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SUBJECT: Trip Report - Personnel Incapacitation Contract Status

1. Ihis contract was scheduled to terminate 31 October 1971. Hovever, as of 31 July only 25% of the funds had been expended as compared with a projccted 75% expenditure. The Project Officer had been made aware of this situation as it was a consequence of assigned personnel being engaged in the completlon of other high priority Agency tasks. In as much as the Division had no funds for extending the projezt or initiating follow-on tasks, it did not seem appropriate to insist that the contractor maintain his planned schedule. A nocost exteasion until 30 April 1972 has been requested and approved.

2.' The essential purpose of the visit was to structuze definitive plans for continuation of the project. The principal investigator and his collegues had outlined several alternative approaches for discussion with the Profect Officer. These included, but were not limited co:

a. Exteusive iibrary search along with consultant assistance to provide an extensive annotated bibliography in the area of personnel incapacitation.

b.Establishment of Consultant Workshops and Ad Hoc Committees to evaluate present and hopefully generate new concepts of personnel incapacitation.

c. On the basis of available information, to structure psychological and physiological continu: of incapacitation from alcrtness to death. The conccpt 1.. similar to that of tho anesthesiologist's "plancs of consciousness."

d. A detalled study of a single family of incapacitation methods, i.e., Impact, Chicmical, Sensory Overload, etc.

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7 September 1971

MEMORANDUN FOR THE RECORD

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SUDJECT: Trip Report - Personnel Incapacitation Contract Status

3. On the basis of extended discussions, mutual agreement was reached on the following plan of action; minfmu effort (l0%) will be devoted to continuing aquisition and reviey of new documents. The contractor will continuc to remain alert to new concepts of personnel incapacitation. To date the only new possibilities not prcviously considered by others in this area are:

a. Use of Tas a tasteless, odorless, incapacitating gas not requiring aa antidcte or leaving hody traces. personnel are coapletely familiar with the use of data from submarine and space habitability studies, industrial medicine and other sources. Hovever,has not been considered in terms of our personnel incapacitation requiremcnts. Recognizing the necessity for closed space application, the scenarios for which controlled concentratlons ofwould be applicable are quite limited.

b. The second "new" concept, in terms of utilization for temporary personpel incapacitation, is the use ofas a vehicle for transmission of incapacitating chemical agents through the skin. The contractor is completely, avare of previous unclassified research in this area.. In fact, is doing other work for the Agency in the area of toxicology, for which I do not have a"need to know." It is quite possible that certain of the contractor personnel are aware of previous classified resèarch in the area. assigned to this project, has worked extensively with and should have the background to rapidly determine it's applicability for our requirements.

4, It was mutually agreed that if a firs; appraisal of these two concepts indicates low probability of success, work would be discontinued' rcgarding { Perhaps, in the course of continuing effort under this contract they will generate other possibillties. Parenthetically, one of the reasons for letting the initial contract with the was the hope that an organlzatlon with a mcdical orlentation, looking. at the problem frcm the man to the agent rather zhan from the agent or hardware to tha man, could generate concepts not previously considered. However, as indicated in the previous trip report dated 18 May 1971) "both they and the Project Officer are aware that a gamble on new idcas is a high risk fuvestment."

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'SUBJECT: Trip Report Personnel Incapacitation Contract Status

5. Ihe third and pcrhops most significant arca of cffort, assuming the contractor does not generate a major breakthrough with a nev concept, is a systems analysis of potcntial incapacitation methods. The contractor will conduct a systems analysis of energy sources, 1.e., impact, light, sound, electric currcnt, chcmical and others in terms of physical aspects of the agent, delivery eystem, physiological and medical considerations, epplications and limitations,and recommendations. Emphasis will be placed upon the physiolcgical and medical aspects as opposed to delivery systems and opcrational factors. A plan for a systems anaiysis of visual incapacitation was generated by this office and for which 1. have submitted a written requirement to implement. (Attachment I). The contractor will ctilize this document as a guideline for his systems analysis effort.

6. In spite of extensive thought and experimentation by competent authorities, none have defined an efficient non-lethal weapon system. Pcrhaps. in the course of their work 7w111 do so. However,if this does not materialize they should still meet the essential requircments of their contract, which as stated in the Bluebook, "this project will organize available data in matrix fashion so that at any given time one could determine the specific research parameters necessary to fill in the 'gaps to provide required systems . . . to provide a data bank of information concerning the physiological effect of energy sources as these tay be appropriate to thc development of long range systens." The philosophy is identical to that expressed in Attachment I. I feel the contractor will satisfactorily weet the contract requirements within the extended time span.

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ATTACHMENT 1

Rationale for Visual Impairment Systems Ana:ysis

Most military and civil law enforcement operations are dependent upon normal functioning of the human visual system. This fact applies to both military and civil offensive operations as wcll as protection or countermeasures against the use of light energy by hostile forces.

