A new electroshock weapon being developed by Taser could zap people up to 175 feet away – and keep on applying pain for as long as three minutes in a row. Which is pretty tough to take, since it only takes a second or two of shocks to make most people cry out in agony.

The new 40mm projectile resembles a super-sized version of the shotgun-fired XREP Taser projectile. And like the XREP, it will attach itself to the target and incapacitate him or her with a series of electric jolts. But this one will have some notable differences – from how far it flies to the dangers it might pose. (I describe the project in New Scientist magazine.)

X26 Tasers already with the military have a range of about 35 feet. "This project will likely increase the standoff range by at least a factor of five over already fielded electromuscular devices," says Wes Burgei, a project engineer at the U.S. military's Joint Non-lethal Weapons Directorate, which has given Taser $2.5 million to work on the weapon. the initial version of the 40mm Taser should have a range in the region of 175 feet – almost doubling the XREP's 100-foot range.

The problem is making it safe. A projectile that is accurate out to that distance may have a dangerous impact force at close range. According to Burgei, much of the project is focusing on the design of the nose, which is likely to crumple or otherwise disperse the impact force.

Steve Wright, a specialist in nonlethal weapons at Leeds Metropolitan University in the UK, is concerned that that the projectile may be particularly dangerous to children. "Children especially are vulnerable to a condition known as 'commotio cordis' - a sudden and often fatal disturbance in heart rhythm sometimes caused by a blunt impact to the precordial region of the chest which is transmitted to the heart," he tells Danger Room.

The problem was highlighted with a similar 40mm electroshock projectile in the 1990's, the Jaycor Sticky Shocker. It had a much less ambitious range of just 30 feet. This Human Effects Advisory Reportnoted that "the Sticky Shocker’s blunt impact could cause commotio cordis, which will cause death. It also could cause serious injuries similar to those caused by sports projectiles such as a baseball. These include contusions, concussions, fractures, internal injuries, eye injuries and dental injuries. There also may be a low probability of liver fracture."

Work on the Sticky Shocker was discontinued. Mitigating the impact force will clearly be a major issue with the new 40mm projectile. Long range effectiveness may be a trade-off against a minimum range, and it may be that the weapon cannot be safely used at targets less than (say) ten meters away.

The duration of the shock is also likely to be a significant issue. In Taser training, a one-second shock is administered. Danger Room's Editor Noah tried this earlier this year. "It was brutal - like sticking your finger in a socket over and over and over again. I screamed in pain as he zapped me. I screamed some more after it was over," he whined. The standard Police Taser gives a five-second shock for each trigger pull.

The XREP projectile produces a twenty-second shock. The greater standoff range means that it will take that much longer to reach the suspect and apprehend them, so the longer period is required. The new projectile might continue shocking for as long as three minutes, according to theJNLWD's own reference book. Burgei says that the military and the manufacturer haven't yet agreed on the period of incapacitation, though. "The actual required incapacitation time is still to be determined. However, the projectile is designed such that the output is controlled by an onboard integrated circuit. As such, when requirements become solidified, the incapacitation time can be adjusted to meet them."

It might be less than three minutes –- but it might be more. The proposed uses include "military law enforcement, detainee operations, vessel boarding, and access control." For vessel boarding in particular, it might be desirable to have a longer incapacitation period to ensure that it lasts for long enough for boarders to take control.

The standard Taser does not shock continuously but produces nineteen short shocks per second. The effects of continuing this for a prolonged period do not seem to have been well explored – understandable, since human testing would amount to torture. However, a Taser patent application does mention one of the major issues involved: "Because the strike stage and hold stage may immobilize by interfering with skeletal muscle control by the target's nervous system, a rest stage may allow the target to take a breath." This suggests there may be issues with inacapicitation for an extended period.

Taser International takes spends quite a bit of time on safety testing, and the JNLWD have a very thorough vetting process, too. However, once the technology is out there it is likely to inspire imitators who are less committed to the safety and well-being of the target.

[Photo: USMC]

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