Non-Lethal Weapons as a Means of Expanding the Capabilities to Defeat the Enemy

Tikhanychev Oleg Vasilyevich ORCID: 0000-0003-4759-2931 PhD in Technical Science Deputy Head of Department in the Office of Advanced Development, Technoserv Group  111395, Russia, Moscow, Yunosti str., 13 tow65@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

Analysis of the history of the development of weapons shows that with the development of technology, with an increase in the power and range of the weapons used, the consequences of military operations became so destructive that they required the introduction of certain restrictions on their conduct. Since the beginning of the regulation of the principles of warfare established by the Hague Conventions on the Laws and Customs of War of 1899 and 1907, the Geneva Convention of 1949 and the Additional Protocols thereto of 1977, the Rome Statute, leading foreign States have been taking steps aimed at reducing casualties among both civilians and, if possible, participants in the fighting. As the review of the history of the development of weapons shows, one of the methods proposed to solve the problem of the humanization of military operations is the use of non-lethal weapons as an alternative to conventional, destructive weapons. In the situation under consideration, we are talking about combat types of non-lethal weapons, and not about similar police means or civilian self-defense weapons. Experts have decided to divide such weapons into:

· weapons that affect only personnel;

· weapons that disable only equipment and material means;

· non-lethal combined-action weapons.

In a number of review papers by foreign and domestic military experts, non-lethal weapons appear to be one of the main means that can significantly reduce the level of bloodshed in modern conflicts, conducted mainly in the form of local wars and armed conflicts (LViVK). But, the analysis of the course of modern LViVK allows us to question this conclusion and form another one – the use of non-lethal weapons is determined, in most cases, not by concern for reducing the number of victims of conflicts, but by the complexity of defeating the enemy in urban development and mountainous and wooded areas, in which military operations most often take place within the framework of modern conflicts. And broadband and, in some cases, non-targeted, non-lethal weapons of continuous impact are used more successfully in such conditions, showing high results according to the "efficiency-cost" criterion.

The plausibility of the formulated hypothesis is indirectly confirmed by two aspects:

· there are no official statistics on the impact of exposure to various types of non-lethal weapons on humans;

· the thesis about the "humane" orientation of the creation of non-lethal weapons is not confirmed by the experience of its practical application.

Based on these provisions, the study of the true causes of the use of various types of non-lethal weapons through the analysis of their real impact on the humanization of armed conflicts in historical retrospect is timely and relevant.

1.Materials and methods used

The main research methods used are analysis and synthesis. Based on the analysis of the features of the use of various types of weapons in conflicts of varying degrees of intensity, estimates of the possible consequences of the use are synthesized.  The use of a systematic approach, taking into account the use of non-lethal weapons as part of the overall process of defeating the enemy, allowed us to consider these issues comprehensively.

As a limitation, it is accepted that the study is conducted in the field of the use of non-lethal military weapons, without affecting the use of similar police means.

The source base of the research was made up of scientific-historical, managerial and organizational-technical documents that are in the public domain.

2. Analysis of the history of the issue. Examples of the use of non-lethal weapons operating on the basis of an electromagnetic pulse

At the initial stage of the study, it should be noted that a certain number of non-lethal weapons have been used in almost all wars since ancient history. Such weapons, for example, can be recognized as fishing nets, all kinds of harnesses and bolos. Their goal, indeed, was to save the lives of enemy soldiers, but not out of humane motives – prisoners were valued and used as slaves.

With the development of technology, in the course of the industrial revolution, the various types of weapons used were also improved. During the First World War, chemical weapons appeared, and immediately non-lethal varieties of them appeared: various irritating substances that cause limited damage. Although their use was determined not so much by humanity as by the unexplored issue of the delivery and distribution of combat gases in the air, the mechanism of their impact on personnel. With the emergence of a deeper understanding of these processes, irritating gases were transferred, mainly, to the category of police means.

Recent history has become an example of the rapid development of technology, including in military affairs, the variety of the nomenclature of weapons, including non-lethal action, has significantly increased. Taking into account this factor, the analysis of the level of safety in the use of modern types of non-lethal weapons is proposed to begin with an analysis of the practice of using its main types during the LViVK of recent decades.

