Overview
Active Denial Technology (ADT) is a nonlethal directed-energy weapon developed for crowd control and force protection. ADT uses high-power millimeter-wave radiation to create an intense heat sensation on human skin, causing subjects to flee the area without suffering permanent injury.
Key Facts
- Technology: Millimeter-wave directed energy system that creates thermal pain effects at a distance
- Primary use case: Crowd dispersal and riot control
- Operational status: Fielded by U.S. military; deployed in Afghanistan (2010)
- Effectiveness: Causes immediate, intense heat sensation that forces subjects to move away from the source
- Limitations: Effective range limited; requires line of sight; weather conditions can affect performance
Strategic Implications
ADT represents a significant advancement in nonlethal crowd control capabilities. Unlike kinetic weapons or chemical agents, ADT leaves no physical marks and has no lasting effects on subjects. This makes it particularly attractive for use by repressive regimes seeking to disperse protests without causing casualties that could trigger international backlash.
The weapon's effectiveness combined with its technological simplicity (based on existing airport body scanner technology) creates a proliferation risk. States already possess the foundational technology, and companies have attempted to sell similar systems internationally.
Policy Considerations
As discussed in Mitchell Croom's 2016 PIPS white paper "The Death of Public Protest," N-DEWs like ADT pose a significant threat to democratic movements globally. The weapon's ability to disperse crowds without injury lowers the cost of repression, allowing states to more easily prevent displays of public discontent.
Croom recommends that the United States prohibit the use of N-DEWs in policing and seek an international ban on their domestic application. The argument is that while these weapons may have legitimate military uses, their deployment for crowd control entrenches illiberal governments by making public protest nearly impossible without government consent.