In many ways this is not too different from the Taser system used by many law enforcement agencies and being marketed as “harmless” yet it has killed hundreds of people, and who knows how many tens of thousands of others have been permanently harmed by this EMR insult. 

The lines between reality and science fiction are becoming ever more blurred, with all sorts of mind-blowing new high-tech weapons slated for use both within the United States’ borders, and for international defense. Just one other example is the Active Denial System (ADS), which uses a 95 GHz wave to produce an “intolerable heat sensation” that repels the targeted individual away from the beam. 

The increasing use of electromagnetic weapons is a double-edged sword; on the one hand they may be less lethal than conventional weapons, but the long-term ramifications of their use are completely unknown. However, with what we already know about the influence microwaves has on the human biology, it is not far-fetched to imagine the price we’ll pay for their use could be higher than expected. 

As with the ADS system, unexpected things can, and do happen. Ask the service member who got second degree burns when participating in an ADS demonstration at the Moody Air Force Base in GA whether he believes the system to be completely harmless to humans…  

According to Eureka Aerospace’s technology description, the operational range of frequencies will be tunable between 350 to 1350 MHz. They are also planning to transition the technology into 5-km perimeter protection applications, effectively stopping all traffic where the  device is employed, such as for highway blockades and setting up safety perimeters around oil rigs. 

The main staple argument by those who believe that microwave radiation (such as cell phones, for example, operating in the 800 to 2,200 MHz frequency), is completely harmless, is that these lower frequencies do not emit enough energy to break chemical bonds (non-ionizing radiation).  

However, there’s plenty of evidence to contradict the belief that there’s no damage unless you break chemical bonds. For example, extremely low frequencies (ELF’s emitted from appliances and power lines) are known to be carcinogenic.

Used correctly, these weapons could act as an effective tool of protection for police officers and civilians when faced with trying to control situations involving high-speed car chases, for example. My only concern is that these weapons could accidentally fall into the wrong hands and end up being used for all the wrong reasons.