One of the well-known types of non-lethal weapons that are safe for people, but disable electronic weapons and technical controls, are the so-called electromagnetic ammunition (explosive magnetic generators, explosively pumped coaxial flux compression generator - FCG). These ammunition became widespread as the informatization of the battlefield intensified. The principle of operation of such ammunition is based on the fact that due to the creation of a short-term electromagnetic pulse of high power, communication and control means, electronic components from weapons systems are disabled, while crews are not affected and infrastructure facilities are not damaged (Figure 1). And, unlike electronic suppression equipment, electromagnetic weapons are capable of disabling electronic components of weapons and communications equipment, even when the onboard equipment is turned off ^[1].

Open sources cite cases of the use of such ammunition by US and NATO forces in operations "Allied Force" (Operation Allied Force) in Yugoslavia, "Shock and Awe" (Shock and Awe) in Iraq and "Anaconda" (Operation Anaconda) in Afghanistan.

Fig.1 Schematic diagram of the electromagnetic munition (figure from the website DefenseTech.org )

For example, in Operation Shock and Awe, the use of electromagnetic bombs (e-bomb) was noted. An officially recorded case of their use took place on March 25, 2003, when such ammunition was used by US aviation on the building of the Ministry of Information of Iraq, which paralyzed the broadcasting of Iraqi television for several hours ^[1]. In the future, US aviation repeatedly used similar ammunition in Baghdad and other cities of Iraq.

Another type of electromagnetic ammunition is considered to be a weapon based on the so-called oscillating virtual cathode or microwave generator (VIRtual CAthode oscillaTOR - VIRCATOR). The short-term electromagnetic pulse created by it, theoretically, disables integrated circuits and even relays at a distance of up to 150 meters. Exotic types of such weapons sometimes include the generation of high-power electromagnetic radiation using a high-altitude nuclear explosion (Nuclear High Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse), although such a method of exposure can only be attributed to non-lethal weapons conditionally.

But, however, it is not the properties of this class of weapons that are important, but the fact that the analysis of the features of the use of electromagnetic bombs confirms that their use is not due to the requirements for the preservation of civilian lives or calculations of high–tech weapons systems, but purely practical considerations. After all, in order to destroy a radar station (radar) located in a shelter, it is necessary to ensure the accuracy of detonating ammunition a few meters from a given aiming point, and FCG can disable the radar at a deviation of more than about 175 meters, even in the presence of physical obstacles, which significantly reduces the requirements for the accuracy of reconnaissance and guidance systems. Thus, the purpose of using electromagnetic weapons, which is obvious, is precisely to increase the efficiency of performing defeat tasks in difficult conditions.

 Another class of non-lethal weapons designed to affect energy-saturated objects is the type represented by the BLU-114/B ammunition. This ammunition is designed to create numerous short circuits in power supply networks. After opening the warhead (cassette), the BLU-114/B elements disperse over the switching facilities of the power supply systems and, when the knock-out charges are triggered, scatter coils with conductive graphite threads forming a cloud of electrically conductive fibers with an area of up to 200 square meters above the object (Figure 2). These fibers, when they hit the current-carrying elements, cause multiple short circuits of electrical networks. If high-voltage devices are the objects of influence, then short circuits lead to the formation of an electric arc, causing significant damage to the equipment and its ignition ^[2]. The first use of these munitions was noted in 1991 in Iraq. In the future, such means were actively used by the Air Force and the aviation of the US Navy and NATO during the wars in the Persian Gulf and in Yugoslavia.

 Rice.2 Remnants of the BLU-114/B submunition after being used on objects on the territory of Yugoslavia (photo from the website DefenseTech.org )

After exposure to such ammunition along a section of the power grid or a switching and distribution node, the damage, as practice has shown, increases avalanche-like: with a massive failure of substations, generators at power plants remain unloaded, the disconnecting automation is triggered with a certain delay and the physical destruction of generators occurs. The consequences of the shutdown are observed in the power system for several days.

