Will The MPM-NLWS (Non Lethal Weapon) Be Used Against Those Exercising Free Speech

Non-Lethal-Weapons (specifically MPM-NLWS)...will they be used to quell protests in the streets as Americans rise up and say no to AMNESTY for Illegal Aliens, when host communities refuse to play host to trouble plagued aging nuclear reactors? One has to ask, "Why is the Pentagon spending some much money on Non Lethal Weapons that have but one purpose...oppressing the populace of your own nation.

Nonlethal Crowd Control

By Sharon Weinberger January 11, 2008 12:47:47 PMCategories: Less-lethal

Imagine if the military could incapacitate an entire crowd of people with a nonlethal weapon mounted on a Humvee. That's what the Marine Corps hopes to do with its Mission Payload Module Non-Lethal Weapons System (MPM-NLWS):

The MPM-NLWS will provide a Joint warfighting capability that delivers counter personnel non-lethal effects applicable to controlling crowds, denying/defending areas, controlling access and engaging threats while providing increased standoff distance for protection of friendly forces. These non-lethal effects will enable friendly forces the following capabilities: deny, disrupt and/or canalize enemy movements and maneuvers; Deny enemy access to terrain or facilities; Enhance friendly force weapons, obstacles, and munitions effects; Generate exploitable delays and opportunities; Produce desired effects on enemy forces (non-lethal); and reduce causalities and risks to the U.S. and allied forces. The MPM-NLWS will be designed to operate in all operating environments and is well suited for asymmetric warfare, urban environments, maritime security, homeland defense and decisive combat engagements.

I.B System Description

The MPM-NLWS is a non-lethal weapon system that is explicitly designed and primarily employed so as to incapacitate with a high probability of infliction to personnel positioned within the targeted area, while maintaining a low probability of permanent injury. The MPM-NLWS is envisioned, but not conclusive, to be a tube launched munitions system that delivers a volume of fire to affect a targeted area; however, other non-kinetic non-lethal technologies (payloads) are known and may be available that could adequately satisfy the desired performance parameters and system attributes identified in the MPM-NLWS Performance Specification.

As the pictures above shows, it's a Humvee (or Humvee-replacement) mounted system, although the draft solicitation says that future versions may go on unmanned ground systems or naval vessels (which would have made the recent confrontation with Iran pretty interesting). It's worthwhile to note that one of the lead candidates for the delivery system is Metal Storm (of "million rounds a minute" fame) While I've often ridiculed questioned Metal Storm's market strategy (i.e. convincing shareholders that Metal Storm is the next sliced bread), I do believe the technology may have some very decent niche capabilities, like this one.