"Ultrasonic weapon" redirects here. Not to be confused with hypersonic weapon.
Sonic and ultrasonic weapons (USW) are weapons of various types that use sound to injure or incapacitate an opponent. Some sonic weapons make a focused beam of sound or of ultrasound; others produce an area field of sound. As of 2023[update]military and police forces make some limited use of sonic weapons.
An NYPD officer stands ready with the LRAD 500X at an Occupy Wall Street protest on November 17, 2011 near the city hall.
Extremely high-power sound waves can disrupt or destroy the eardrums of a target and cause severe pain or disorientation. This is usually sufficient to incapacitate a person. Less powerful sound waves can cause humans to experience nausea or discomfort.
The possibility of a device that produces frequency that causes vibration of the eyeballs—and therefore distortion of vision—was suggested by paranormal researcher Vic Tandy[1][2] in the 1990s while attempting to demystify a "haunting" in his laboratory in Coventry. This "spook" was characterised by a feeling of unease and vague glimpses of a grey apparition. Some detective work implicated a newly-installed extractor fan, found by Tandy, that was generating infrasound of 18.9 Hz, 0.3 Hz, and 9 Hz.
A long-range acoustic device (LRAD) produces a 30 degree cone of audible sound in frequencies within the human hearing spectrum (20 Hz – 20 kHz). An LRAD was used by the crew of the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit in 2005 to deter pirates who chased and attacked the ship.[3] More commonly this device and others of similar design have been used to disperse protesters and rioters in crowd control efforts. A similar system is called a "magnetic acoustic device".[4]The Mosquito sonic devices have been used in the United Kingdom to deter teenagers from lingering around shops in target areas. The device works by emitting an ultra-high frequency blast (around 19–20 kHz) that teenagers or people under approximately 20 are susceptible to and find uncomfortable. Age-related hearing loss apparently prevents the ultra-high pitch sound from causing a nuisance to those in their late twenties and above, though this is wholly dependent on a young person's past exposure to high sound pressure levels.[citation needed] In 2020 and 2021, Greek authorities used long-range sound cannons to deter migrants on the Turkish border.[5]
High-amplitude sound of a specific pattern at a frequency close to the sensitivity peak of human hearing (2–3 kHz) is used as a burglar deterrent.[6]
It has been reported that "sonic attacks" may have taken place in the American embassy in Cuba in 2016 and 2017 ("Havana syndrome"), leading to health problems, including hearing loss, in US and Canadian government employees at the US and Canadian embassies in Havana.[10] However, more recent reports hypothesize microwave energy as the cause[11][12][13] or their bodies tricking themselves via a mass psychogenic condition caused by extended periods of stress, such as working in an embassy of a nation considered hostile to your own.[14]
Studies have found that exposure to high intensity ultrasound at frequencies from 700 kHz to 3.6 MHz can cause lung and intestinal damage in mice. Heart rate patterns following vibroacoustic stimulation has resulted in serious negative consequences such as atrial flutter and bradycardia.[15][16]
The extra-aural (unrelated to hearing) bioeffects on various internal organs and the central nervous system included auditory shifts, vibrotactile sensitivity change, muscle contraction, cardiovascular function change, central nervous system effects, vestibular (inner ear) effects, and chest wall/lung tissue effects. Researchers found that low-frequency sonar exposure could result in significant cavitations, hypothermia, and tissue shearing. No follow up experiments were recommended. Tests performed on mice show the threshold for both lung and liver damage occurs at about 184 dB. Damage increases rapidly as intensity is increased.[citation needed] The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) has stated that there have been no proven biological effects associated with an unfocused sound beam with intensities below 100 mW/cm² SPTA or focused sound beams below an intensity level of 1 mW/cm² SPTA.[17]
Noise-induced neurologic disturbances in scuba divers exposed to continuous low-frequency tones for durations longer than 15 minutes has involved in some cases the development of immediate and long-term problems affecting brain tissue. The symptoms resembled those of individuals who had suffered minor head injuries. One theory for a causal mechanism is that the prolonged sound exposure resulted in enough mechanical strain to brain tissue to induce an encephalopathy. Divers and aquatic mammals may also suffer lung and sinus injuries from high intensity, low-frequency sound. This is due to the ease with which low-frequency sound passes from water into a body, but not into any pockets of gas in the body, which reflect the sound due to mismatched acoustic impedance.[18]
^"Watch: Shots reportedly fired, 141 arrested at Dakota Access Pipeline protests". The Seattle Times. October 27, 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
^Staff and agencies (2017-08-25). "US says 16 people were affected by unexplained health problems at Havana embassy". Guardian (UK).
^Katie Bo Williams & Jeremy Herb, US investigating possible mysterious directed energy attack near White House April 29, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, CNN (April 29, 2021).
