Discovery_Future Weapons S3_02of10_Non Lethal Special
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00:00Since the beginning of military conflicts, we've been developing innovative ways of delivering
00:13lethal force.
00:16Now the battle lines have become blurred, with civilian lives at stake.
00:22It's a thinking man's game out there.
00:24Today's soldier or police officer needs to be able to take a target down without taking
00:29him out.
00:30What they need is an option of using force in a non-lethal way.
00:36Designing a weapon to kill is simple.
00:39What's difficult is to use just enough force to surprise, stun, or stop a target in his
00:48tracks without taking his life.
00:53You don't necessarily want to kill people if you don't have to.
00:58A shot to kill can spark a riot.
01:01Doing nothing?
01:03Not an option.
01:04Put the knife down!
01:05That's when less than lethal weapons make an impression.
01:16I'm Mack, and this is Future Weapons.
01:28In my ten years with the Navy SEALs, I was trained to use some of the deadliest weapons
01:36on the planet.
01:39Now I'm exploring the very latest military technology designed specifically not to kill.
01:49Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, is one of the largest military training centers in the United
01:54States.
01:56It's also home to a primary Department of Defense school for non-lethal weapons.
02:02Our ideal point of impact is right around the solar plexus abdominal region.
02:08Any questions?
02:09No questions?
02:10Alright.
02:11This is where U.S. forces come to be trained in the use of a whole range of less than lethal
02:19options.
02:20Alright brother, take me through this thing.
02:26What we have here is an array of non-lethal weapons and non-lethal munitions that our
02:30students qualify with on range day.
02:33Sergeant First Class Thomas Burke is the chief instructor for these types of weapons.
02:39This is a standard Mossberg 500A2 pump shotgun.
02:43Nothing different than any other version.
02:45This isn't the non-lethal weapon, however, we have the non-lethal munitions that go with
02:49it.
02:51First off, we have the 12-gauge non-lethal fin-stabilized round, and this is what the
02:56projectile looks like.
03:00Typically used in hostile urban situations, blunt trauma rounds, also known as rubber
03:04bullets, they can be made from wood, foam, or even lead buckshot in a bag.
03:10They are primarily designed to cause maximum impact with minimal damage.
03:16I bet this is going to hurt when it hits.
03:18Absolutely.
03:19530 feet per second.
03:22If you've ever been hit by a fastball, you know it's definitely going to get your attention.
03:27Well, that's exactly what a hit from a blunt trauma round feels like.
03:32You have five rounds and a target at 30 meters.
03:38And this flies pretty straight, huh?
03:43Yes, sir.
03:48That's it.
03:50That guy is going to be upset.
03:53Absolutely.
03:55They may be classed as non-lethal, but these rounds are extremely dangerous if not used
04:00properly.
04:01You're definitely not looking for headshots here.
04:03No, absolutely not.
04:04Talking about sweet spot, bread basket area, the thighs, the arms.
04:09You want to avoid head, neck, throat, and center chest.
04:12Got it.
04:13Accuracy is critical.
04:17The distance to the target is another vital consideration.
04:23Faced with a belligerent mob, the implication of using too much force means non-lethal rounds
04:29become essential.
04:31Even then, the distance to your intended target dramatically influences the effectiveness
04:36of these rounds.
04:38There are two major challenges when you're dealing with blunt force trauma rounds.
04:44One, if you're too far away, I may not have enough kinetic energy when I hit you.
04:49Two, if you're too close, I may have too much kinetic energy and do massive damage.
04:55What's needed is a blunt trauma weapon system that can deliver the same punch no matter
04:59what distance the target is.
05:02That's why Breda came up with this, the Less Than Lethal 7000.
05:10What the LTL 7000 does is it comes up with a way to engage targets anywhere between 50
05:15feet and 230 feet effectively.
05:18Gabriel Diplano oversees new product development at Breda, USA.
