Corps to test nonlethal grenade launcher

[280plus]

Not sure of source, probably "Military Times"


Weapon could offer more range and accuracy
By James K. Sanborn - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 23, 2010 9:52:44 EDT
   
The Marine Corps recently awarded two competing contracts for the development of a nonlethal weapon system that would allow Marines to fire flash-bang-like grenades from farther away.

The Mission Payload Module – Non-lethal Weapon System could reach an estimated 500 meters, allowing Marines to counter a threat while at a safe distance and in their vehicles, developers say.

The Marine Corps’ wish list asks for the final system to deliver munitions between 10-500 meters and to disable threats for up to five minutes through light and percussion.

Marine Corps Systems Command awarded the contracts in mid-April to Australia-based Metal Storm, for about $1.5 million, and to Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics, for about $3 million. Metal Storm is working to produce a multi-barreled 40mm launcher based on its FireStorm grenade launcher. General Dynamics calls its version Medusa. It is also multi-barreled, but will fire 66mm projectiles.

The nonlethal system will attach to the Marine Corps Transparent Armor Gun Shield, commonly seen on top of Humvees and MRAPs, and will move with the .50-caliber machine gun. This allows a machine gunner to quickly transition to a nonlethal option.

With both companies developing devices that can place multiple rounds in seconds, Marines will be able to quickly lay down a large blanket of nonlethal suppression, said Peter D. Faulkner, Metal Storm’s general manager. For example, they could be used to control large crowds.

Initial operational capability is planned for 2016, according to a SysCom spokesman.

[Gowen]

What happened to "when it positively has to be destroyed over night...."   

[kgbsquirrel]

Seriously, what's the point of this system? Wouldn't it have better been procured by a police force of some kind and not an organization whose purpose in life is ending  that of someone else?

[Ron]

When you engage in nation building, you need non lethal ways to suppress the local malcontents.

[Balog]

Just awesome. We're supposed to be a freaking strike force not glorified cops. Bad enough they have the Army doing this crap, but I spent way too much damn time playing nice with the locals as it was. 

[vaskidmark]

When you engage in nation building, you need non lethal ways to suppress the local malcontents.

The Marines do not build nations.  They do, however, provide used building materials that other groups may use as they deem fit for patching the spots where "the enemy" used to be.

Why do I see this as merely a convenient way for the gooberment to use the sanctity of the military budget to test-drive some stuff they will be issuing to Obama's new civil corps?

stay safe.

[CNYCacher]

With both companies developing devices that can place multiple rounds in seconds, Marines will be able to quickly lay down a large blanket of nonlethal suppression, said Peter D. Faulkner, Metal Storm’s general manager. For example, they could be used to control large crowds.

Ahem, would that be the Metal Storm of the electronically-fired arrays of stacked-projectile multi-shot single-use barrels capable of delivering X rounds-per minute where X is a number as high as you can imagine?

[280plus]

One has to wonder, how many steps away is it from shooting lethal rounds? One possibly?

[Jamisjockey]

I'm a little perplexed by the hand wringing about the Marines using non lethals.  The Marine Corps has historically been tasked with dealing with sticky situations with hostile crowds and where you can't just shoot first and skip asking questions.  Everything from embassay duty to relief efforts.  Civilian populations that are unarmed in a battle zone.  Hell, non lethals (or should I say, less lethals) would be great in a situation where you're being encouraged to pick up some prisoners for questioning.

[Balog]

It's part of the whole trend to make the Corps a "peace keeping" instead of "war making" force. I was trained to kill people and break things, and I spent way to much of my time making nice with the locals and doing police work.

[AZRedhawk44]

quickly lay down a large blanket of nonlethal suppression

Flashbangs burn stuff down.

Lots of flashbangs do that faster.

Instead of swiss cheese prisoners, you have BBQ'ed prisoners.