Nonlethal Weapons and Capabilities: Independent Task Force Report - Softcover

Allison, Graham T.; Kelley, Paul X.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0876093411 ISBN 13: 9780876093412

Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations, 2004

Synopsis

U.S. military forces, superbly capable of countering a defined enemy in intense combat, are not properly supported for important current roles as experienced in Kosovo and Iraq. If U.S. units and allied forces are to prevent looting and sabotage, control individuals and crowds, stop uncooperative vehicles in an urban environment, and protect themselves in stabilization and reconstruction activities, they will require new tools and proper training to accomplish these objectives without harming innocent people or destroying civil infrastructure. Had more of the current nonlethal weapons (NLW)including nets to entangle and stop vehicles, slippery spray, rubber-ball projectiles, and electroconvulsive weapons such as the Taserbeen available for use by military and security forces, such events could have been minimized or perhaps even avoided. By providing and intermediate option between dont shoot and shoot, the Task Force observes, NLW have enormous potential in the new military roles of modern combat. Wider integration of existing types of NLW into the U.S. Army and Marine Corps could have helped to reduce the damage done by widespread looting and sabotage after the cessation of major conflict in Iraq. This Independent Task Force report on Nonlethal Weapons and Capabilities finds that incorporating these and additional forms of nonlethal capabilities into the equipment, training, and doctrine of the armed services could substantially improve U.S. military effectiveness. Led by Dr. Graham T. Allison, Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government, and General Paul X. Kelley, USMC (Ret.), former Commandant of the MarineCrops, the Task Force consists of former military officers, business executives, academics, diplomats, and congressional staff.

About this title

Synopsis

America's military forces, while superbly capable of countering a defined enemy in intense combat, are not properly trained or supported for their current roles in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. If they are to prevent looting and sabotage, control crowds, stop uncooperative vehicles in an urban environment, and protect themselves in stabilization and reconstruction activities, U.S. forces will require new tools and proper training to accomplish their objectives without harming innocent people or destroying civil infrastructure. This independent task force (composed of former military officers, business executives, scholars, and government officials) believes that if more nonlethal weapons had been available to military and security forces in these countries, many conflicts could have been minimized or even avoided. Incorporating nonlethal weapons capabilities - such as nets to entangle and stop vehicles, slippery spray, rubber ball projectiles, and electroconvulsive weapons - into the equipment, doctrine, and training of the U.S. armed forces would substantially improve military effectiveness. This report is a valuable resource on an important but underappreciated subject.

Edition details

• Publisher: Council on Foreign Relations
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0876093411
• ISBN 13: 9780876093412
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 74