05:24Therefore gives you, with one system, with one ammunition system, with one weapon system,
05:29the capability of hitting the target effectively within that range.
05:33The secret lies in an innovative optical sight, which just uses two simple buttons to operate.
05:39The soldier matches the red dot to the height of the target seen through the scope.
05:44This quickly and accurately determines the amount of force needed.
05:50The weapon automatically uses the data from the sight to adjust a series of valves in
05:54the chamber, which bleed off more or less gas before the shot is fired.
06:00This directly affects the force of the impact, guaranteeing it stays less than lethal.
06:09Breda calls this the constant kinetic energy system.
06:15So when I switch from the near to the far target, I adjust the dots through the sight.
06:21This closes the valves so all the gas in the chamber is used to propel the round down range.
06:27This gives it maximum kinetic energy.
06:31Just like that.
06:33Simple to operate, but no small engineering feat.
06:37The very clever idea was trying to combine the position of these two red dots with a
06:41corresponding distance of gas bleed off system inside the barrel and therefore give the user
06:47a very, very instinctive and easy way to accomplish all that by just pressing a button.
06:53Coming up, it could mean the difference between life and death.
06:56So I put the LTL 7000 to the test.
07:00Then I get to unleash the power of taser.
07:11In this prototype design, Breda claims to have invented a weapon that can deliver the
07:15same amount of non-lethal force to its target no matter what range it is.
07:23I can see for myself that hitting the target is no problem, even at maximum range.
07:28But how hard am I hitting it?
07:30That's what really matters.
07:32To find out for sure, we brought in an independent expert with over 15 years' experience in blunt
07:38trauma weapons research.
07:41What we're basically interested in is what happens when these rounds hit the body.
07:47Cynthia Burr is the Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University.
07:53So what we have here is a chronograph, and what happens is the projectile breaks the
07:57first beam of light, travels a foot, and breaks the second beam of light.
08:02From there, we can get our velocity.
08:04The projectile then comes and impacts the 3Rib device, which has displacement sensors,
08:09which allows us to actually measure how much deflection we get from the ribs.
08:13What we're really interested in seeing is, does the Breda round keep the same kinetic
08:19energy at 50 as it does at 230 feet?
08:25Range is hot.
08:44Hitting a target 6 inches square at 50 feet isn't a problem for a professional, but would
08:49the impact kill?
08:53The test shows that the projectile hit with an impact of around 211 miles an hour, giving
08:59it enough energy to deliver sharp pain and a nasty bruise, but well within the less-than-lethal
09:06limit.
09:07What do you think?
09:08Yeah, it looks like it cracked the pad.
09:11Now we move the target downrange to 230 feet almost five times the distance.
09:18Normally, a blunt trauma weapon that works at a range of 50 feet would be useless at
09:23anything like this range.
09:26The round would slow down and probably drop to the ground before it even reached the target.
09:33But with Breda's constant kinetic energy system, the result should be exactly the same,
09:39no matter what the range.
09:42Now let's find out if they're right.
09:48That's a direct hit, right in the middle.
10:05Now we get to see what happened.
10:09Even at this distance, the Breda's accuracy allows me to hit the target first time.
10:14But again, it's how hard I hit the target that counts.
10:19The thing to remember here is you want enough kinetic energy to hit that guy in the gut,
10:23knock him to the ground.
10:25You don't want to kill him.
10:28Now Cynthia is ready to tell us whether the constant kinetic energy system lives up to
10:33its name.
10:34So we just got done processing our results from both tests, from our 50-foot test and
10:39our 230-foot test.
10:41What's quite amazing is that our kinetic energy stayed constant.
10:46So what you see here are the two plots.
10:48The red plot would be the test from 50 feet, and the blue plot would be the test from 230
10:52feet.
10:53So as you can see, they're very similar in nature.
10:56The second round hit with a velocity of around 231 miles per hour, only slightly more energy
11:04than the first, and still well within the less-than-lethal limit.
