ONE MORE TIME, PEOPLE- this is Strategies and Tactics, not Politics. Leave the politics out of it. Period.
I don't know what the Israelis had in mind, but I'd bet what they were using was the FN303. And as 'less lethal' applications like this one, or pepperballs, rubber bullets or other such LE riot control devices properly belong in the realm of LE and .mil applications, they have no practical consideration for the armed citizen. Pepper spray, mace, electronic weapons like stun guns or tasers etc., these do have applications for armed citizens where legal.
Thus this thread is pretty much off topic for S&T...
lpl
ETA- and the reason we insist on the term 'less lethal' is because almost anything beyond harsh words CAN be lethal. Note the story at
http://www3.acep.org/PrintFriendly.aspx?id=31868:
Medical Aspects of Pepperball Less-Lethal Munitions
Matthew D. Sztajnkrycer, MD, PhD
Department of Emergency Medicine
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
On Wednesday 20 October 2004, Boston police officers attempting to contain a crowd of approximately 80,000 fans celebrating a Red Sox victory deployed less-lethal munitions. A 21-year-old fan was struck in the eye by a pepperball round reportedly intended for another individual, and died several hours later. As a result of this tragic event, increased awareness has been raised regarding this form of less-lethal munition.
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http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2008/05/paintball-gun-o/
‘Paintball Gun On Steroids’ Goes To Iraq (Updated)
By David Hambling May 22, 2008 | 6:44 am | Categories: Weapons and Ammo
Soldiers in Iraq are being issued with an unusual new weapon — a paintball gun. The weapon, known as the FN303 or Individual Serviceman Non-Lethal System (ISNLS), fires a 6.5 gram projectile containing a mixture of paint and the brittle metal bismuth. RDECOM magazine (warning, giant .PDF!) says that "the shoulder-fired weapons have been deployed to troops for non-lethal crowds and riot control during detainee operations."
While the ISNLS is somewhat similar to what one would find on a paintball course, Picatinny technical trainer Jeff Teats said a typical paintball is regulated at approximately 300-500 pounds per square inch, while the ISNLS is regulated at approximately 900 PSI.
“Basically the Non-Lethal Launcher is like a paintball gun on steroids,” explained Maj. Thomas Aarsen…
Aarsen said the increased non-lethal capability gives Soldiers another option to influence the actions of targeted personnel before the situation necessitates lethal force… [T]he weapon [also] supports Soldiers by allowing them to engage individuals in the crowd with paint, so instigators can’t later deny their part in a disturbance.
The Army are a bit vague about the effects of the FN303. The bismuth body is designed to fragment on impact, but the makers FN Herstal stress the sheer physical force of these rounds. "The shock and pain caused by the impact instantly stop and neutralize the suspect," the company says.
Dave Young, of the PoliceOne Training Network, experienced the effects of the FN303 and a similar launcher for himself:
Both left small dime- to quarter-size markings on my calf, called a hematoma, from the internal bleeding that was caused from the impact. Both minor blunt trauma marks, the FN303 rounds lasted about 12 days and the others about nine days.
The projectiles can be dangerous. After the Boston Red Sox won the World Series in 2004, a college student was accidentally killed when she was shot in the eye with a FN303. The power of these weapons should not be underestimated: they are far preferable to shooting with live ammunition, but cannot be used carelessly because they’re not "real" guns.
According to RDECOM, this is only the second time there has been an "Urgent Materiel Release" (UMR) of the paintball guns.
During the previous UMR in January 2005, approximately 80 ISNLS were fielded within 60 days of the requirement arriving to Picatinny. The initial UMR resulted from a critical need for non-lethal force at a detainee camp in Afghanistan.
My question: if the potentially-lethal FN303 is sent out to both Iraq and Afghanistan, why is the much safer (by all accounts) Active Denial System still stuck in the US after repeated requests to deploy it?
UPDATE: It turns out that — as some of our readers have pointed out — the FN303 has been sent to Iraq before, but apparently apparently for use in detention facilities. Back in 2004, National Defense Magazine said that: "The REF deployed a limited quantity of this high-rate of fire, multi-shot, blunt impact marking capability. "
A DR reader has used the FN303 at one such facility in Iraq, and reports:
"As far as their performance, they certainly worked better than harsh words during riots and such, but the range and accuracy left a lot to be desired. Plus the effect could be blunted quite a bit by putting on extra clothes or using a mattress as a shield (which was a common tactic during riots)".