Analyzing the consequences of the use of such ammunition, it can be concluded that the effect of damaging the power grid with non-lethal weapons in many cases is comparable to the impact of conventional ammunition with all the ensuing consequences. But even this is not the main thing: when electric networks are damaged, secondary damaging factors inevitably arise, affecting mainly the civilian population in the form of the termination of the functioning of life support systems. These factors can shape the situation of a humanitarian catastrophe, which is one of the elements of the American concept of "controlled chaos" (The theory of controlled chaos), which has nothing to do with the humanization of conflicts. And the very nature of the action of "graphite" ammunition shows that their use is due not so much to the desire to reduce destruction, as to the ability to affect any place of the electrical system, and not only the most important nodes that can be covered by air defense.

The analysis of the listed facts allows us to conclude that the main purpose of the use of "graphite" bombs is not to care about saving the lives of civilians, but to increase the efficiency of damaging power lines, disabling protected switching and generating elements of electrical networks without destroying buildings and structures. That is, concern for ensuring the safety of material values, which has nothing to do with the humanization of armed conflicts.

3. Examples of the use of acoustic weapons

Another common type of non-lethal weapon is acoustic, based on the use of the influence of high-power sounds and a certain frequency on the human body.

Technically, acoustic weapons can differ in the method of forming sound waves, and from the point of view of impact, in the range used:

· high power sound in the audible range (from 16-20 Hz to 15-20 kHz);

· infrasound weapons (below 15 Hz);

· ultrasound (from 20 kHz to 1 GHz).

Accordingly, the results of the action of such weapons are determined by both the power of the generated audio signal and the range used, significantly differing for the ultrasonic and infrasound spectrum.

Theoretically, according to the developers' ideas, the use of acoustic systems should provide an expansion of the range of possibilities for the use of military force not only on the battlefield, but also in a number of situations that may arise during peacekeeping operations, as well as in the rear of groups of troops, while protecting facilities and communications.

Such weapons are being developed in many foreign countries. It is known, for example, about the conduct of such work in the Center for Research, Development and Maintenance of Weapons (U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center, ARDEC) at the Picatinny Arsenal ^[3]. A number of projects to create devices that form non-diffracting acoustic "bullets" were carried out by the Scientific Applications & Research Associates (SARA) in Huntington Beach, California. The joint work of SARA and ARDEC is aimed at creating high-power acoustic weapons for solving various applied tasks.

Within the framework of these studies, sources of controlled low frequency were tested, the impact of which on a person causes blurring of vision and spasms of internal organs, low-frequency acoustic emitters of high power designed to create sound "barriers" on the perimeters of objects to prohibit unauthorized access to them were developed. In the interests of influencing personnel located in bunkers and on military equipment, so-called acoustic "bullets" of ultra-low frequencies formed by interference of ultrasonic vibrations were tested.

As an example of the practical implementation of such systems, a mobile acoustic source (SMAI), designed at the National Center for Physical Acoustics of the University of Mississippi, can be cited. An exponential horn with a length of about twenty meters and a diameter of more than two meters is installed on the SMAI, which generates an acoustic signal with a power of up to 20 kW ^[2].

Various devices can be used to produce high-energy ultrasound: a siren powered by an internal combustion engine drive, a shock pulse generator from an explosion, vibrating piezoelectric discs and other technical means. In one of these devices, such a disc with a discrete change in thickness was used, with the help of which sound levels over 160 dB were obtained (with a pain threshold of the human ear of 137 dB).

At the other end of the sound range, low-frequency vibrations can be generated by aerodynamic means, for example, by turbulent interaction of the air flow with resonators.

The formation of broadband sound vibrations with high energy is proposed to be obtained due to the shock pulse from the detonation of an explosive. When a charge with a capacity of 1 kilogram of TNT explodes, there is pain in the ears at a distance of up to 200 meters, and death occurs within a few meters, which, in general, corresponds to contusion when using conventional weapons. The possibility of using acoustic effects on manpower by creating a "chain" of explosions of low power, the frequency of which will correspond to infrasound, is not excluded. In this case, the amount of acoustic power can reach a megawatt, and the sound level near the source is about 180 dB.

Open sources indicate that for the first time in practice, acoustic weapons, a shock wave generator of the "Jericho Tube" type (Trumpets of Jericho), were used by the Israeli Armed Forces in 2003-2005 during operations in the Gaza Strip ^[3].

