WASHINGTON - March 1, 2011 - The Pentagon has ordered a test batch of long-range electroshock projectiles from Taser International - call them "Taser grenades" - which will be designed to be fired from military grenade launchers.
The 40-millimeter Human Electro-Muscular Incapacitation (HEMI) projectile developed by Taser International of Scottsdale, Arizona, is a self-contained unit that sticks and incapacitates the target with a series of intense electric shocks. This "wireless" approach gives it a range of 100 meters, several times further than earlier devices that fire darts trailing wires connected to the firing unit.
The period of incapacitation is currently set to 30 seconds, which is much higher than other Tasers, which only shock for 5 seconds. However, the shock duration of the HEMI round can be extended upwards to several minutes.
The U.S. Marine Corps is also evaluating the HEMI. Major General Richard Mills, the senior Marine commander in Afghanistan, this month told Marine Corps Times that he wanted to see more nonlethal weapons in the field and mentioned the Taser devices. According to Marine Corps Times, his command has considered equipping all marines that come into contact with Afghan civilians with some form of Taser.
If testing is successful, the HEMI may be ordered for rapid deployment to Afghanistan.
The rounds can be fired from standard under-barrel grenade launchers fitted to assault rifles, thereby giving soldiers lethal and non-lethal options on the same weapon. They can also be fired from the M32 six-shot grenade launcher.
