. When the round is nine feet in front of the target, a radio signal is automatically transmitted from the launcher to detonate det·o·nate intr. & tr.v. det·o·nat·ed, det·o·nat·ing, det·o·nates To explode or cause to explode. [Latin d the ballistic. The rated accuracy of the system is plus or minus six inches at 100 yards. The detonation of the ballistic creates a fireball effect that is ten feet in diameter. The luminosity luminosity, in astronomy, the rate at which energy of all types is radiated by an object in all directions. A star's luminosity depends on its size and its temperature, varying as the square of the radius and the fourth power of the absolute surface temperature. of the fireball is more than 100 times brighter than the sun and can disrupt the target's eyesight for up to 10 minutes. There is no permanent eye damage and the fireball cools to room temperature in just 20 milliseconds, reducing the risk of burns. The projectile can also contain chemical irritants to further disorient dis·o·ri·ent tr.v. dis·o·ri·ent·ed, dis·o·ri·ent·ing, dis·o·ri·ents To cause (a person, for example) to experience disorientation. Verb 1. a target. The Phase II grant calls for the manufacture of 500 rounds, which will then be tested for aerodynamic stability, luminosity, acoustical report and shock wave pressure. Reliability rates, dispersion patterns and safety measures safety measures, n.pl actions (e.g., use of glasses, face masks) taken to protect patients and office personnel from such known hazards as particles and aerosols from high-speed rotary instruments, mercury vapor, radiation exposure, anesthetic and will also be studied. When the project is completed in mid-2003, LET then plans to initiate an extensive field-testing campaign before the product is brought to market. About Law Enforcement Technologies LET is a privately-held Colorado Springs-based corporation formed in 1999. The Company specializes in the development of new products primarily aimed for the law enforcement, corrections, military and private security markets. The Instant Shooter ID Kit, a gunshot residue detection kit is being used by approximately 50 police departments across the United States, is the first of many new products that Law Enforcement Technologies plans to introduce. The Company plans to bring out a non-explosive highly luminous flash/bang grenade in the first quarter of 2003 and several models of its multi-use Anti-Riot Baton by the second quarter of 2003. |
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