EPIC (Electromagnetic Personnel Interdiction Control)

The Marine Corps has a requirement for a non-destructive stun weapon that would render a hostile war fighter ineffective for a period of time. There is significant political and military interest in such a capability. In addition, the ability to remotelyincapacitate a human being without permanent damage would be a landmark event in the field of civil law enforcement. The desirability of waging bloodless war to counter threats to national security is virtually limitless since both military and civilauthority could determine a priori when and if loss of human life is necessary. IVC proposes to investigate the use of beamed RF energy to excite and interrupt the normal process of human hearing and equilibrium. The focus will be in two areas. (1)Interruption of the mechanical transduction process by which sound and position (relative to gravity) are converted to messages that are processed by the brain. (2) Interruption of the chemical engine which sustains the proper operation of the nerve cellsthat respond to the mechanical transduction mechanisms referenced in item (1). Interruption of either or both of these processes has been clinically shown to produce complete disorientation and confusion. Second order effects would be extreme motionsickness.