11:10I've worked with less-lethal technologies for a number of years, and I've never seen
11:13a round that is so consistent and can go from the 50 feet out to the 230 feet without changing
11:19its kinetic energy.
11:23At this point, it is a prototype.
11:24We are working on some changes to the ergonomics of the gun, the weight of the gun, the size
11:28of the gun, to make it even more user-friendly and easier to use.
11:32And as design, it's a gigantic leap forward for less-than-lethal weapons technology.
11:40This is one prototype that aims to make a big impact in a future less-than-lethal world.
11:47Next, it's time to stun the bad guys with the latest flashbang technology, and then
11:59the newest shocking development from Taser.
12:09In a combat situation, even the slightest tactical advantage can stack the odds in your
12:14favor.
12:15And one of the simplest ways to gain that advantage is to catch the enemy by surprise.
12:21Whether you're the law enforcement agent that has to serve that high-stakes warrant now,
12:26or the infantryman that has to enter that building in a war-torn country, what you need
12:32more than anything is the element of surprise.
12:35And this little device right here could be the difference of whether you survive that
12:40situation or not.
12:47Flashbangs are non-lethal explosive devices specifically designed to divert your opponent's
12:52attention for one vital moment, just long enough for you to take control of that situation.
13:00And history has shown just how effective they can be.
13:05In May 1980, terrorists seized the Iranian embassy in London, holding hostages inside.
13:12The British SAS were forced to deal with this extremely volatile situation.
13:19It was one of the first times this kind of diversionary device was deployed in a major
13:24real-life situation, and the results speak for themselves.
13:30The SAS were able to successfully storm the building, take out the terrorist, and rescue
13:35all the hostages alive.
13:43It disorients them long enough that we can get a tactical advantage over them before
13:47they realize that we're there.
13:54Now ALS technologies have taken the proven flashbang concept to the next level.
13:59In fact, their new generation of high-powered flashbangs, the 400 series, is so advanced,
14:06they don't call them flashbangs anymore.
14:09They call them stun munitions.
14:14Why do you need different kinds of distraction devices?
14:18Commander William Brown is head of Roswell Police Special Operations Unit.
14:23In my opinion, as situations escalate, you should escalate the size of the device that
14:27you're using to increase the lag time that you have to get in on top of somebody.
14:32The 400 series uses the flash powder equivalent of one-eighth of a pound of TNT to create
14:38a sudden burst of heat, light, and up to 185 decibels of ear-splitting noise.
14:48But the fast burn effect creates very little blast, so actual damage is kept to a minimum.
14:59In the art of war, Sun Tzu said, all warfare is based on deception.
15:03Magic itself is based on misdirection.
15:06For flashbangs to continue to be an effective tactical option, they too also have to evolve.
15:18It gives you all the surprise of a traditional flashbang, but it comes in a neat, flat little
15:23package.
15:24How you deploy it is up to you.
15:26Here we're sliding it under a door.
15:30Remote detonation by wire allows me to place the blast strip exactly where it's needed,
15:35and then get to a position of cover before I choose precisely when to set it off.
15:39I'm a little curious to see what's going to happen.
15:43Off safe.
15:44Here we go.
15:45Three, two, one, fire.
15:46Look at that.
15:47All that flash, all that bang, is a nice little, neat little strip.
16:01Although the energy of the blast is intentionally limited, the strip still has enough power
16:06to do more than just create a diversion.
16:09What we have here is the tactical blast strip used as a breaching tool.
16:12We placed a bag of water here to tamp the charge and drive all of the energy through
16:17the door.
16:18We'll see what happens.
16:21The bag of water is a simple and effective way of directing all of the blast where I
16:25want it, in this case, toward the lock.
16:29Time to take a little bath.
16:31Three, two, one, fire in the hole.
16:38Well, definitely worked, and you can see that very easily I can walk through the door now.
16:45Piece of cake.
16:46Getting a little water on you?
16:50That's nothing, actually.
16:51That cools you off when you're wearing all that tactical gear.