A brief review of light energy utilization to impair personnel efficiency indicates periods of heightened research activity followed by intervals of casual attention. Such accelerated R&D emphasis has occurred in response to battlefield illumination requirements, anti-aircraft personnel incapacitation, protection against atomic flash, pulsing light to produce confusion and disorientation, development of and protection against laser weapons, non-injurious systems for crowd and riot control, as well as in response to other aperiodic, urgent situations.

In the area of handheld projectile weapons we can specify the fleld requirements, turn to a data bank of ordnance R& D, and at least obtain a reasonable approximation of system specifications to meet the requirements. However, in the case of light energy and the incremental course of visual impairment, wo do not have such a data bank. As a result, we are sa a position of "fire fighting" as requirements arise or as the consequence of scientific breakthroughs, i.e., atomic energy, laser beams, retro-reflective optics, etc. The composition of the requirement is based upon a set of scenarios, each. of which may have unigue parameters,and dictates the type of approach which may be most feasible. For instance, typical field situations or scenarios for'which light energy has been suggested as a means for personnel control are: non-lethal capturc of mllitary personnel or civil arrest of an individual; dazzling to permit automobile escape of potential kidnap victim; to thwart aircraft and truck highjacking; crowd ,and riot control; and, from the military point of view, the utilization of light energy to facilitate stopplng moving vehicles by incapacitating the driver, neutralizing accurate fire power from a hostile bunker, disabling anti-aircraft tracking crews, preventionof barrier penetration to a sccure arca, and bnttleficld illumination. Each of these scenarios has been investigated as a unique problem or field requirement without

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a systematic analysis of the similaritics and differnces. Often the response to the Individual requircment covers the complete cycle. from basic research to production. As a result, the process is lengthy, expensive, and frequently repetitive.

Much of the inefficiency with existing procedures would be reduced if a systems analysis program was undertaken which would provide a taxonomic base for diverse sccnario requirements, approaches, eguipment, acceptable risk, etc. For example, the ambicnt illumination within which incapacitation must be accomplished defines a minimnum brightness which must be produced while the anatomical structure of thc eye plus the risk of damage which the situation allows define the maximum brightness. The number of personnel involved together with the possible demand for concealment are important in the choice between pyrotecknic devices and optical devices. The wavelerigth of light emitted and the duration of intermittancy of exposure can be contro'led to produce a variety of effects appropriate to the degree of risk one can assume in the contiruum from dazzle to permanent retinal damage. Utilizing the systems approach, it should be possible to create a framework within which. fragmentary advances can be preserved and structured so as to provide a basis for initiating responses to specific requirements on a timely basis.

As a first step an extensive sample ol scenario requirements must be analyzed to identify significant parameters and combinations of parameters. This would be followed by a study of the various characteristics of light energy and techniques of uses as they apply to the scenario parametric classifications. Subsequent development would include consideration of physiological and psychological effects, equipment capabilities, countermeasures, system factors, and other variables which are identified as related to the selection of visual incapacitating approaches for defined requirements.

A visual impairmcnt systems analysis as outlined above would not only be of major importance to diversc DOD elements, but would .also provide rcquired data and research guidelines for many specialized Governmental organizations such as the LEAA, FBI, CIA, Secret Sersice and civil law enforccment bodics which should be cogaizant of systems for the protection or control of individuals ard groups by means of light energy. Such a program would provide a matrix from which efficlent and economical R&D programs could be gercrated (or perhaps not
generated on the basis of the systcms analysls Information) in terms of the applications and requiremcnts of specific Gover ncntal organizations. i

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Potcatial Applicacions of Light Energy for. Persoanel Control

VISUAL INCAPACITATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS\*

II Light Encrgy Physical Variables

·III Visual Systcm\* Variables

IV
Other System
Factors

V Equipment . State of Art

Wavelength Intensity Duration Rise Time Intermictent Flash Area Visual Angle

Recovery Time
Damage Risk Possible. Temporary Permarionc
Component Affected Lens Filming. Cornca Florescence Tear Ducts Retina Occipital Cortex
Disorientation
Pain
Occulomocor Spasm

User Kisk Emplaccment Reliability Logistics Covercness

Pyrotcchinic
Elcctric Gas
Radiating Body
Laser
Recrorefleccion Size Weight Power Cost, etc.

Rescarch Req. Procetype Dav Test Evaluation

This sequcnce or format for a systems analysis of visual impairment is not intendod to be complete or even suggestive of che proper approach. Individuals expericnced in the area of syacems analysis and compctent in the field of physical and physiological opcics could undoubtodly structure a more appropriate experimental design.

\* One of the major cacegories in a complete systoms analysis should be somc sort of a table, chart. or othcr type of clear prcsentation relating physiological visual impairment to performance efficiency. The word "impalrment" only has slgnificance in regard to the efficiency with which a hostile individual(s) can perform a specified task. Vieion may be roducod to 20/400 on che Snellen Chart, but the individual can still shoot a human target at 50 feet. In, other words, somewhere in the systams analysis light energy, physiological impairment and certain classes of cask dccrement must be relaced.

C00021953