^Consensus Study Report: An Assessment of Illness in U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies December 9, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, Standing Committee to Advise the Department of State on Unexplained Health Effects on U.S. Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies, of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2020).
^"Long before Havana Syndrome, the U.S. reported microwaves beamed at an embassy". NPR.org. Retrieved 2021-10-27.
^"'Havana syndrome ' and the mystery of the microwaves". 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
^Exploiting Technical Opportunities to Capture Advanced Capabilities for Our Soldiers; Army AL&T; 2007 Oct–Dec; Dr. Reed Skaggs [1]
^Air University Research Template: "Non-lethal Weapons: Setting our Phasers on Stun? Potential Strategic Blessings and Curses of Non-Lethal Weapons on the Battlefield"; Erik L. Nutley, Lieutenant Colonel, USAF; August 2003; Occasional Paper No. 34; Center for Strategy and Technology; Air War College; Air University; Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; PG12 [2] 2009-03-27 at the Wayback Machine
^"Ultrasound Physics 2nd edition"; Terry Reynolds, BS RDCS; School of Cardiac Ultrasound, Arizona Heart Foundation, Phoenix, AZ; 2005.
^“Non-Lethal Swimmer Neutralization Study”; Applied Research Laboratories; The University of Texas at Austin; G2 Software Systems, Inc., San Diego; Technical Document 3138; May 2002 [3] 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
Further readingedit
Goodman, Steve (2012). Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear. MIT Press. ISBN978-0-262-51795-9.
External linksedit
‘’USA Today’’ report on cruise ship attack – (PDF)
Daria Vaisman. "The Acoustics of War." Cabinet, Winter 2001/2002.
Gerry Vassilatos. "The Sonic Doom of Valdimir Gavreau.", Journal of Borderland Research, October 1996.
April 11, 2024
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Ultrasonic weapon redirects here Not to be confused with hypersonic weapon Sonic and ultrasonic weapons USW are weapons of various types that use sound to injure or incapacitate an opponent Some sonic weapons make a focused beam of sound or of ultrasound others produce an area field of sound As of 2023 update military and police forces make some limited use of sonic weapons A long range acoustic device LRAD in use on the USS Blue Ridge Contents 1 Use and deployment 2 Research 2 1 Effects other than to the ears 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksUse and deployment edit nbsp An NYPD officer stands ready with the LRAD 500X at an Occupy Wall Street protest on November 17 2011 near the city hall Extremely high power sound waves can disrupt or destroy the eardrums of a target and cause severe pain or disorientation This is usually sufficient to incapacitate a person Less powerful sound waves can cause humans to experience nausea or discomfort The possibility of a device that produces frequency that causes vibration of the eyeballs and therefore distortion of vision was suggested by paranormal researcher Vic Tandy 1 2 in the 1990s while attempting to demystify a haunting in his laboratory in Coventry This spook was characterised by a feeling of unease and vague glimpses of a grey apparition Some detective work implicated a newly installed extractor fan found by Tandy that was generating infrasound of 18 9 Hz 0 3 Hz and 9 Hz A long range acoustic device LRAD produces a 30 degree cone of audible sound in frequencies within the human hearing spectrum 20 Hz 20 kHz An LRAD was used by the crew of the cruise ship Seabourn Spirit in 2005 to deter pirates who chased and attacked the ship 3 More commonly this device and others of similar design have been used to disperse protesters and rioters in crowd control efforts A similar system is called a magnetic acoustic device 4 The Mosquito sonic devices have been used in the United Kingdom to deter teenagers from lingering around shops in target areas The device works by emitting an ultra high frequency blast around 19 20 kHz that teenagers or people under approximately 20 are susceptible to and find uncomfortable Age related hearing loss apparently prevents the ultra high pitch sound from causing a nuisance to those in their late twenties and above though this is wholly dependent on a young person s past exposure to high sound pressure levels citation needed In 2020 and 2021 Greek authorities used long range sound cannons to deter migrants on the Turkish border 5 High amplitude sound of a specific pattern at a frequency close to the sensitivity peak of human hearing 2 3 kHz is used as a burglar deterrent 6 Some police forces have used sound cannons against protesters for example during the 2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit 7 the 2014 Ferguson unrest 8 and the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protest in North Dakota 9 among others It has been reported that sonic attacks may have taken place in the American embassy in Cuba in 2016 and 2017 Havana syndrome leading to health problems including hearing loss in US and Canadian government employees at the US and Canadian embassies in Havana 10 However more recent reports hypothesize microwave energy as the cause 11 12 13 or their bodies tricking themselves via a mass psychogenic condition caused by extended periods of stress such as working in an embassy of a nation considered hostile to your own 14 Research editSee also United States