16:58That's the lab test.
17:02Now it's time to see the 400 series in action.
17:10Here's the scenario.
17:12Armed terrorists are holding two hostages inside a building.
17:16It's up to the Roswell Special Operations Unit and me to get them out safely.
17:22I'm going to take care of the back door with a tactical blast strip.
17:26At the same time, my buddies are going to hit the front door with the mother of all flashbangs.
17:36The Magnum 470 stun grenade does more than divert your attention.
17:40Just one of these is powerful enough to take care of a space the size of an entire concert hall.
17:47Get on the ground!
17:48Get on the ground!
17:49Get on the ground!
17:50The bad guys are finished, and the hostages are rescued without a single shot being fired.
17:56ALS Technologies family of flashbangs.
18:01I think I'll give them a ringing endorsement.
18:07Coming up, this non-lethal weapon takes shock tactics to the limit.
18:13And this is the very latest version, taser-fired from a standard shotgun.
18:27Okay.
18:28So this comes out.
18:29This comes in.
18:30I want to make sure my hands are out of the way.
18:33Correct.
18:34Now, here's something you don't get to do every day.
18:36I'm about to zap this willing volunteer with $50,000.
18:42What we have in this situation is Tony.
18:44He's going to come at me, but the fact that he has a lethal weapon in the space of just a few feet,
18:50he could actually kill me.
18:52And right now, I have a less than lethal option in my hand.
18:56Will it make the difference?
18:58Here we go.
19:00What company has created the most popular less than lethal option on the planet?
19:06Let go of the knife.
19:07Let go of the knife.
19:08The answer is Taser International.
19:11And their innovative product is the X26.
19:17In a day, it's $50,000.
19:20In a day, it's $50,000.
19:22In a day, it's $50,000.
19:24In a day, it's $50,000.
19:26The X26.
19:29In a dangerous situation without other options, shooting a hostile individual may be your only recourse.
19:37That's why less than lethal weapons need to exist.
19:41And the Taser X26 Electro Stun System is one of the most effective alternatives ever invented.
19:50This beautifully sophisticated device uses high voltage electric shocks
19:54to totally incapacitate a target by hijacking his central nervous system.
20:00It's immediate, it's overwhelming, and it instantly stops violent situations like these
20:06from escalating into deadly ones.
20:08Do you want to comply?
20:09Yes.
20:12This is less than lethal technology at its very best.
20:16Once it takes a hit, until you take that hit, man, that's when they say,
20:20holy, this really can do what it said it's supposed to do.
20:24You felt it all the way through, didn't you?
20:25Oh, I felt it.
20:26We want to shut up it out.
20:27That was a good ride.
20:29We have yet to see the guy who can take this and just walk through it.
20:33It totally locks up your muscles. You can't do anything.
20:35We're giving the bullet an overhaul.
20:37We think 50 years from now, the world's going to be a very different place.
20:40Just like that.
20:42Go from one situation where the guy has a lethal weapon
20:46to a situation where the guy no longer wants to do damage to you.
20:51Thanks, Tony.
20:52Anytime.
20:57Up against a real aggressor, even an experienced officer can hesitate before firing a live round.
21:03And that can cost him his life.
21:05With Taser, there's no need to hesitate.
21:10I'm at Mystic Training Center, located in Roswell, New Mexico.
21:19And the men from Taser have flown in to give me a demonstration
21:23of their latest technological breakthroughs.
21:40If most people had the option to defend themselves and not kill somebody,
21:44I think they'd take it.
21:46Neurobiologist Rick Smith is one of the co-founders of Taser International.
21:51He's been instrumental in developing this technology.
21:55And I saw a major opportunity to save a lot of lives and to meet a real need.
21:59Because we all want to feel safe, but generally we don't want to take a life to do it.
22:05So, let's take a closer look at the Taser technology.
22:09So, let's take a closer look at the Taser effect and how it works.
22:13There you go.
