The Pentagon has authorized the United States Department Of Homeland Security to test a military weapon that causes an intense burning sensation on the skin, opening the door to a seven-month loan of the System of Active Denial beginning in September.
The authorization was contained in a memorandum signed last month by Pete Hegseth. Under it, the system cannot be operated by Department of War personnel, and DHS will be solely responsible for using it and for developing the tactics, techniques and procedures needed to run it.
The device is described as a non-lethal heat-ray weapon, but it is designed to force a person to move away. It emits an invisible beam of electromagnetic waves that can reach almost one kilometer, and military officials have said the sensation is similar to opening a hot oven. reported that the tingling can last 10 to 15 minutes.
That mix of distance, pain and control is why the search interest is not just about hardware but about border policy. Authorities have already considered whether the system could deter irregular crossings in areas with high concentrations of migrants or push people out of the water when they try to cross border rivers. A previous study in the El Centro sector, which covers about 112 kilometers of the U.S.-Mexico border, looked at whether the device could help control illegal crossings in a nearby river.
But the same qualities that make the weapon attractive on paper also make it hard to place in real-world use. Concerns have included the possibility that people could be incapacitated and need rescue, that someone could flee into the water and drown, and that using the device against people still in Mexican territory could raise legal and sovereignty problems. also raised questions about proportionality and possible harm to people hit by the beam.
A Defense official told that DHS may ask for an extension after the seven-month loan ends if it still needs the equipment for border operations. The memorandum does not say the system will be deployed, only that the test will go ahead under DHS control. That leaves the next step in the hands of DHS: whether it can turn a weapon built to repel people into something it is willing to use on the border.