Taking into account the technical features, the use of acoustic weapons for the protection of important stationary or mobile energy-saturated objects is considered quite promising. This is determined by the fact that, unlike conventional weapons, acoustic systems can provide continuous non-directional impact around the perimeter of the object, without physically expending ammunition, consuming only electricity. With this in mind, the US Navy has developed LRAD 1000 (Long Range Acoustic Device) installations for the protection of ships and vessels.

Fig.3 Installation of an acoustic radiator to ensure the protection of ships in areas of risky navigation (photo from the website DefenseTech.org )

The LRAD 1000 system is an acoustic emitter with the ability to send sound signals purposefully, within the beam with an opening of about 15-30 ° (Figure 3). When the unit is operating at a relatively low power, clear voice warnings are sent by it to a distance of up to 300 meters. When operating at full power, approximately the same distance, the installation sends frightening sound "tones" with an acoustic pressure level above the pain threshold. Acoustic pulses of increased power, up to 150 dB, can be sent out for a short time. The use of this device on November 7, 2005 prevented the pirate seizure of a cruise ship near the coast of Somalia. Such systems are installed not only on civilian ships, but also on military ships, seemingly already saturated with weapons. This is determined by the fact that acoustic systems allow you to act relatively aimlessly, against small and, consequently, inconspicuous objects. In addition, they do not require physical resource consumption for impact on targets and at the same time provide a sufficiently long period of continuous use in specified sectors.

Currently, the USA has developed a more powerful version of the acoustic weapon – HS-60, using Hiperspike technology. The HS-60 system can create a sound pressure of up to 182 dB, decreasing at a distance of over a hundred meters to 140 dB. Taking into account the fact that decibels are measured on a logarithmic scale, the increase in radiation power relative to LRAD 1000 is quite significant.

In addition to emitters, a special case of the use of non-lethal acoustic weapons is sometimes considered to be the use of stun grenades, leading to temporary blindness and hearing loss. However, unlike emitters, grenades are a consumable resource, although they do not require a constant supply of energy.

Based on the characteristics and experience of using such systems, the goals and necessity of using acoustic weapons in the military sphere are quite obvious, and this is not a reduction in civilian casualties or losses of enemy troops.

The true reasons for the effectiveness of acoustic exposure can be shown by historical analysis related to operations carried out under special conditions. More specifically, the history of military art shows how difficult it is for troops to overcome prepared defensive structures, how problematic it is to find and hit the defending personnel in an extensive natural or artificial network of shelters. The use of acoustic weapons largely solves these problems. A historical analogue can be the use of conventional ammunition and metal "blanks" during the breakthrough of fortified areas during the Second World War, which could not destroy particularly strong defensive structures, but due to the impact caused contusion of the personnel inside, reducing its ability to resist. Quite indicative of such examples is the storming by the Red Army of the fortifications of the "Mannerheim line" (Mannerheim–linja) in February 1940 and in June 1944, in which guns and tanks brought to direct fire did not penetrate thick concrete walls, but disabled the calculations of pillboxes for a time sufficient for the assault troops to approach them. groups. A historical example closer to us is the storming by American troops of the mountain "fortress" of Tora Bora in Afghanistan (Pashto – "black cave") in December 2001, in which similar methods were used.

Regarding the likely consequences of the impact of acoustic weapons on the human body, the SARA report noted that infrasound at the level of 110-130 dB has a negative effect on the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, causes pain and nausea. High levels of anxiety and disorder in the irradiated are achieved with minute exposures already at levels from 90 to 120 dB at low frequencies (from 5 to 200 Hz), and severe physical injuries and tissue damage can occur at the level of 140-150 dB. Instantaneous injuries, similar to the effects of shock waves, occur at a sound pressure of about 170 dB. At low frequencies, the stimulated resonances of internal organs can cause bleeding, and in the medium frequency range (0.5-2.5 kHz), resonances in the air cavities of the body cause nervous excitement. At ultrasonic frequencies (from 5 to 30 kHz), overheating of the body can occur up to deadly high temperatures, burns of tissues and their dehydration. At higher frequencies, as a result of cavitation, bubbles may form, leading to micro-fractures of tissues.