22:14Stay a little bit closer to him.
22:16Alright, because I don't want him to...
22:18You know the game you guys used to play when you were little?
22:19Trust each other?
22:21Trust each other.
22:23It is a difficult thing to take a life.
22:26And every life you take stays with you.
22:30Taser International's chief instructor is Hans Marrero,
22:33a highly decorated Marine veteran with extensive combat experience.
22:37So, if you can make something that can actually enhance life
22:41and give somebody another chance at life, it's a great thing.
22:47Alright, my man Eric right there.
22:50He's a big guy, very athletic.
22:52He's ready to do some nasty business.
22:54Hans, give him the solution.
23:03Let go of the knife!
23:04Jeremy, you're back!
23:05Cross your legs, quickly!
23:07Like the big man I zapped earlier, Eric is a willing volunteer.
23:12Eric, you alright?
23:13Very good.
23:14Did you feel like you had to comply?
23:16Oh, without a doubt.
23:18Thanks brother, I appreciate you doing this for us.
23:20My pleasure.
23:21Okay, and just like that, in seconds, he had this guy completely under control and very compliant.
23:28Many less-than-lethal weapons rely on inflicting pain to modify the target's behavior.
23:34But under certain circumstances, or with enough training, pain can be mentally blocked out.
23:41The X26 delivers 19 highly efficient electrical pulses every second
23:46to override the body's central nervous system,
23:49causing the muscles to lock up uncontrollably.
23:52And believe me, there's nothing you can do about it.
23:56It's one hell of a ride.
23:58Let go of the knife!
23:59Roll it over your stomach!
24:00Pain won't stop.
24:01Somebody like you, who's very focused, who's got military training, they can fight through it.
24:06But if we take away your ability to control your muscles, the game's over.
24:10You can't fight through it.
24:11In fact, the more muscular you are, the harder you're going to fall.
24:14So for a powerful guy like Eric,
24:16his sheer muscle mass actually becomes a bigger handicap.
24:23The electrical pulses are delivered by two barbed probes,
24:26launched with compressed gas, which pierce the skin at 160 feet per second.
24:32The probe stays connected to the X26 by thin wires,
24:35which instantly deliver a 5 second burst of taser energy.
24:46All right, so these are the drugs that we need to keep this game going.
24:55OK, let's get this over with.
24:57All right, so these are the darts, right?
25:02Those are the darts.
25:03The way you pull this out is very simple.
25:05You cut the wire here.
25:07You tell the individual to just relax.
25:09You grab it and you give a quick pull, as fast as you can.
25:14From here, just like that.
25:18Amazingly, the probes don't even have to touch the skin.
25:22Even through clothing, the electrical energy arcs like lightning to deliver its punch to
25:26the body and drop the target to the deck.
25:37That effect is called neuromuscular incapacitation.
25:41And trust me, once you're tagged, your body doesn't belong to you anymore.
25:45At close quarters, even the most violent and dangerous aggressors become powerless.
25:52Until now, the taser effect depends on wires to deliver its punch, and this limits its
25:57effective range to about 35 feet.
26:00Now, I'm about to see what taser has done to extend that range, revolutionizing the
26:06concept of a round in the process.
26:11And then, place this device at a checkpoint, and if you need to get somebody's attention,
26:17no problem.
26:36Hans, give them the solution.
26:38In the world of less than lethal weapons, the taser system has an unrivaled track record
26:44in dealing with violent aggressors.
26:47Because it stays connected to the firing unit by wires, it is strictly limited to a range
26:53of 35 feet.
26:56But that's not every application we need out there.
26:59A lot of our customers, particularly in the military, need to be able to engage out further.
27:03So how do you take what many people consider to be the greatest less than lethal option
27:08on the planet and make it even better?
27:11You turn it into the X-REP, Extended Range Electronic Projectile.
27:18Now, you take all that capability and you can fire it out of a standard 12-gauge shotgun.
