Instant Alert: The Army's newest non-lethal weapon basically lets soldiers shoot enemies in the face with hot sauce

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The Army's newest non-lethal weapon basically lets soldiers shoot enemies in the face with hot sauce by John Haltiwanger on Jun 27, 2018, 5:20 PM Advertisement The Army has a new non-lethal weapon to help soldiers in Afghanistan "irritate and deter" potential adversaries, Army Times reports.  The weapon fires paintball-like projectiles filled with a hot pepper solution. The projectiles have a range of around 50 yards and leave a "debilitating cloud," impacting the eyes, nose and respiratory system. Weapons like this can help soldiers in urban settings as well as riot-control situations.  The Army has a new non-lethal weapon to help soldiers in Afghanistan "irritate and deter" potential adversaries with pepper-filled balls, Army Times reports.  The non-lethal launcher, known as the Variable Kinetic System (VKS), is made by PepperBall Technologies. It fires projectiles much like paintballs containing a hot pepper solution. "We are truly honored the US Army has selected PepperBall's VKS to use as its non-lethal protection in its mission to defending the United States," Ron Johnson, CEO of United Tactical Systems, which owns PepperBall, said in a statement. "Our VKS platform was the only non-lethal source that was capable of complying to the US Army's standards," Johnson added.  The projectiles have a range of around 50 yards and leave a "debilitating cloud," impacting the eyes, nose and respiratory system. The irritant, which is 5% pelargonic acid vanillylamide (PAVA) and a synthetic version of pepper spray, is released when the projectile makes contact.  The weapon is built like a paintball gun and can carry up to 180 rounds when it's in "hopper mode" and 10 or 15 rounds when it's in "magazine mode."  The Army awarded a $650,000 contract for the weapons, which reportedly have the same controls and ergonomics of the M4/M16 weapons system, which many soldiers already carry. In other words, it will not be tough for most soldiers to transition into using these non-lethal launchers.  In total, the Army reportedly purchased 267 of the weapons, which are currently being used in training.  Weapons like this can help soldiers in high-intensity, urban settings and especially during crowd control situations.  SEE ALSO: The Army thinks its next war will go underground — and it's spending a half-billion dollars to get ready   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011