The Mob Excess Deterrent Using Silent Audio (MEDUSA) system developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation is close to acoustic weapons in terms of the nature of the impact ^[4]. The principle of its operation is based on a well-known physical effect: the generation of sound in the inner ear of a person that occurs when irradiated with microwaves of certain frequencies. This is due to the thermal expansion of the tissues around the cochlea, creating shock waves perceived by humans as sound. Depending on the parameters of the beam, the effect created can cause nausea or more serious consequences. In earlier experiments conducted by other institutes, researchers noted a number of negative effects: headaches and dizziness. And this despite the fact that the power of the beams used in the experiments were relatively small. What the physiological effect will be under the action of more powerful radiation can only be assumed. Many experts believe that at a certain level of sound power, damage to the nervous system is possible, up to a fatal outcome ^[4].

4. Some other types of non-lethal weapons

A fairly representative type of non-lethal weapons, which appeared with the development of electronics, became microwave weapons (High power firmware weapons). Such weapons include ADS (Active Denial System) non-lethal microwave guns installed on trucks or passenger cars (Figure 4). Such systems are primarily designed to disable electronic components of weapons. But, when they get into the zone of their human action, microwaves with a length of 3.2 mm (frequency 95 GHz, radiation power up to 100 kW) penetrate the skin by 0.3-0.4 mm and heat the water contained in the skin cells and intercellular space, causing pain that feels like a burn. Tests on volunteers have shown that ADS-class systems are capable of having a significant shock effect on a person (the so-called "Goodbye effect") at a distance of up to 500 meters.

 Fig.4 A prototype of the ADS microwave gun (photo from the website DefenseTech.org )

As for acoustic weapons, the ability to carry out continuous impact across areas and sectors, for example, along the outer perimeter of stationary objects without consuming physical resources, makes microwave non-lethal weapons an effective means of protecting the rear and communications. There are cases of ADS systems being used to protect US army facilities in Afghanistan. Microwave weapons, as well as acoustic ones, can be installed on ships to solve problems of their protection in areas of risky navigation (Figure 5).

Fig.5 A prototype of a "microwave gun" in a stationary version installed on sea vessels (photo from the website DefenseTech.org )

In addition to the types of weapons described above, non-lethal weapons by specialists include low-power laser systems.

As part of research on the development of such weapons, Boeing tested a variant of the AC-130N aircraft in 2008, with a laser installation installed on it, created under the ATL (Advanced Tactical Laser) program. The aircraft is being developed to exhaust the enemy (Air Interdiction), protect military and rear facilities, and support the actions of ground forces during operations in urbanized areas. The basis of the AS-130N armament should be a 12,000-pound (about 3.5 tons) combined high-energy laser module. According to the test results of this installation, the intensity of the energy flow in the beam is more than 200 W / cm2 ^[5,6], which makes it possible to successfully solve one of the tasks of using non–lethal weapons - disabling optoelectronic reconnaissance and guidance devices ^[1,7,8].

Another example of samples of non-lethal laser weapons is the PHASR (Personnel halting and stimulation response rifle) system being developed for the US Armed Forces, which is a low-intensity laser that allows temporarily blinding the enemy, disorienting him in space (Figure 6).

Fig.6 Laser gun type PHASR (photo from the website DefenseTech.org )

Work on the creation of similar tools designed to solve problems of disabling optoelectronic enemy reconnaissance systems was also carried out in the USSR: the Stiletto and Sanguine systems, the development of the NGO Astrophysics.

It should be noted that, in principle, the use of combat laser devices of any power is not prohibited by the laws of warfare, unless they are specifically designed to blind a person. But, in addition to solving the main tasks: disabling optical sensors, theoretically, tactical lasers can be used to "gently" disable enemy manpower – due to blinding ^[1,4]. Regulation of the use of laser systems is entrusted to the operators of weapons, which makes their safety very relative. And, according to doctors, a laser beam with the level of energy used in such devices can lead to charring of the retina of the eye and, as a result, to irretrievable loss of vision ^[9].

