Book Description

In the Post Cold War era U.S. military operation are becoming increasingly difficult to a societal aversion to the infliction of casualties. This aversion has migrated over time from an aversion to U.S. casualties, to an abhorrence of non-combatant casualties and now includes an aversion to the infliction of casualties on enemy combatants. This has combined with an increase in the complexity in the nature military operations U.S. forces are called upon to undertake. Non-lethal weapons (NLW), while development is currently focused on tactical level applications, offer the operational commander flexible new tools that can be employed across the spectrum of warfare to achieve operational objectives. Current and emerging technologies offer the promise of allowing NLW to be used at the operational level to impose our will on the enemy while limiting both civilian casualties and collateral damage. This in turn will allow for more rapid war termination and will minimize the instability exacerbated by the destruction associated with conventional warfare. Operational commanders must demand NLW technologies be developed and fielded for use at the operational level. Further, doctrine needs to be developed for their use if confidence is to be established in their effectiveness. With confidence and doctrinal underpinning, NLW can be effectively integrated into the warfighting capabilities of the operational commander for use across the entire spectrum of warfare.