High-Intensity Acoustics for Military Nonlethal Applications: A Lack of Useful Systems

Military Medicine, Feb 2007 by Jauchem, James R, Cook, Michael C

Ben-David25 recently reported that the Israel Ministry of Defence developed an acoustic device (dubbed "the shout") that is "capable of incapacitating crowds at a range of 100 m without causing permanent physical damage." Sound intensity or frequencies were not disclosed, however. Such a system has been described as the "shophar," "a nonlethal, high power acoustic radiator used for riot suppression."26

In contrast to the enthusiastic descriptions mentioned above, Moore and Freund27 correctly suggested that any aversive audible device should be considered "as a tool" to study acoustic effects "and not a weapon." Norbut28 also appropriately noted that such acoustic devices were "still in the experimental phase of development." Altmann29,30 noted that many claims by Scientific Applications & Research Associates or others regarding potential acoustic weapons were not accurate. Chaloner and Ryan31 considered acoustic weapons to be "unacceptable by currently existing international treaties." If prototypes of such devices cannot be developed into effective weapons, however, evaluation and discussion of the acceptability may be unnecessary.

Infrasound

Infrasound is generally defined as sound below 20 Hz. Anecdotal reports of extraordinary acoustic or infrasound weapon effects can make meaningful assessment and review of this area very difficult. A scientific journal article by Gavreau32 is often cited in the popular literature as evidence of an accidental death attributable to infrasound. Such an event, however, was not reported in the article. Instead, the effects of infrasound were described as "certainly unpleasant." Altmann33 noted that present-day scientists at the same institute have doubts about Gavreau's conclusions, because his experiments have not been replicated.

In another report, an infrasound weapon device that produced one ultrasound frequency at 16,000 Hz and a second at 16,002 Hz, which would combine to form a "beat frequency" of 2 Hz, was described. Supposedly, "when the two frequencies mix in the human ear, they become intolerable," with people becoming "giddy or nauseous" and, in extreme cases, fainting.34 This "squawk box"35 (reported to have been built and tested by the British Army) was portrayed as being highly directional, so that it could be focused on individuals in a riot. It was later admitted that this "weapon" was a hoax36 and was simply "disco gear" mounted on two armored personnel carriers.37 In addition, Rehn and Riggs,38 after performing a literature search, could find no data to support the earlier claims of effects.

Observers invited to the Center for Testing of Devices with Non-Lethal Effects on Humans in Moscow39 reported "a 10-Hz acoustic generator which would be used to deliver a pulse about the size of a baseball that could knock you down or more, depending on how you power it." It was suggested that the handheld device could be "kicked up to lethal level." Adams40 and Roush41 mentioned efforts by the U.S. military and other militaries to build similar devices.