Somewhat closer to traditional types of weapons is such a type of non-lethal weapon as traumatic (firearms of limited destruction), using kinetic stopping ammunition, as well as stun guns and stun guns. Their use is supposed to be off the battlefield, while protecting some objects and maintaining order among the civilian population. However, as the experience of using similar weapons in the police and civil sphere shows, it can be considered very conditionally safe.

In addition to the above types, non-lethal weapons sometimes include such exotic means as:

· chemicals and bacteria that cause changes in the composition of fuels and lubricants and lead to the failure of equipment;

· chemical and biological reagents that damage insulation materials and gaskets;

· substances that increase or decrease the friction of surfaces;

· irritating and strong-smelling substances (irritants) and the like.

However, despite some exoticism of such means, in the history of LViVK there are examples of the use of non-lethal weapons based on chemical components. For example, during the Vietnam War of 1965-1973, in order to interrupt the movement along the "Ho Chi Minh Trail", the American Air Force sprayed silver iodide over the clouds, causing precipitation to cause floods and river flooding. From 1967 to 1972, about two thousand "rain" sorties were carried out. During the operation "Commando Lava", tons of soap powder were sprayed from airplanes over the "path": when mixed with rainwater, the surface should have become impassable. However, practice has shown insufficient effectiveness of such methods: spraying tens of tons of expensive ingredients turned out to be too costly and did not justify the resulting effect ^[9]. And in 1976-1978, the UN developed and agreed on the "Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Means of Influencing the Natural Environment", which formally stopped research on the creation of means of influencing the climate.

An even more revealing case is the use of the "non-lethal" reagent Agent Orange (Agent Orange), intended for processing vegetation, and used to deprive the guerrillas of shelters in the jungle, carried out during the same military campaign. According to the US Department of Defense, in the period from 1962 to 1971, the Americans sprayed 77 million liters of Agent Orange over the territory of Vietnam, including 44 million liters, the most dangerous version of the mixture containing dioxin.

All these "non-lethal" impacts resulted in casualties, including among the civilian population. Especially when using "Agent Orange", which was positioned as a herbicide for removing foliage as part of the program for the destruction of tropical forests and vegetation "Ranch Hand", and in reality – the use of which, due to the dioxin contained in its composition, led to the appearance of more than a million disabled people suffering from hereditary diseases.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the classification of non-lethal weapons cannot be considered final, in addition to the previously listed types, other types of non-lethal weapons may theoretically appear: both fundamentally new and modified existing ones. For example, at present, it is not customary to refer to non-lethal weapons as means of electronic suppression and cyber weapons. At the same time, the nature of their action, which ensures the disabling of control systems of military formations and individual samples of equipment, making it difficult to use them in combat without hitting personnel, fits the description of non-lethal weapons. However, the consequences of the use, especially in terms of software and hardware, of influencing the objects of critical infrastructure of the state, especially energy, are in many ways similar to the destructive consequences of the use of electromagnetic and "graphite" bombs, which, again, negates the thesis of the potential humanity of such weapons.

5. Some conclusions

The arguments given in the article that the safety of non-lethal weapons for humans is a rather conditional category, with varying degrees of reliability, can be extended to all existing classes of such weapons. Statistics of harm to health as a result of the use of microwave and acoustic emitters, reagents, laser systems, currently do not exist, but doubts about their safety are very justified. The destruction of life-support systems of settlements by non-lethal weapons also does not add humanity to conflicts and poses a threat to the health and life of civilians. But the effectiveness of non-lethal weapons in conditions where it is problematic to use "conventional" weapons has been proven by numerous examples from the practice of modern LViVK ^[9-18]. Including the effectiveness of weapons used against various types of robotic systems, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Against the latter, both relatively safe radio-electronic weapons (anti-drone guns of the DroneDefender type and the like) and low-power, but potentially dangerous laser means with sufficient power to defeat optical and infrared sensors of UAVs, characterized by high selective ability and inertia-free action are used. With the increase in the density of UAVs over the battlefield and in the operational rear, the number of works on the development of non-lethal weapons to counter them also increases.