27:28Packed with technology, the X-REP is the most advanced projectile ever to be fired from
27:33a 12-gauge shotgun.
27:37Free from any restricting wires, it can reach out to roughly twice the distance of the X-26.
27:44And despite its tiny size, it packs the same taser punch and shocks just a little longer
27:50than its predecessor.
27:54We think that this is revolutionary.
27:56If you think about it, the primary means of resolving interpersonal conflict or the primary
28:01means of personal protection for the last 400 years has been the bullet.
28:04Well, we're giving the bullet an overhaul.
28:07Now we're not just talking about throwing a small piece of lead at somebody.
28:10We're talking about throwing a very high-tech integrated weapon platform that can spin stabilize
28:16in flight, that can reach a target accurately, that can impact, deploy electrodes, and deliver
28:22taser neuromuscular incapacitation at extended ranges.
28:26We think 50 years from now, the world's going to be a very different place because of this
28:29device.
28:30This was going to change everything.
28:33To create the X-REP, Taser took the key components from their highly successful X-26 and managed
28:40to pack all that and more inside the standard 12-gauge shotgun cartridge.
28:47Powered by a miniature battery as small as the one found in your wristwatch, this X-REP
28:51engine generates the same concentrated electrical pulses as its big brother.
28:57These microelectronics are automatically switched on as the projectile exits the gun barrel,
29:03initiating the pulse cycle.
29:07An instant later, three spring-loaded fins pop out to spin stabilize the round.
29:16On impact, the nose section of the unit embeds into the target, but the back of the unit
29:20separates, staying attached by Kevlar wires.
29:24As it falls, the pendulum force from the rebound swings a second set of electrodes onto the
29:30target.
29:32This creates a larger area for the pulses to work on, spreading out the electrical shock.
29:38The technologies you can imagine to make this happen was a lot of work.
29:42We had to take everything in these Taser devices and shrink it down to this.
29:49This is the X-REP engine.
29:51It's smaller around than a dime, weighs less than a nickel, 2.4 grams, yet the electrical
29:57output of this tiny little electronic module can drop the largest, scariest people on the
30:03planet.
30:06But all that technology is useless if it doesn't hit the target.
30:10How easy is it to hit a human-sized silhouette with an X-REP at the maximum effective range
30:16of 65 feet?
30:20It's very accurate and shockingly easy to use.
30:24I'll tell you what.
30:26Not only do you get the blunt trauma of this thing hitting you in the chest, boom, pop,
30:31hits you, then this thing swings down, catches inside.
30:35Now all that voltage is swimming through the body.
30:41The greatest concern that our military has today is being able to engage that suspect
30:45at a range that's safe for the warfighter.
30:48Kevin Williams manages the development of government and military programs for Taser
30:53International.
30:55This projectile is revolutionary in that respect.
30:58With the tools that they have today, the beanbag rounds and blunt impact munitions, maybe 50%
31:03of the individuals that they use those on are going to fight right through them, continuing
31:07that threat to the warfighter.
31:09Hopefully this system will take that individual down on the first try and create that incapacitation
31:14so the warfighter has the upper hand.
31:15What we want to do here is show the actual physical effects of what's going to happen
31:20once that round makes contact with the body.
31:24From the firing range, I've proved the X-Rep's accuracy.
31:28Back in the controlled environment of the test room, it's time to see its stunning capabilities.
31:33Are you ready, brother?
31:35Thanks, man.
31:36To save our buddy from a big bruise, we're going to trigger the pulse manually.
31:41There you go.
31:50That's great right there.
31:51Boom.
31:52Perfect.
31:53Now, how did that feel?
31:54My toes curled back to touch my behind.
31:59Because the X-Rep is effective and accurate at twice the range of the X-26, you have to
32:04cover more distance to apprehend the target once he's down.
32:09Not a problem.
32:10The designers have also increased the duration of its pulse cycle to a full 20 seconds.
32:16You're done, right?
32:17Yeah.
