New landmine is a real shocker

April 24 2003

From the country that brought us the atom bomb, the cluster bomb and 
the so-called mother of all bombs comes the "non-lethal" landmine - a 
nasty little critter that can fire 12 pairs of darts independently at 
different targets, with a battery capable of delivering up to 200 
three-second shocks of 50,000 volts.  

According to New Scientist, the United States is interested in 
developing this variation on the landmine that would zap intruders 
with an electric shock.  

An Arizona company, Tasertron, has already carried out feasibility 
studies for the Pentagon, the British weekly says in next Saturday's 
issue.  

The system would be based on a prototype gadget, the Taser Area 
Denial Device (TADD), which in turn is designed on the Taser, an 
electric shock gun widely used by police forces around the world.  

TADD fires a pair of darts at a range of around seven metres. A high-
voltage electrical pulse is delivered through lightweight cables attached 
to the darts. The shock overrides the nervous system's control of the 
muscles, incapacitating the person for as long as the current is on.  

TADD has up to 12 pairs of darts that can be fired independently at 
different targets, with a battery capable of delivering up to 200 
three-second shocks of 50,000 volts.  

Tasertron is hoping to sell TADD to prisons, nuclear facilities and 
other installations as a means of reinforcing perimeter security. 
For instance, if there is a jail breakout, a guard would trigger the 
device to immobilise escapees.  

The Pentagon, though, is interested in an automatic version that 
would  be a de-facto landmine, dispersed to create no-go areas.

[snip]

Full article at Sydney Morning Herald ...
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/24/1050777336512.html

Cheers, Steve..

---