In addition to these facts, another aspect of the use of non-lethal weapons is also important, determined by the growing intensity of information warfare in recent decades, especially in "hybrid" conflicts. Since the 60s of the last century, when television was actively developed, the fighting began to be covered in detail in the media, since the Vietnam War, which, in a figurative expression, "stepped off the screens into every house" (a living-room war). Currently, with the development of mass media and the implementation of the trend of "hyper-connectivity", military operations are conducted almost live ^[9,19,20]. Taking into account the fact that modern conflicts are increasingly conducted in urbanized areas, the factor of non-destructive action of non-lethal weapons begins to play a significant role in them: when using it, the picture from the battlefield becomes more "photogenic", without blood and destruction. At the same time, in most combat situations, the security of the warring parties and the civilian population increases slightly, there are simply no external manifestations of the results of the impact.

As for the efforts to actually reduce the so-called "Collateral Damage" of hostilities associated with the defeat of non-combatants, such measures are indeed being applied. For example, in the US Armed Forces, there are guidelines such as section 7 in the USAF Intelligence Targeting Guide 1998, and even FAST-CD software related to the operational assessment of probable excessive damage when using weapons, but this has nothing to do with non-lethal weapons.

Based on the above, objectively assessing the experience of using non-lethal weapons in LViVK, the following conclusions can be drawn:

· the use of so-called "non-lethal" weapons can cause significant harm to health, and in many situations lead to a fatal outcome, significant damage is also caused by probable, but little-studied side effects of its use;

· the main purpose of creating and using most types of non-lethal weapons is not to reduce excessive losses and casualties among the civilian population, but to increase the effectiveness of solving specific destruction tasks;

· non-lethal weapons of various types are often used to protect personnel and ensure the safety of material assets without involving additional forces and spending resources, but at the same time, in an almost continuous mode. One of such applications is the protection of ships and vessels in the zone of risky navigation;

· taking into account the total informatization and hyper–connectivity that have led to the conduct of modern wars almost live and an increase in sensitivity to losses and destruction of infrastructure - non-destructive means of influence, which include non-lethal weapons, are used and will be used at all stages of hostilities in urbanized areas;

· the existing concepts of the Armed Forces of NATO countries note the potential danger of using non-lethal weapons, but recommend using them in addition to the "usual" to solve specific tasks of defeating the enemy at the stages of sluggish actions, in conditions of saving ammunition resources and with non-targeted impact on the enemy in place and time.

It is these features, and not the declared security, that serve as reasons for increasing the intensity of the use of non-lethal weapons in military operations, which, as the analysis of the features of conducting modern LViVK shows, are conducted mainly in a complex background–target situation, primarily in a highly urbanized area. That is, where the effectiveness of using "conventional" weapons is noticeably reduced.

Conclusion

Based on the results of the historical analysis of modern LViVK, a significant conclusion can be drawn: it would be more correct to call non-lethal weapons not "non-lethal", but weapons of influence with special functionality. According to its characteristics, it is an effective complement to high-precision weapons, providing an expansion of the range of destruction tasks, especially when conducting combat operations in urbanized areas. This conclusion is also confirmed by the fact of the creation in the United States of a special department of the Ministry of Defense — the Directorate for Non-Lethal Weapons (JointNonLethalWeaponsDirectorate), as well as the development of conceptual documents and charters, such as the instruction FM 9040 "Combined Arms order for the tactical use of non-lethal weapons" and the field charter of the US Army on the use of non-lethal weapons FM 3-22.40 ^[21,22]. In these documents, non–lethal weapons are proposed to be used taking into account their characteristics, first of all - broadband operation and weak dependence on the availability of physical ammunition resources. Based on these provisions, two types of combat situations are described in which non-lethal weapons should be used according to the conditions of effectiveness:

· when the enemy is in an area inaccessible to observation or in shelters, the defeat of which is difficult with conventional ammunition;

· when it is necessary to create a zone of prolonged and continuous impact, including non–targeted, without physical expenditure of ammunition.

These recommendations, of course, have nothing to do with the humanization of military operations, aiming to increase the effectiveness of the tasks of defeating the enemy in difficult conditions. And this trend, historically traced at all stages of the development of armed confrontation, should be taken into account when assessing the true goals of the use of non-lethal weapons and forming a reaction to the facts of such use.