32:18There's no doubt.
32:19There's no way I could fight through that.
32:21If you've got 20 seconds, you've got enough time now to make an informed decision about
32:25how you're going to respond to that individual.
32:28So if the knockdown effect of the blunt trauma doesn't get you, then 20 seconds of neuromuscular
32:35incapacitation definitely will.
32:43A weapon like this is obviously going to be effective in any number of situations, but
32:51let's look at a typical scenario.
33:01After a robbery goes wrong in a busy shopping mall, this armed and dangerous man is cornered
33:06by the police.
33:08There is no way out.
33:10In desperation, he threatens the lives of innocent bystanders caught up in the chaos.
33:17It's a fast-escalating, potentially deadly situation.
33:23In the past, the only option for the police was to use lethal force to remove the threat
33:28without further endangering the hostages.
33:31Now XREP gives you another option.
33:41The officers have a full 20 seconds to get control of the bad guy and end the threat.
33:51The officers were able to fire without any fear of injuring innocent bystanders, and
33:56this guy is also completely unharmed, so he'll live to tell the tale to the judge.
34:03With the X26 and the brilliant invention of the XREP, Taser is leading the way in less
34:09than lethal options.
34:17Coming up, the amazing XNET can actually stop a speeding vehicle in its tracks.
34:32For military personnel manning a vehicle checkpoint, one of the most difficult situations is when
34:37a vehicle fails to stop.
34:39To be on a checkpoint is a little nerve-wracking when you are either out on a gun or you are
34:44on the ground and you are within five feet of a vehicle oncoming.
34:50Ho!
34:51You are now approaching a U.S. Army checkpoint.
34:56Proceed with caution.
34:59Slow down.
35:01Sir, stop your vehicle.
35:04Modern Iraqi freedom has proven that manned checkpoints are one of the places where coalition
35:09forces are at their most vulnerable.
35:14There are all kinds of things you have to take into consideration at a checkpoint in
35:18a war zone.
35:20Here's the dilemma.
35:21Even a vehicle that breaks through may contain civilians who don't know they are supposed
35:26to stop.
35:28If you are going to open fire, you only have a split second to make a life or death decision.
35:37So how do you determine a vehicle's level of intention long before you have to use deadly
35:43force?
35:45To gain control of the situation, you have to bring the vehicle safely to a halt without
35:50harming the people inside.
35:52Easier said than done.
35:55The point of this device is to definitely get your attention quickly.
36:03Just like that.
36:04Spike strips, also known as stingers, have been around for about ten years.
36:09They have one major drawback.
36:16Tires are punctured, but the vehicle isn't stopped.
36:20And that's the limitation with today's technology.
36:25And remember, those could be civilians inside that vehicle.
36:31This deflates the vehicle tires.
36:32It does not stop the vehicle.
36:35Eric Neiber is a non-lethal system specialist for the U.S. Army.
36:39The vehicle can continue on until it's on its rims.
36:44Why is that such a dangerous situation?
36:45Well, if you're at a checkpoint or an entry control point, you don't want a vehicle to
36:50get beyond you that might cause harm to the friendly forces on the other side.
36:56In 1983, a truck carrying explosives burst through a checkpoint at the U.S. Marine barracks
37:03in Beirut.
37:04Soldiers fired on the vehicle, but were unable to stop it.
37:09241 U.S. Marines, sailors, and soldiers were killed.
37:19Stopping a vehicle isn't as easy as you might think.
37:22That's why engineers have been working for the last three decades to come up with an
37:26effective solution.
37:28The other deficiency on them is if the vehicle is equipped with run-flat tires, which are
37:32commonly available now, these will not work.
37:34Yeah, you've got hard rubber, gel in there, so that tire can keep going for another 50
37:39miles.
37:4050 miles, right.
37:42And the solution to that problem?
37:45The X-Net.
37:49This is the X-Net.
37:50It's a non-lethal vehicle arrester.
