Nonlethal weapons could be used to disperse crowds, repel attackers or, as readers learn in "Shoot to Not Kill" (May 2003 issue), test the pain tolerance of journalists. Nonlethal weapons can be acoustic, chemical or electrical in nature, and range from the simple to the highly complex. Here are some selected technologies, at various stages of development, that the U.S. military has considered for its nonlethal arsenal:




Blunt Impact Projectiles: Sting balls, rubber balls, beanbag rounds, baton-shaped rubber projectiles.