Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Applied Research

The Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Applied Research (PE 0602651M) program is a Navy-led initiative under the Department of Defense (DoD) that focuses on applied research and development of non-lethal weapons (NLW) technologies. Established in response to the FY96 National Defense Authorization Act, the program is managed by the Commandant of the Marine Corps as the DoD Non-Lethal Weapons Executive Agent. The overarching goal is to provide the joint force with effective non-lethal options that support the National Defense Strategy, particularly in scenarios where lethal force may be legally or politically constrained, or where minimizing civilian casualties is a priority.

The program's primary objectives are to address capability gaps identified by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) and to advance technologies that enable intermediate force capabilities (IFC). This includes research into non-lethal directed energy weapons such as lasers, millimeter-wave, and high-power microwave systems for both counter-personnel and counter-materiel missions. The intent is to develop scalable effects that can be used in a variety of operational contexts, including urban environments and situations involving large civilian populations.

A significant focus of the program is on the applied research, assessment, and demonstration of emerging technologies. Investment areas include non-lethal acoustic and optical technologies, advanced non-lethal materials for vehicle or vessel stopping, and counter-facility applications. The program also supports research into the human effects and effectiveness of new non-lethal stimuli, including the injury potential and behavioral response to directed energy, electro-muscular incapacitation, ocular, and acoustic-based technologies.

The program supports systematic studies to understand and optimize the means to meet recognized operational needs, generally progressing technologies from Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 2 to TRL 4. This includes developing models of crowd behavior and dynamics, which are essential for predicting and managing the outcomes of non-lethal engagements. The research also informs the development of dose-response and injury correlates for new NLW technologies, ensuring that the effects are both effective and within acceptable safety margins.

In FY 2025 and FY 2026, the program plans to continue research and investigation into intermediate force effects and emergent technologies, with the goal of transitioning viable solutions to higher levels of development and demonstration. Specific efforts include optimizing non-lethal human effects, enhancing understanding of behavioral responses, and exploring innovative applications of existing technologies for escalation-of-force platforms. The program will also assess new technologies related to NLW effectiveness, such as developing non-explosive alternatives to traditional flashbang devices.

Additional planned activities involve counter-materiel research, including the investigation of novel intermediate force capabilities for vehicle and vessel stopping, and the optimization of materials for integration into future platforms. The program will conduct feasibility and design studies for high-peak power radio frequency and directed energy sources, aiming to improve performance while reducing size, weight, power consumption, and cost (SWAP-C). Research will also focus on integrating novel NLW and IFC effects onto future manned, unmanned, and autonomous weapons delivery platforms.