37:53One of the men behind the X-Net, Phil Dandy, explains the basic principle.
37:57Pull this whole thing back.
38:00Okay.
38:01Alright.
38:02So what we have are these two rows of very, very sharp spikes.
38:06They go into the car tire, and they then wrap the net around both front wheels, and
38:13that vehicle is dead meat.
38:16As we saw in our test with the spike strip, the car was still able to drive, even with
38:21conventional tires.
38:23Now to make this a little more challenging, we put run-flat tires on this vehicle.
38:28So will the X-Net stop the vehicle in time?
38:37The vehicle will be traveling at 40 miles an hour, with tires that can't be flattened.
38:46I'm curious to see what's going to happen.
38:50I'm kind of hoping for an arresting moment.
39:02You've got to love that.
39:04That's awesome.
39:05He's trying to gun the engine right now to get away.
39:08Uh-uh.
39:09X-Net, got him trapped.
39:13The X-Net easily brings the vehicle to a controlled stop within 60 feet.
39:19It's designed to make the car skid straight, so it's predictable, and that means it's safer.
39:27Once the spikes are embedded in the tire, they pull the net with them, which then tangles
39:32itself around the front tires, tying them up.
39:43Last time, breezed right through here, turned the corner, was gone.
39:48Now, we got him halted.
39:50Now we can check him out, make sure he's no longer a threat.
39:54You can clearly see that no damage is caused to the vehicle.
39:57If you're innocent, change your tires, and you're on your way.
40:00If you're guilty, we got you.
40:06Stopping a car at 40 miles an hour is one thing.
40:09It's not just cars that try to run checkpoints.
40:18This Army four-wheel drive weighs in over a ton.
40:25Big knobby tires, bigger vehicle, weighs more.
40:29Better result, actually.
40:31It may seem simple, but it's a highly sophisticated design.
40:36The biggest challenge was getting a spike that will work against all tires,
40:41from very thin car tires all the way through to very thick truck tires.
40:45Listen, a vehicle like this is perfect for hiding IEDs in, all kinds of bad, nasty stuff.
40:49When you can stop a vehicle like this, confident.
40:52You know your checkpoint's going to be more secure.
40:54You're going to be taking care of your guys.
40:56You're going to handle that threat just like you're supposed to.
41:06The X-Net is made from material called Dyneema.
41:10It's what deep-sea fishing nets are made from.
41:13And up here on dry land, it's perfect for catching cars.
41:21This is a version for stopping medium-sized trucks.
41:25We're developing future systems that will stop big trucks.
41:30Kinetics test footage shows just how advanced this version of X-Net is.
41:38It can be deployed manually with two soldiers pulling it from the side of the road.
41:42Alternatively, we're developing a remote deployment system.
41:47And we're hoping in the future to develop this further to actually be launched from helicopters.
41:56Here at Fort Leonard Wood, the 463rd Military Police Company is on a checkpoint training exercise.
42:04They have just returned from a 12-month tour in Iraq,
42:08where they face the dangers of manning a checkpoint on a regular basis.
42:12That's part of what makes it hard, is that you don't know where the threats are coming from.
42:18You don't know when they're coming.
42:22Sometimes a car wouldn't be paying attention or whatever.
42:25They'd just be looking down, messing with a kid's wife, whatever, you know.
42:28They'd overshoot their boundaries.
42:31It's in situations like this that non-lethal devices like X-Net save lives.
42:38Halt! You are now approaching a U.S. Army checkpoint.
42:42Proceed with caution.
42:44Slow down.
42:47Sir, stop your vehicle.
42:49Stop your vehicle! Stop, stop, stop!
43:00It has saved lives.
43:02It fills the gap between letting a car go through a checkpoint and shooting the driver.
43:10Anything that we can do from stopping the U.S. Excessive Force
43:13and show them that we are more there to help than to be a threat or a burden is key for me.
43:21This is what non-lethal is all about. It's giving that middle response.