Department of Defense policy on non lethal weapons Studies have found that exposure to high intensity ultrasound at frequencies from 700 kHz to 3 6 MHz can cause lung and intestinal damage in mice Heart rate patterns following vibroacoustic stimulation has resulted in serious negative consequences such as atrial flutter and bradycardia 15 16 See Microwave auditory effect Effects other than to the ears edit The extra aural unrelated to hearing bioeffects on various internal organs and the central nervous system included auditory shifts vibrotactile sensitivity change muscle contraction cardiovascular function change central nervous system effects vestibular inner ear effects and chest wall lung tissue effects Researchers found that low frequency sonar exposure could result in significant cavitations hypothermia and tissue shearing No follow up experiments were recommended Tests performed on mice show the threshold for both lung and liver damage occurs at about 184 dB Damage increases rapidly as intensity is increased citation needed The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine AIUM has stated that there have been no proven biological effects associated with an unfocused sound beam with intensities below 100 mW cm SPTA or focused sound beams below an intensity level of 1 mW cm SPTA 17 Noise induced neurologic disturbances in scuba divers exposed to continuous low frequency tones for durations longer than 15 minutes has involved in some cases the development of immediate and long term problems affecting brain tissue The symptoms resembled those of individuals who had suffered minor head injuries One theory for a causal mechanism is that the prolonged sound exposure resulted in enough mechanical strain to brain tissue to induce an encephalopathy Divers and aquatic mammals may also suffer lung and sinus injuries from high intensity low frequency sound This is due to the ease with which low frequency sound passes from water into a body but not into any pockets of gas in the body which reflect the sound due to mismatched acoustic impedance 18 See also editBrown note Directional sound Electronic harassment Delusion regarding mind manipulation by electronic means The Hum Infrasound LED incapacitator Long range acoustic device Parametric array Sone a unit of loudness of sound Sonic screwdriver Sound intensity Sound power Sound pressure Ultrasonic welding UltrasoundReferences edit infrasound The Skeptic s Dictionary skepdic com Retrieved 29 September 2017 Tandy V amp Lawrence T 1998 The ghost in the machine Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 62 360 64 Cruise lines turn to sonic weapon BBC 2005 11 08 Retrieved 2010 09 30 Focused Sound Laser for Crowd Control NPR org Retrieved 29 September 2017 Greece aims long range sound cannons at migrants across its border Coda Story 2021 07 28 Retrieved 2021 11 07 http inferno se pdf eng test hearinglossrisk pdf bare URL PDF Weaver Matthew 2009 09 25 G20 protesters blasted by sonic cannon The Guardian London Retrieved 2010 05 23 The New Sound of Crowd Control Watch Shots reportedly fired 141 arrested at Dakota Access Pipeline protests The Seattle Times October 27 2016 Retrieved 6 December 2016 Staff and agencies 2017 08 25 US says 16 people were affected by unexplained health problems at Havana embassy Guardian UK Katie Bo Williams amp Jeremy Herb US investigating possible mysterious directed energy attack near White House Archived April 29 2021 at the Wayback Machine CNN April 29 2021 Consensus Study Report An Assessment of Illness in U S Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies Archived December 9 2020 at the Wayback Machine Standing Committee to Advise the Department of State on Unexplained Health Effects on U S Government Employees and Their Families at Overseas Embassies of the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine 2020 Long before Havana Syndrome the U S reported microwaves beamed at an embassy NPR org Retrieved 2021 10 27 Havana syndrome and the mystery of the microwaves 2021 09 08 Retrieved 2024 01 03 Exploiting Technical Opportunities to Capture Advanced Capabilities for Our Soldiers Army AL amp T 2007 Oct Dec Dr Reed Skaggs 1 Air University Research Template Non lethal Weapons Setting our Phasers on Stun Potential Strategic Blessings and Curses of Non Lethal Weapons on the Battlefield Erik L Nutley Lieutenant Colonel USAF August 2003 Occasional Paper No 34 Center for Strategy and Technology Air War College Air University Maxwell Air Force Base Alabama PG12 2 Archived 2009 03 27 at the Wayback Machine Ultrasound Physics 2nd edition Terry Reynolds BS RDCS School of Cardiac Ultrasound Arizona Heart Foundation Phoenix AZ 2005 Non Lethal Swimmer Neutralization Study Applied Research Laboratories The University of Texas at Austin G2 Software Systems Inc San Diego Technical Document 3138 May 2002 3 Archived 2006 04 27 at the Wayback MachineFurther reading editGoodman Steve 2012 Sonic Warfare Sound Affect and the Ecology of Fear MIT Press ISBN 978 0 262 51795 9 External links edit USA Today report on cruise ship attack Data on device used by cruise ship PDF Jack Sargeant with David Sutton Sonic weapons ForteanTimes December 2001 Daria Vaisman The Acoustics of War Cabinet Winter 2001 2002 Gerry Vassilatos The Sonic Doom of Valdimir Gavreau Journal of Borderland Research October 1996 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sonic weapon amp oldid 1213936165, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
