Military's ray gun makes targets feel as if they're catching fire

[Rose Siding]

Moody Air Force Base, Ga.- The military calls its new weapon an "active denial system," but that's an understatement. It's a ray gun that shoots a beam that makes people feel as if they are about to catch fire.
...
The weapon is not expected to go into production until at least 2010, but all branches of the military have expressed interest in it, officials said.

During the first media demonstration of the weapon Wednesday, airmen fired beams from a large dish antenna mounted atop a Humvee at people pretending to be rioters and acting out other scenarios that U.S. troops might encounter in war zones.

The device's two-man crew located their targets through powerful lenses and fired beams from more than 500 yards away. That is nearly 17 times the range of existing non-lethal weapons, such as rubber bullets.

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1169811065218130.xml&coll=2

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Could such a ray be deflected or reflected back by mirrors?

Is it microwaves? Light? What?

[northzax]

2. better than actually being on fire, I suppose

although it is potentially ripe for abuse (like all military technologies) in many situations, non-lethal force is better than lethal force. I would much rather have soldiers aiming this at an angry crowd than .50 cal machine guns.

[Briar]

3. And this

does no harm?

Methinks the same people who redefined torture were behind the press pack for this loathesome machine.

[katty]

5. yeah, methinks that as well - it's just to obviously gruesome

[NI4NI]

4. As soon as I saw it being demonstrated

I wondered how long before police departments and national gaurd will be using them on those pesky peace demonstrators; even though in reality, it's far better than another Kent State.

[3waygeek]

6. Unfortunately I have the sinking feeling

that we may find out as soon as tomorrow...